OREANDA-NEWS. Customers with Aviva’s group critical illness cover will be able to access practical advice and emotional support following a claim, due to the extension of a successful partnership with the RedArc Personal Nurse Adviser service.

RedArc has been supporting Aviva’s individual critical illness customers over the last year and the service will be available to group critical illness customers at no extra cost from 1 January 2015.

The service offers customers in claim access to a dedicated personal nurse adviser who can provide practical guidance and emotional support for as long as required. In addition, the service can arrange a second UK medical opinion for the customers’ health condition.

Telephone based support

The telephone support service complements mainstream medical treatment and is operated by qualified nurses with experience of supporting individuals through critical illness. It is designed to help individuals deal with the impact of their condition by offering a listening ear, practical information and emotional support.

Customers in claim are able to make contact with RedArc in their own time, if and when they feel the need to talk. A dedicated personal nurse adviser will be assigned to manage all services for the customers, including:

  • Help in understanding the condition and all its implications
  • Explaining options for treatment
  • Helping to prepare for consultant’s appointment
  • Explaining medical terms in simple everyday language
  • Helping families to cope with consequences of illness
  • Finding suitable equipment and medical aids
  • Providing a range of resources such as factsheets, books, CDs, DVDs
  • Ensuring best use is made of mainstream services such as NHS, Macmillan cancer support, British Heart Foundation
  • Sign-posting to charities and local self help groups
  • Ongoing emotional support

In addition, when appropriate, the personal nurse adviser may also arrange additional help in the form of a specialist nurse home visit, therapy or counselling.

Second medical opinion

Customers are also able to have a comprehensive, independent assessment of their medical condition through the RedArc service. Arranged by the customer’s Personal Nurse Adviser, this is sourced through either the NHS or the UK private medical sector and enables the patient to have a face to face consultation.

Customers can be reassured that the service is independent and completely confidential and no information is shared with Aviva.

Steve Bridger, Group Risk Director at Aviva UK Health, said: “Getting appropriate emotional and practical support when you’re diagnosed with a critical illness is just as important as the financial support you get from a protection policy, so we’re delighted to extend free access to RedArc’s services to our group critical illness customers.

“The enhancement marks our continued focus on delivering added value services to our Group Risk customers, such as an Employee Assistance Programme for our Group Income Protection customers and bereavement helpline for Group Life customers.”

In 2013, Aviva paid ?173.2m in group protection claims, providing financial support for over 2,600 customers and their families.  The most common causes of group critical illness claims are cancer, heart attack and stroke.

RedArc services are available to all customers covered on an Aviva Group Critical Illness plan from 1 January 2015.