FAQs
We know online healthcare can feel daunting, so we’ve put together a list of the commonest questions we get asked
Pick the service you have questions about
- Delivery of medications & prescriptions
- Medical and Carer Certificates
- New referrals
- Repeat referrals
- “Change of specialist” referral letters
- Prescriptions and Medications
- Online GP Consultations
Qoctor has a range of options to suit your needs.
Single, same day medical certificate ($14.99)
We suggest this service if you:
- Are unable to attend work or university due to a minor illness such as common cold, gastro/stomach bug, minor injury, period pain, fatigue etc
- Only need one day off (today’s date)
- a Backdated certificate is not required
Multi day medical certificate ($25.99)
We suggest this service if you:
- are unable to attend work or university due to a minor illness such as common cold, gastro/stomach bug, minor injury, period pain, fatigue etc
- require a certificate for more than one day OR a backdated medical certificate to cover yesterday/ other days within the last week
GP telehealth consultation ($49.99)
We suggest this service if you:
- Have long term, recurring or complex health issues
- If your university/employer requires a special form to be completed for your sick leave
- If your sick leave began more than a week ago
- If you’ve have already had 2 or more medical certificates in the past 4 weeks
- If you also need to discuss other health issues
Carer’s certificate ($25.99)
We suggest this service if you:
- If you are are unable to attend work/university because you are caring for a family or household member who is unwell
Priority Booking Queue (+$20)
- In a rush? Join the “priority queue” for an extra $20, and you’ll be seen within around 15 minutes!
We DO NOT routinely provide certificates for:
- Centrelink or Workcover
- Court or police matters
- fitness for work/ return to work
We have a no-fuss refund policy. Read more <here>.
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.
Book an online doctor appointment <here>.
Qoctor prioritises affordability, convenience, safety and trust, which are all key elements of a quality telehealth service.
- Affordable. Qoctor offers a “same day” certificate option for only $14.99. This is incredibly good value- probably the best deal available for patients in the Australian market.
- Convenient. Qoctor provides same day online doctor appointments, 365 days a year, wherever you happen to be in Australia. You don’t need a subscription. Qoctor can also backdate a certificate if appropriate (i.e. it will be dated today at the top, but can cover days in the recent past, at the doctor’s discretion).
- Trustworthy. There is increasing awareness among employers that certain “dodgy” websites issue medical certificates without speaking to patients. This is deemed poor medical practice by the Australian Medical Board. A certificate from one of these low quality outfits is much more likely to be refused by your employer. If you use a telehealth doctor, your employer will want to know the service is trustworthy- medical certificate that has been issued following a proper phone or video assessment such as Qoctor, in line with the telehealth standards of the Australian Medical Board, is far more likely to satisfy the requirements of your workplace or university. At Qoctor, we frequently get enquiries from employers to ensure we speak to our patients- and we are able to instantly confirm to them that we do. Due to this focus on quality, Qoctor is the online doctor of choice for team members of large Aussie companies like Coles and Deloitte.
- Safety- because a Qoctor doctor assesses every patient, if your illness is more serious than first thought, you may also receive advice about what you need to do next- whether that’s seeing your local GP for an examination, or going to an ED if your symptoms are severe.
We believe that all these factors make Qoctor the best website for online medical certificates.
It is possible to request a medical certificate online in Australia. Telehealth doctors need to be fully registered with AHPRA .These days it is quite common for Australian GPs and specialists to assess their patients via video consultation, for all sorts of health issues. You should expect the doctor to ask you some questions about your medical history and your symptoms, just as they would in a regular clinic. A medical certificate can relate to a previous day or days, subject to assessment, and provided the period of sick leave is very recent, e.g. within the past few days. However the date of the consultation always appears at the top of the certificate, with the relevant dates of sick leave stated in the certificate also.
A medical certificate issued via an appropriately conducted online assessment is a legal document, just the same as one you’d receive in a clinic. For more information on your rights as an employee go to www.fairwork.gov.au .
