As an artist manager in the music industry, I not only look after artists’ careers, marketing and promotional strategies and tours but also their health and wellbeing. My job is all about making sure the show goes on. So providing the best care to artists is a big part of that.

I’ve been known to sit in a service station car park, frantically looking up local GP services at unsociable hours, miles away from anywhere, with a show to put on and an artist who is unwell. Having a great health service I can access whenever I need to is a complete lifesaver.

I’m often out on the road and tend to be with an artist from when they wake up until they go to bed. On top of that, there’s the management of the band, the dancers, the tech guys and the roadies. They tend to be big teams and everyone needs to be on top of their game and feeling fit and healthy. Doctor Care Anywhere is an effective way of making sure all of the crew are well looked after.

The music industry has quite a reputation for wild partying and unhealthy lifestyles. I don’t know how some famous rockstars do it. For me to get up in the morning, get 15 people on a bus, get myself sorted and answer all the emails that come flying in before we’ve even got to the venue is a feat in itself. The first time I can properly breathe a sigh of relief is when the artist is on stage.

I’m generally on tour two weeks out of every four and as that’s often abroad, I can never really get home to my GP. I’ve even used Doctor Care Anywhere to get referrals while I’ve been away from home. Being able to get a specialist referral, especially when I was on the road, has saved me so much time.  

It’s great to be able to use the service for the artists I work with. We recently had this gig in the middle of nowhere. It was a big festival in a field and about as far away from local facilities as you could get. I’d come up from London with the artist on her tour bus and we’d gotten stuck in traffic. As we were driving up, the singer came down with a sore throat and fever. She had to do a sound check the minute we arrived and had a late night performance so I had a short window to get her feeling well enough to go on stage. I helped her organise an appointment so that we could get the right treatment very quickly. She was able to perform and spoke to a doctor again the next day to make sure everything was under control.

Cancelling a gig is always a last resort, not just because of the money but because no one ever wants to disappoint fans who’ve travelled hours to see them play. There’s no time to sit in casualty or wait to see a GP, so it’s crucial to get right medicine and right advice ASAP.

I’ve pitched Doctor Care Anywhere to various tour managers as I think it’s good for them to be aware of the service for their clients too. I even recommend it to friends as a “Just call these guys, make an appointment, I promise it’ll be worth it” type thing. I think that’s about the best recommendation you can get.