Health Hero
EAP
See a comprehensive overview of the pros and cons of the Health Hero EAP.
Health Hero EAP overview
Health Hero acquired Validium in 2020 to relaunch its mental health service, and they now work with over 1,000 businesses across Europe providing a “whole health” offering including risk and symptom assessments, a virtual GP services, and an EAP service for employers. They mainly work with big companies like British Airways, Sainsbury’s, Zurich and Lloyds Banking Group.
The EAP service includes short-term counselling, managers support, critical incident and trauma care, legal and financial advice, and referrals to specialist psychological services such as CBT and EMDR.
Health Hero differentiates itself with a care model focussed on prevention, using risk assessments to spot potential disease markers before illness develops and facilitating immediate access to treatment. They have a large network of 4,200 clinicians to deliver “better healthcare, at scale”.
Health Hero have lots of great reviews from users when it comes to accessing treatment related to physical health (like a back injury, or travel vaccines), highlighting a speedy referral process, friendly doctors and quick delivery for prescriptions. The majority of negative reviews are related to the mental health service, which has a much longer and more complex process for referrals and prioritises “in moment support” via the helpline over counselling sessions.
Let’s take a look at Health Hero’s offering in more detail.
At a glance
Trustpilot rating:
4.2
/ 5
EAP type:
Telephone helpline
Number of clients:
1,000 customers
HQ:
UK
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing options
No exit fees
Counselling on Health Hero EAP
With Health Hero all employees will have access to “in-the-moment counselling support via a 24/7 EAP helpline”. Calls are answered by a clinical co-ordinator, who will assess their mental health needs and direct them towards the most appropriate service. “General support” for issues like stress, anxiety, depression or bereavement is usually provided on this initial call, with signposting to further resources if required.
If counselling is deemed the most appropriate means of support, a referral will be made for “short-term counselling” (up to 8 sessions per employee per year, depending on your plan) or “extended counselling” for complex cases (up to 20 sessions, charged on a fee-for-service basis where required). Referrals to “self-guided online CBT programmes” can also be made where clinically appropriate.
Other services on Health Hero EAP
Integrations
Employees can access Health Hero online via the web app. The website does also refer to integrations with existing channels through branded web apps or API integrations.
Confidentiality
Health Hero is a confidential service. Company admins will not know which employees are using the platform, or any information from the conversations with counsellors.
Health Hero reviews
See what others say about
Health Hero
Best reviews for Health Hero EAP
Fast referrals process for physical health
The positive user reviews for Health Hero mostly focus on fast and effective access to support for physical health issues (such as an injury or infection). Reviewers highlight the efficient consultation process and quick and convenient delivery of prescriptions, helping them access treatment before the issue gets any worse.
Simple booking system
Many users reference the online booking system at Health Hero, making it incredibly easy to book an appointment at a time that’s convenient and stay informed via text to make sure they don’t miss their time slot. Appointments are always available the same or next day, and doctors show up on time.
Bad reviews for Health Hero EAP
Difficult to access counselling
The majority of negative reviews Trustpilot and Glassdoor are related to the mental health offering. Several reviews from counsellors who’ve worked for Health Hero are critical of the “in-the-moment support” service, which directs people towards self-help resources rather than facilitating counselling sessions.
Technical issues
Another recurring theme on Trustpilot is technical issues with the web app. Common themes are difficulties logging in and resetting passwords, sound or video not working on calls, and broken links making it hard to use the service and access support when needed.
In Summary
Health Hero is designed for big companies who want to provide “whole health” support for employees that focusses on preventative care (with symptom checkers and risk assessments) and fast access to treatment. It’s a great service for providing general wellbeing advice to help staff experiencing stress or having trouble sleeping, but less suitable for longer standing issues like anxiety, trauma or ADHD which are likely to need several focussed counselling sessions.
There are two issues that are highlighted by the reviews. Firstly users are experiencing a lot of technical issues preventing them from logging in or speaking to doctors. Secondly, there are several negative reviews from the counsellors themselves citing poor clinical practices (such as pressure to withhold counselling sessions and redirect employees towards other services where possible).
If you are looking for EAPs that specialise in high quality and accessible counselling for employees, try one of the other top 5 EAPs.