Our mental health support
We think the mind is just as important as the body. After all, it makes us who we are.
Our health insurance helps put you back in control
Health insurance provides treatment for conditions that develop after your health insurance policy has begun.
Our mental health support provides ongoing, around-the-clock support for a wealth of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and addiction. Getting the right help is important, that’s why we offer access to a number of support options. If you’re struggling with your mental health, Bupa will continue to support you every step of the way.
So if you aren’t feeling yourself, our mental health support team can listen, advise and put you through to a mental health nurse.^ Or you can speak to our direct access team − they could refer you to a specialist, maybe even without needing to see a GP first.†
Since mental health conditions can recur, our Bupa By You insurance doesn’t put a time limit on your cover‡. We won’t leave you without support if a condition comes back or a new one develops.†† ‡‡
Interested in a quote for health insurance?
If you buy our health insurance for you or your small business, it comes with mental health cover as standard. Get an online quote today.
Why take out Bupa health insurance with us?
Here's what makes our mental health cover the most comprehensive in the market.
Extensive mental health cover
We cover more mental health conditions than any other leading UK insurer†††. Bupa By You covers all mental health conditions except dementia and learning, behavioural and developmental conditions.
Direct access to specialists
We know that getting the right help quickly is important. So if you're concerned that something’s not right, we could get you in front of specialist, fast. You may not even need to see a GP first.†
Ongoing mental health support
Your mental health can change with life’s ups and downs. So it’s reassuring to know we won’t leave you without support if you have a condition that comes back.†† ‡‡
Family mental health support
Talk to one of our mental health nurses if you’re worried about your child’s mental wellbeing. We’ll give you support, advice and guidance to move forward.^
Find a Bupa recognised mental health professional near you
Browse our comprehensive, up-to-date list of Bupa-recognised consultants, therapists, hospitals and healthcare services. You don’t need to be a Bupa member to see them, just make your own appointment and pay independently.
How soon can I talk to someone?
Waiting is frustrating, but we can help you get help fast - whether you have Bupa cover or not.
Mental health support team
Call 0808 115 5285^ and speak to our mental health support team. You’ll need to have your membership number to hand.
Family Mental HealthLine
Call 0345 2667 938^^ if you’re a Bupa member and you’re concerned about the mental health of any child. You’ll need to have your membership number to hand.
Digital GP
Get a mental health referral. Insurance customers can access Digital GP appointments at no additional cost. Calls to the service do not count as claims and so will not impact your future premiums.
Book a video consultation with a GP within 24 hours, any time of day or night.‡‡‡
See a Bupa private GP
You may be able to see a Bupa private GP faster than on your own: it could even be on the day you ask. You don’t need to be a Bupa member to book a private GP appointment.
^Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
^^Telephone support between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday via a dedicated helpline. Calls may be recorded to maintain the quality of our Family Mental HealthLine service.
Our health insurance is designed to cover you for the treatment of conditions that appear after you take out a policy with us, and that includes mental health conditions*. However, even if you have a history of mental illness, that doesn’t automatically mean we can never support you in future.
Every decision we make is based on your own personal circumstances, so do call us to discuss your options on 0113 495 0866^. We may record or monitor our calls.
*Please check your policy documents to see if you have mental health cover.
Mental health insurance is included as standard with our Bupa By You health insurance. Visit our mental health conditions support page for details on the most common mental health conditions we help our members with. We don’t cover dementia and learning, behavioural and developmental conditions.
If you decide to switch to Bupa you’ll have access to our mental health cover as standard. However, any pre-existing conditions may not be covered. To understand more about pre-existing conditions at Bupa, please call us on 0800 600 500^ to find out more.
Yes. Although we will support the long-term treatment of new chronic conditions such as depression and anxiety, we have limits on our cover. We’ll only cover one addiction treatment programme per member and there are limitations on in-patient stays per annum (for existing members this can be 28 days, 45 days or 90 days depending on the policy you have.)
It’s also important to consider your out-patient benefit limits when you buy a policy, to ensure you have enough benefit to pay for any required therapies you might need – for example, a consultant may recommend you need 20 sessions of face-to-face CBT therapy, which can cost £50 per session. If you chose a £500 out-patient benefit limit, this would not cover the cost of all the treatments you might need.
Please call us on 0800 600 500^ to find out more. Or you can read the full terms and conditions of our Bupa By You cover.
View the Bupa By You policy document or the Select policy document.
It’s important that you choose a health insurance policy that is right for you. Find out more about the mental health conditions we support.
