Prime Highlights:
- Over 63,000 people have registered for private GP appointments through their gym memberships since January 2024.
- Health clubs are expanding services beyond GP access, including physiotherapy and mental health support, meeting growing demand for holistic care.
Key Facts:
- 28% of users accessing GP services via gyms are under 30, with men under 40 showing the highest uptake.
- Areas with long NHS GP waiting times, such as Nottingham, Leicester, and Leeds, show the strongest demand for gym-based healthcare services.
Background:
Thousands of UK gym members are now using their fitness subscriptions to book GP appointments, with new data pointing to rising demand among younger people and in regions facing long NHS waiting times.
Accessing medical support through gym and leisure memberships is rapidly moving into the mainstream in the UK, according to new figures from healthcare providers HealthHero and HealthKey.
The strongest uptake has been seen among men under 40, particularly in the North of England and the Midlands. HealthHero has partnered with more than 10 gym and leisure brands across England and Wales, allowing eligible members to book 24/7 digital GP and physiotherapy appointments through a mobile app.
Analysis suggests that demand is highest in areas where NHS GP waiting times are longest. Younger adults are playing a key role in this shift. Twenty-eight per cent of HealthHero users via gyms are under 30, aligning with research from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network showing that a majority of 18- to 24-year-olds are now turning to private providers for GP appointments.
HealthHero’s services are currently offered through operators including Fitness First, Parkwood Leisure, Everyone Active and Bannatyne.
Rival provider HealthKey is also reporting strong growth. The company works with PureGym, Plymouth Leisure, Kore Sandwell, as well as boutique brands such as F45 and FS8. Over the past six months, HealthKey says it has facilitated 15,000 health-related appointments, with usage extending beyond GP consultations.
HealthKey reports growing demand for mental health support, in-person physiotherapy and preventative services, which are now seeing higher utilisation than GP appointments alone. Joerring said this points to a wider opportunity for gym operators to offer more holistic health propositions that increase long-term member value.
The concept is not entirely new. In 2018, Sheffield International Venues (SIV) became the first UK operator to launch a medical-style gym membership, partnering with Westfield Health to offer GP access, counselling and digital wellbeing services alongside leisure facilities.
With tens of thousands of users already signed up, both HealthHero and HealthKey believe the model could scale significantly over the next five years. As Joerring puts it, “GP access through gym memberships has shifted from a value-add to a baseline expectation.”
