Our muscles, bones and joints service

You can’t postpone back pain or schedule a sprain

Get support without a GP referral.
You won't have to pay any excess or any similar contribution you'd usually pay each year if you use this service for online or phone appointments ¹
Speak with a physio within one working day, or a specialist within three working days ²

Learn more

99% of members needing an online physiotherapist appointment were offered one, within 1 working day

² Based on AXA Health members using this service from Jan-Dec 2025

How our muscles, bones and joints service works online

This is a specialist-led service delivered by HBSUK, who are part of the AXA group. The service is for members aged 18 or over. Please check your membership documents to see whether you have access to this service.

1. Continue to HBSUK

Select the AXA Health login. If you’re setting up a new account you'll need your email address and membership number, which you can find on your membership documents or emails from us.

2. Fill in a few details

Once you're setup with HBSUK, you'll be able to self-refer for the muscles, bones and joints service. You'll just need to provide a few details about what's wrong in an online assessment. This normally takes about 5 minutes to complete.

3. Set up a video or phone appointment

If you need to see a physiotherpaist or specialist, you can then use your HBSUK online account to make a video or phone appointment at a time that suits you.

When you have your appointment

4. You'll have a video or phone appointment

Your physiotherapist or specialist will talk through your symptoms, assess you and work out what could be wrong.

5. Next steps

HBSUK will advise further treatment, for example a personalised exercise plan or treatment and tests¹. You'll be able to see your documents and manage your appointments from your HBSUK online account.

¹ If tests, scans or face-to-face appointments are needed, these will affect any outpatient limit and excess, you’ll need the appropriate benefits for outpatient specialist consultations and diagnostic tests. You can find more information in your handbook.

Ready to book? Please answer the following questions

Are you a member of a large business healthcare scheme?

(Usually a business with more than 250 employees).

Go to your online account

This is where you can find out whether your membership provides access to this service.

Are you over the age of 18?

Are you booking this appointment for yourself?

You can access our muscles, bones, and joints service online

The specialists at HBSUK will take it from here. If tests, scans or face-to-face appointments are needed, they will let you know. Remember these will affect any outpatient limit and excess, you'll need the appropriate benefits in place. You can find more information in your handbook.

Book an appointment

Please only book your appointment from your own HBSUK account.

If you book on behalf of someone else, the physio or specialist won't have the right details.

Sorry you cannot use our online service. Follow the steps below instead:

1. See a GP

After they've looked at your symptoms, carried out any tests and you've had any treatment they recommended, they may still need to refer you for specialist care. If you’re struggling to get an appointment with your GP, remember you can use our online GP service

Use our online GP service

Important information: Whether we approve a claim will depend on the plan you’re on and its cover. This may exclude pre-existing conditions or symptoms - meaning any medication you’ve taken (including over-the-counter medicines like painkillers), any condition you've consulted a GP or healthcare professional about, and any symptoms you’ve experienced, even if you didn’t seek medical attention. You can review what your membership covers in your membership documents.

2. If your GP says you need to see a specialist, ask them for an ‘open referral’

With an ‘open referral’ your GP doesn’t name a particular specialist but instead gives you the type of specialist you need to see – for example, an orthopaedic specialist. We’ll use this open referral to help you find a specialist.

If your GP recommends a particular specialist, this is a ‘named referral’. You’ll need to contact us with this name, either through live chat, or contact us on your claims line number (which you can find in your membership documents) and we’ll check your membership covers that specialist.

Important information: If you’re referred to a specialist, we may ask your NHS GP to complete a medical information form. This helps us verify that your treatment or condition is covered by your plan. Your GP may charge a fee for completing this form, and please be aware, we don’t cover for the cost of this, and you will need to pay this yourself.

Some plans require you to have an ‘open referral’. Please check your membership documents if you are unsure.

3. Contact us when your GP has given you a referral

Start your claim through your online account. Alternatively, you can chat online with one of our advisors using the live chat to the bottom-right of your screen or call us using your claims line number, which you’ll find in your membership documents. If you don’t have your referral letter to hand, make sure you know the type of specialist your GP is referring you for.

Start your claim

FAQs

Using the Service

You will need the appropriate healthcare benefits for the recommended next steps - outpatient specialist consultations, diagnostic tests or hands-on physiotherapy. Any outpatient limits or contribution you normally pay towards treatment each year will apply. Please check your membership documents to find out what benefits you have access to.
The physiotherapists and specialists are trained to make sure they can assess you on a video or phone call, and they’ll advise you on exercises that could help. However, if they think you need to see someone face to face, they’ll let you know.

How it works with your membership

Most of our members have access to our phone and online muscle, bones and joints support service, as part of their membership.
If you're a member of our AXA Health Plan, you'll need the outpatient diagnosis and care option to access this service.
Please check your membership documents to find out what benefits you have access to.
If you work for a large business (250 plus employees), check to see if your employer has selected the muscle, bones and joints online service by referring to your online account, under the ‘muscles, bones and joints‘ section.
As part of your membership you have access to this online service without it impacting on any benefit limits or contribution you normally pay towards treatment each year. If you're recommended any face-to-face appointments, tests or x-rays that are covered through your membership, this will affect your benefits and any excess or contributions that you normally pay each year.
No, even if this relates to a condition you had before you joined, you can still use the service to get expert advice. For any recommended treatment or tests however, you'll need to check your membership certificate and handbook for details of how your membership covers existing conditions.

Not a member? Get a health insurance quote

Here's some information you'll need:

Personal details such as your name, address and date of birth.
Details of any family members you'd like to include on your policy.
The date you'd like your policy to begin.

Our health insurance quote process usually takes just a few minutes, so why not get an online quote now?