You can also compare our health insurance options or give us a call on 0808 115 3675^ to discuss what options are best for you.
You could switch to our Bupa By You product but we’d need to chat to you about the health insurance cover you currently have. Please call us on 0800 010 383^ to discuss your options.
If you have mental health cover you should be able to see it on your membership certificate. If you’re still unsure, please call us on 0800 010 383^
Even if you don’t have access to mental health cover, there are still many ways we can support you with mental health issues, without the need to claim.
1. You can speak to our mental health support team, who can put you through to a Bupa mental health nurse so you can speak about issues that are affecting you or a family member. They’ll be able to give you advice.
2. You can use our directory of mental health specialists to find private specialists.
3. You can call our Family Mental HealthLine on 0345 266 7938^ and talk to us about any concerns you are having about your child’s emotional wellbeing (even if the child isn’t covered on your insurance). The Family Mental HealthLine is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
4. Our mental health hub has a wealth of useful information and advice from our experts.
This will depend upon the circumstances in which you left your group scheme, and any pre-existing conditions that we might continue to exclude. Please call us on 0808 296 3749^ to find out more.
No. We provide a range of business health and wellbeing solutions designed with your employees’ health and wellbeing in mind. Our fully integrated solutions include virtual or face to face experiences and can be tailored to any size business, whatever your needs.
We try our best to get you the right help as soon as possible. You can call our mental health support team on 0808 250 9492^. You can also use our Bupa Blua Health digital GP service to have a video or phone consultation with a GP, within hours, any time of day or night.‡‡‡
We can still help even if you don’t have health insurance with us. Find out how Bupa can help.
Workplace Wellbeing Hub
We’re here to help you support your team's wellbeing.
- Discover how to implement a workplace wellbeing strategy
- Get practical guidance on how to support your team's wellbeing, especially as they return to work
- Use our range of guides to help support your team
- Read our informative blog posts covering a range of topics
Workplace mental health
If you’re a manager, we can help you look after your team.
- Learn how to set up a Wellness Action Plan
- Improve your organisation's approach to mental health
- Discover how to play an important role in supporting your team
- Find out how to feel confident talking about mental health
#OpenUp
We want to open up the conversation in your business.
- Break the stigma attached to mental health in the workplace
- Find out how we are encouraging businesses to open up
- Get advice on talking about mental wellbeing with your team
- Listen to our podcasts covering mental health in the workplace
^Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Calls may be recorded and to maintain the quality of our service we may monitor some of our calls, always respecting the confidentiality of the call.
^^Telephone support between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday via a dedicated helpline. Calls may be recorded to maintain the quality of our Family Mental HealthLine service.
†Direct Access telephone services are available as long as the symptoms are covered under the policy. If your cover excludes conditions you had before your policy started, we’ll ask you to provide evidence from your GP that your symptoms are not pre-existing for a period of up to two years from policy start date (or five years in the case of mental health). We can then refer you to a consultant or therapist through the Direct Access service. Always call us first to check your eligibility.
‡Refers to standard mental health cover when this is included in the selected consumer health insurance product. Subject to benefit limits.
††Conditions that come back are defined as chronic. As of June 2019, we removed the chronic mental health rule on our consumer policies. For any business policies please refer to your policy documents to see if you have mental health as part of your cover. If you have mental health benefits your guide will confirm if your employer has chosen to remove the chronic rule for mental health conditions.
‡‡To support addictions we fund one addiction treatment programme in your lifetime. Please call us if you would like to discuss the benefit limits on your policy.
†††As of September 2023, this comparison to other products in the market is based on Bupa’s and Defaqto’s interpretation of the differences between Bupa By You health insurance and other health insurance products offering mental health cover. The comparison excludes any special offers or promotions which may temporarily alter the cover offered. Cover comparison information is for personal use and guidance only and does not constitute any contractual representation, warranty or obligation by either Bupa or Defaqto about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of the comparison. Neither party accepts any liability for errors, omissions, direct or consequential loss in relation to this comparison.
See PDF How we compare: Individuals (PDF 0.1MB)
‡‡‡ Customers who live in the Isle of Man, or have a Bupa Standard, Bupa Premium or Bupa Your Choice policy, do not have access to Bupa Blua Health, but can access GP24, provided by HealthHero. Some corporate schemes don't include access to Bupa Blua Health or GP24, please check your scheme documents or give us a call.
Digital GP Services is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Digital GP services are provided by Babylon Healthcare Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales number: 09229684. Registered office: 60 Sloane Avenue, London SW3 3DD
Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ
Page last reviewed: 28/02/23