It is also important to note that an online doctor may occasionally advise you to see a doctor in person instead, for example, if they assess that you are more significantly unwell and a physical examination is needed.
If you have a consultation with Qoctor, the doctor may issue a prescription as part of your management. As Qoctor is an online doctor service, we do not stock or sell prescription drugs. However, we can facilitate you by forwarding the prescription to a pharmacy of your choice. You can select to have your prescription:
- sent electronically to your chosen local pharmacy OR
- sent to a Qoctor partner pharmacy who can arrange home delivery of the medication for you. If you choose this option it means Qoctor will forward your prescription to an independent pharmacy that is set up to efficiently dispense and dispatch prescription medicines. This is available for a limited range of treatments, and is displayed as a delivery option when booking
- sent to you at your home/work address- i.e. a paper prescription.
For most people, our Pharmacy Concierge Service, at $8.99, is the cheapest and quickest delivery option- it means we will send a prescription electronically to your local pharmacy immediately, and you can have your medication in your hand within a few hours.
- If you choose mail delivery instead your order will be delivered via Australia Post, and you will receive a tracking number so you can follow it.
- Delivery times may be affected by factors such as covid-19, weekends and public holidays.
- Standard Delivery costs $11.99 and normally takes 5 to 7 business days
- Express Delivery costs $14.99- if you place your order before 1pm AEST, your order will arrive the next business day. If you place your order after 1pm AEST, your order will arrive within 1-2 business days. **Please note covid-19 restrictions may impact Australia Post timelines**
- If you have queries about your order at any point, email us at info@qoctor.com.au.
- Our customer service team is also available via live chat from 8:30am to 9pm, 7 days a week.
- This depends on whether you have chosen standard post or express delivery.
- If you paid for express post to be delivered to QLD, WA or NT, your order will be “pending” until it arrives in your state (Australia Post terms & Conditions). If your order has exceeded the expected delivery time frame provided please email info@qoctor.com.au
- If you ordered by standard post, your order will be “pending” until it is due to be delivered. Often this is closer to the 5th-7th business day. If your order has exceeded the expected delivery time frame of 5-7 business days provided please email info@qoctor.com.au
- Please note that covid-19 may impact Australia Post timelines.
- To avoid postal delays, we recommend you select our pharmacy concierge service as your preferred delivery option instead- then we can send your prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your medication in your hands within a few hours (Monday to Friday)
A medical certificate issued by a telehealth doctor is a legal document and contains all the appropriate information you’d expect- including relevant dates, full professional details of the doctor, and their signature. Qoctor has conducted thousands of telehealth appointments over the past few years. Our service is supported by employees and employers alike.
An employee must inform their employer if intending to take sick leave or carer’s leave. This has to be done as soon as possible, but can be after the leave has started. It should be specified how long the absence from work will be, or is expected to be.
An employer can ask an employee to give evidence that confirms they took leave because they were unable to work because of an illness or injury, or needed to care for an immediate family or household member who was experiencing illness, injury, or unexpected emergency.
Employers are entitled to ask employees for evidence for as little as 1 day or less off work.
An employee who does not provide their employer with evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for sick leave or carer’s leave.
An award or registered agreement can specify the circumstances in which an employee must give evidence to their employer and what type of evidence is required. The type of evidence requested must be reasonable in the circumstances.
Medical certificates and statutory declarations (stat decs) are considered acceptable forms of evidence. Although there are no strict rules on what type of evidence should be provided by an employee, the evidence has to convince a reasonable person that the employee was genuinely entitled to the leave.
What about medical appointments and planned surgery?
Medical appointments and elective surgeries that are pre-arranged can only be covered by sick leave if an employee is unable to work because of an illness or injury. It will depend on each individual circumstance. An employer can ask for evidence from an employee to confirm that they were unfit for work. This can help decide whether an employee should be paid sick leave or a different type of leave/entitlement.
