Book a GP telehealth appointment
Need to see a doctor? No local GP availability? With Qoctor you can book an online GP appointment to speak to an experienced doctor.* First, answer some simple online questions about your health, then have a phone/video consultation. Prescriptions, certificates, referral letters and pathology forms can be issued immediately after your appointment, with eScripts available direct to your phone/email.
*This service is for adult patients only. For longstanding, serious or complicated health issues, where possible, we also recommend you should continue to see your own GP and keep them informed. Please note, for safety reasons, Qoctor does not routinely prescribe Schedule 8 medications (such as opioid painkillers) or benzodiazepines.
About our doctors
Our online GP appointments are provided by doctors with a high level of experience in General Practice and general medicine. All Qoctor doctors are AHPRA registered, and are committed to ensuring that your telehealth experience is a positive one. Efficient communication is key to the telehealth experience- that’s why we use a video call where possible, and our doctors can issue documents to be downloaded instantly and securely- including eScripts, pathology requests, referrals and other letters.
Common Questions and Answers
Yes- it is quite straightforward to see a doctor online in Australia.
- Your own local GP may offer telehealth appointments as part of their routine services- if so, you maybe able to get bulk-billed, or access a Medicare rebate for some of the telehealth consultation cost. It is worth finding out if this option is available to you. However, many local GP clinics have long waiting times, and it can be difficult to get an online appointment for urgent issues, or if you need one the same day.
- With Qoctor the online doctor, you can book a same day consultation with an experienced AHPRA-registered doctor online, 365 days a year, wherever you are in Australia. It is a particularly useful option if local clinics are booked out. Opening hours are 8AM to midnight on weekdays, and 9AM to 10PM on the weekend. Customer service is available daily via live chat- our Melbourne based team will get back to you quickly if you have any questions.
- Whilst Qoctor is a private service, the fees are affordable, starting at $14.99 for a single, same day medical certificate consultation. This is much less than the “gap fee” now charged in many GP clinics.
- With Qoctor, it is possible to speak to a doctor about a health issue or symptom, request a medical certificate, a carer’s certificate, a specialist referral letter, a pathology referral, an asthma/allergy action plan, a prescription and much more.
- For any long term or complex issues, we strongly encourage patients to see their regular doctor where possible- as it is best to have the continuity of care. If you see a Qoctor doctor online but want your GP to be kept in the loop, we are happy to provide you with a summary or letter to take with you on your next visit, if you wish.
Intending to see a doctor online in Australia? Some important things to bear in mind:
- For medicolegal reasons, you do need to be physically in Australia at the time of your online assessment.
- The doctor should be AHPRA registered- you should be able to easily check their number on the AHPRA website
- The practitioner should be clear whether they are a doctor, a nurse, or other practitioner- some low quality providers are intentionally unclear about this.
- Your privacy and confidentiality should be respected by the provider at all times (at Qoctor we are committed to this). The experience should feel as professional as what you’d expect from an in-person assessment.
- Video call is deemed the gold standard for telehealth, by the Australian medical board. However a telephone call is acceptable in some cases. Low quality websites that only communicate via SMS or online questionnaires are sub-standard, and in many cases may not be fully insured.
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Once you’ve spoken to the doctor and they have assessed you, they may issue advice, a prescription, a pathology request, a referral letter or a medical certificate. These items are available for download immediately after your appointment. eScripts are sent via SMS, directly to your mobile phone.
No, you do NOT need to have Medicare to book a GP appointment, though by providing your Medicare details it allows your doctor to provide you with useful services such as ePrescriptions (eScripts), as well as including your Medicare details on pathology requests or specialist referrals so that you can access Medicare rebates. Therefore if you have Medicare card, it is very helpful if you enter your details when registering.
Visitors from overseas can still use Qoctor to book a GP appointment, if they need medical assistance or advice whilst travelling in Australia. Medicare is not required.
Unfortunately it is not possible for telehealth providers like Qoctor to offer Medicare rebates for most telehealth appointments, due to the Medicare “12 month face to face rule”. This is a legislative requirement that GPs and Other Medical Practitioners (OMPs) working in general practice can only perform a telehealth or telephone service where they have an established clinical relationship with the patient, and have seen them in person in the past 12 months. There are limited exemptions to this requirement, such as mental health treatment plans.
Yes, when you book a general GP telehealth appointment with Qoctor, you can discuss more than one issue with the doctor- quite often people need a few things- such as a prescription, a medical certificate or a referral for a test or treatment! If you have many complex medical issues and the consultation is becoming very prolonged, the doctor may suggest you return for a second appointment at a later time, to continue to work through all your concerns.
A general GP consultation with Qoctor costs $49.99. Waiting times are generally less than 2 hours. General GP appointments are available 365 days a year, and do not cost more out of hours or at weekends. Our experienced AHPRA registered doctors can discuss your health concerns- whether you wish to ask about symptoms, request a prescription, a pathology referral or a medical certificate.
If you are in a hurry, you can also avail of the priority booking service which allows you to see a doctor within around 15 minutes! The priority booking service is available 9am-9pm on weekdays.
