Pictured: Angela Wheat - cleared false accusations of credit card debt

A new club designed to provide a selection of privileged benefits normally enjoyed only by blue chip employees has already had a massive impact.

The Benefits Club was launched three months ago by national employee benefits specialist BHSF, headquartered in Birmingham.

Sales and marketing director Brian Hall said: "The BHSF Benefits Club has had an immediate, positive impact for many members, particularly through the legal and medical help lines.

"All have been full of praise for the speed and efficiency of the service, which is becoming particularly relevant as NHS Direct is phased out and out-of-hours medical services are becoming harder to access."

For £3.65 a month, membership of the club opens the door to the Network Benefits website, including a discount and privileged offer site, 24-hour access to a GP helpline, legal and counselling advice helplines, an on-line health assessment and a "lost keys or luggage" service. 

One grateful member has been able to get instant advice on four occasions for his wife, one for his 20-month-old daughter and himself. He wrote:   

"I have found it invaluable every time. The last call was for my wife when she was ill recently. On that occasion I called at 7am and a doctor called back within 25 minutes, giving her some advice which really helped.  

"This saved the time and inconvenience of trying to get an appointment at our own GPs (waiting almost a week or sitting for hours waiting for an emergency appointment when you're ill isn't great, especially with a toddler in tow) and the problem was addressed over an hour before our GP surgery even opened.

"One time I needed advice as my daughter was ill, and as a parent quick advice is a must.  I put a call in late at night and the doctor called back within 10 minutes; she explained the likely problem and this eased our concerns straight away.  

"The other two times have been for me, one fairly serious - they referred me to hospital and it was a good job they did - and one not.  

"Unless I need to see my GP in person I would use this facility every time from now on.  I cannot recommend it highly enough."

Another member, Angela Wheat, from Coventry, was able to get instant legal advice when she was faced with accusations of running up debts on a credit card. She says: 

"I received a letter from a company saying I had purchased a store card and ran up a huge bill. This I had no knowledge of and disputed it. I was told to phone the police and get an incident number.

"The police said that they would not raise a log number and I went back to the company. They were very intimidating and told me to go back to the police for a log number and were very aggressive. I phoned the police again and they said I should seek legal advice and would not get involved.

"This was all at 8pm. Anyway I called the helpline and explained I needed legal advice. Within seconds I was speaking to a lady who gave me the advice I needed and said if I get any further letters she would help me write a reply  to this company. 

"I must have been on the phone to her for about 10 minutes in total. She gave me her name and everything she said was clear and I was reassured. I was very impressed and I now know where to go if I ever need legal advice again."

"When I called the company back and challenged them with the advice I'd been given, I only got half way through the advice before they said they would not be pursuing the matter!"

Another beneficiary of the legal helpline ran into problems with major car repairs. He writes: "I had a major job carried out on my car. The company kept the vehicle for almost two weeks and presented me with bill amounting to 60 per cent more than the estimate. However, they have a good reputation and as they seemed to have done a good job, I paid up. 

"Nothing could have prepared us for what has followed. The RAC have been been out to the car four times as well as their regional engineer.

"Finally, I contacted the  legal helpline and a lady who talked me through the whole matter. Armed with her advice, I spoke to the garage proprietor along the suggested lines. He has tried to remedy the problems and failed to do so.

"I fear another call is now overdue as this is clearly beyond their ability to resolve. It is greatly reassuring to have this legal advice so close to hand. Becoming a member is the best thing I have done for a long time."

Another member felt unwell at work and received quick advice in a worrying situation.

She writes: "Just a normal day at work - lots of things to do, meetings to attend, reports to type.

"I started to get blurred vision and pins and needles down my arm. Rather than calling NHS Direct and waiting in a queue to speak to an operator with a computer diagnostic program, I gave the Benefits Club GP Helpline a call.

"A pleasant lady asked me for brief details, and checked that I would be ok to accept a call from a qualified English-speaking G.P. at 10:45am. I had requested this time to fit in with my schedule.

"The call came exactly on time, the G.P. confirmed my details, and I relayed the problem to him in more detail. He diagnosed a stress reaction and gave me several options and advice on how to manage the symptoms. 

"He was very polite and thorough with his questioning, and put me at my ease very quickly. I was on the telephone to him for approximately 15 minutes which would have cost me in excess of £6 had I been making the call. I followed his advice and recovered within a day.

"I would recommend this service to anyone who is looking for a quick, professional response to any health concerns."

Sue Cooke, a Birmingham-based public relations executive, had a dental problem eased by the BHSF service.

She writes: "On a Friday evening I was suffering an extreme amount of pain from an abscess under a tooth. I had taken an assortment of painkillers which appeared to have absolutely no effect. I telephoned the BHSF GP advice service to ask for information on what I could take and in what amount which might have some effect.  I was told that a GP would telephone me back within half an hour which they did.  

"The advice was presented in an easily understandable form by a caring person who had a lot of knowledge. Within an hour of taking the advice on what painkillers I should take and how often, the pain was more controllable".

Peter Maskell, BHSF chief executive, said: "These are just a few of the accolades we have had. We are filling an important gap here for people who are not privileged to have bespoke health benefits at work. The club is open to anyone and was expect it to grow considerably in the next few months."

For more information about BHSF, please visit their website here: www.bhsf.co.uk