Employers attending medical appointments
It is not considered reasonable for an employer to attend a medical appointment with an employee, unless the employee requests it. It is also not considered reasonable for an employer to contact the employee’s doctor to obtain information.
Further information about Australian law relating to sick leave and your rights as an employee can be found at www.fairwork.gov.au
Qoctor takes data security very seriously. Our website has 256 bit SSL data encryption and authentication. And we do not share your information with third parties.
As per Australian guidelines, the standard requirements for a medical certificate are:
- Name and address of the doctor issuing the certificate
- Name of the patient
- Date on which the examination took place
- Date on which the certificate was issued
- Date(s) on which the patient is or was unfit for attendance
- A diagnosis is not usually required. If it is a requirement for a diagnosis to be provided, the doctor should inform the patient and only proceed to include the diagnosis following the express consent of the patient.
With Qoctor, it is possible to book a same day telehealth appointment. If you wish to request a prescription for a medication you take regularly, you can either search for it by the condition, or by the name of the medication, and then answer some questions about your health.
Telehealth assessments are also available for conditions such as suspected UTI, sore throat, sinusitis. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and will go through your medical history. If a prescription is recommended, this can be sent electronically to your pharmacy, via our Pharmacy Concierge Service- we can coordinate getting your script to your local pharmacy immediately, we’ll check their stock and we’ll contact you once it’s ready to be dispensed. Alternatively you can have a paper prescription sent by Australia Post to an address or pharmacy of your choice. Qoctor can also deliver certain medications directly via post from our Australian partner pharmacies- this will be shown as a delivery option where applicable, and includes the contraceptive pill, medication for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, jet lag, delaying a period, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, bacterial vaginosis and chlamydia treatment.
Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.
In Australia, in almost all circumstances, a doctor needs to have a consultation with a patient before issuing a prescription. This assessment can take place in person, or via telehealth (using video conferencing or by telephone). This is to ensure the patient’s symptoms and medical history are properly reviewed and discussed, and that the most appropriate treatment option is selected. “Asynchronous” consultations, for example, done via text message or questionnaire, without speaking to a doctor, are generally no longer allowed and in most situations are not covered from a medicolegal perspective.
Delivery options are as follows:
- Standard shipping (5-7 business days) costs $11.99
- Express post (1-2 business days) costs $14.99- note, Australia Post is not necessarily able to guarantee these delivery timelines at present.
- Our Pharmacy Concierge Service fee is less than standard delivery, at $8.99, and means we will immediately send your prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your medication in your hands within a few hours. As postal delivery has been less reliable in recent times, we recommend this delivery option.
Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.
- If you have requested to have medication delivered by post (available for a limited range of treatments, as advised during the booking process), the total cost at checkout will include the doctor’s consultation fee, the price of your medication, plus delivery/postage.
- The price of medication depends of the type and quantity of medication, and may vary subject to market forces which Qoctor can’t control.
- Standard Post is $11.99 and Express Post is $14.99 If you require your treatment more urgently, instead of having medication delivered, you may prefer to try the Pharmacy Concierge Service. For $8.99 (less than standard delivery) we can send a prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your prescription in your hands within a few hours. This is usually the fasted and cheapest delivery option.
Qoctor uses Australia Post- following your telehealth appointment, if a prescription medication is issued by the doctor and you choose to have medication delivered, you will receive an email with a link to track your parcel’s location.
Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.
If a prescription is issued by the doctor:
- you can choose to have a paper prescription posted to you (Australia Post standard delivery $11.99, express delivery $14.99) OR
- For some treatments you can choose to get the actual medication (tablets) posted to you- this includes the contraceptive pill, treatment for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, jet lag, hair loss or to delay a period (Australia Post standard delivery $11.99, express delivery $14.99) OR
- Alternatively, instead of having medication delivered, you may prefer to try our Pharmacy Concierge Service as a faster and cheaper delivery option. For $8.99 delivery fee, we can send a prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your prescription in your hands within a few hours. This is the most popular delivery option due to speed and cost.
