To request a specialist referral letter, go to the Qoctor specialist referrals page, and select the type of letter you need. A telehealth assessment to discuss a repeat referral letter with a Qoctor doctor costs $24.99. You will need to answer a few online questions relating to your health. The doctor will go through this information, and will discuss it with you. Subject to assessment, they may complete the referral letter. It will usually take less than 2-3 hours or so to get an appointment with Qoctor from 830AM to 9PM AEST . If you need a letter faster (for example, if you are already at your specialist waiting room), use the live chat on the homepage of the website, and the customer service team will try to prioritise an appointment for you. Get started here.

Why do patients need a referral letter to see a specialist?

A referral letter:

• provides eligibility for certain Medicare rebates, so the visit will usually cost you less out of pocket.
• provides key information about your health to the specialist
• allows the specialist to correspond to your GP, which makes sure your important health information is stored in one place.

Getting a repeat specialist referral letters – most specialists in Australia require their patients to provide a new referral letter from a GP every 12 months, when their previous one expires. This makes the patient eligible for certain Medicare rebates. If you do not have an up-to-date referral letter when you see your specialist, the specialist appointment may cost you more.

New referral letter – A new referral letter allows you to see a new specialist for the first time. By bringing a referral letter to your specialist appointment, it allows eligibility for certain Medicare rebates and the consultation may cost you less.  You will need to answer a few online questions relating to your health. The doctor will go through this information, will speak to you about your health, and can issue the referral letter if appropriate. It will usually take less than 2-3 hours or so to get an appointment with Qoctor from 830AM to 9PM AEST . If you need a letter faster (for example, if you are already at your specialist waiting room), use the live chat on the homepage of the website, and the customer service team will try to prioritise an appointment for you. Get started here.

Please note Qoctor provides assessment for new specialist referrals for a specific limited range of issues which include:

• referral to a dermatologist for assessment/management of acne
• referral to a sleep physician for assessment/management of sleep apnoea
• referral to a urologist for a vasectomy
• referral to a gynaecologist for insertion of an IUD
• referral to an eye specialist for laser eye surgery

“Change of specialist” referral letter – For a “change of specialist” letter, you must already have in your possession a valid referral letter that is less than one year old. This is a service you may find useful if you decide to see a different specialist than the one first suggested by your GP. This situation can arise if a specialist’s waiting list turns out to be too long, and you want to try someone with a shorter wait time. You must take BOTH referral letters to your appointment- the original one and the change of specialist letter provided by Qoctor. The cost of a telehealth appointment to discuss this is $24.99. You will need to answer a few online questions relating to your health. The doctor will go through this information and will speak to you about your health- then they can complete the referral letter if appropriate (subject to assessment). Get started here.