AXA Assistance (UK) Limited was formed in April 2001 following the merger of Inter Partner Assistance with Access 24, two AXA companies who brought together a wide range of services and a solution focused commitment to clients' needs.

AXA Assistance brought the concept to the UK in 1976 when, as GESA Assistance, it established a nationwide operation. In 1998, GESA merged with SFA to form Inter Partner Assistance [IPA] establishing it as the largest assistance network in the world.

Following the purchase of the Guardian Royal Exchange Group by the worldwide AXA Group, in December 2000 IPA was then merged with Access 24 Ltd, a subsidiary of PPP healthcare to form AXA Assistance (UK) Ltd.

Following the merger, in October 2001, AXA assistance relocated to a state of the art assistance centre in Redhill and now handles motor, legal, travel, property, utilities, lifestyle and health-related assistance.

Access 24 was recognised as the UK's leading health and medical communications centre, with a team of highly trained professionals including registered nurses, pharmacists, midwives, social workers, dietitians and psychologists. Since 1996 the company had been at the forefront of delivering customer care, to support and add value to brands and products throughout the healthcare industry through drug support, clinical trials, issues management and research.

AXA Assistance work in partnership with Homeserve Claims Management to offer the most comprehensive emergency building services operation in Europe, controlling a utilities network of over 1,600 tradesmen.

In September 2000 AXA Assistance announced a long-term partnership with the UK government as the sole provider for the provision of a National Clinical Decision Support System, to provide a revolutionary clinical decision computer support system for NHS Direct, the pioneering nurse led telephone help line.