Please note that Australia Post delivery times have become less predictable. In the past, standard delivery was usually said to take 5-7 business days and express delivery was said to take 1-2 days, however these times may vary from time to time. Check the Australia Post website for further information relating to expected delivery times in your state/territory.
Following a telehealth appointment, the doctor may issue a prescription. It is common for doctors to include a number of “repeats” on a prescription, allowing the patient to return to the pharmacy for further supply of the medication. The number of “repeats” included by the doctor depends on several factors, such as the type of medication, the nature of the patient’s condition, the medical history of the patient, and whether the patient needs to have any tests, examination or monitoring before their next prescription.
If you are having a telehealth appointment and a prescription is being discussed, the doctor will usually advise you how many repeats they are intending to include. If you are unsure, just ask the doctor.
In Australia, most prescriptions stay valid for 12 months from the original date of issue. After that, any repeats that have not been used up will expire- i.e. the prescription is no longer active or useable. You need to have a consultation with a doctor to arrange any further prescriptions.
If you have ordered medication delivery (which is available for a certain number of conditions including the contraceptive pill, treatment for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and hair loss), there may be some repeats available, which you can activate via your Qoctor account. To access these, log in to your Qoctor profile. Alongside previous orders, you may then see an option to order a repeat, if available. There is no additional doctor fee to access this repeat, however there will be a small fee to cover delivery/postage of the medication. Once payment has been completed the medication can be sent by Australia Post. The price of medication may vary from time to time, subject to market forces which Qoctor can’t control.
Also, please be aware that if you got the original (paper) prescription posted to you, or sent to your local pharmacy using the Pharmacy Concierge Service, then any repeats the doctor included at the time would have been present on that prescription. Qoctor does not retain the prescription or the repeats- i.e. the repeats will NOT be available to activate via your Qoctor account, as they are on the original script. Instead, check the paper prescription if you still have it, or speak to your pharmacist if they have retained the prescription for you.
All prescriptions expire after 12 months, and in this case, a new doctor’s appointment is always needed if you want to access a further prescription.
- If, following your consultation with the doctor, a prescription item is recommended and you have chosen medication delivery via Qoctor, this will be delivered from an Australian Pharmacy who is working in partnership with Qoctor. As these pharmacies are independently operated, the price of medications may change from time to time.
- Our pharmacists must adhere to strict national standards, ensuring all medications are genuine and issued with appropriate instructions on use.
If you chose to have medication delivered, you can rest assured this will be dispensed and delivered in Australia, by a fully registered Australian Pharmacist. meeting all Australian regulatory standards. During the booking and assessment process, you will have the option of a choosing between a branded medication and the cheaper generic equivalent. If there are ever supply issues relating to your medication (this can occur from time to time and is beyond our control), the Qoctor customer service team will get in touch with you to discuss any potential suitable alternatives.
Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.
- Medications can be supplied as either generic or branded medications
- Generic medicines have the same active ingredient as brand-name medicines and work in the same way, but may look different and/or contain different non-active ingredients.
- Generic alternatives are often cheaper than brand-name medicines. This is because the producer of the medicine did not need to invest money in developing and marketing a generic version.
- In Australia, you can only sell a generic medicine if it works the same way as the brand-name medicine.
- Prescribers in Australia must include the name of the active ingredient on prescriptions. This helps you know exactly what you are taking and may help to avoid errors.
Qoctor is able to provide PBS prescriptions. Prescribing criteria apply, which are set out by the PBS, and doctors must adhere to these. Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment. Some medications are available on the PBS for certain conditions but not for others- in such cases, a private (non PBS) prescription may still be possible.
Streamlined PBS authority prescriptions and authority prescriptions can also be issued, in suitable cases.
Qoctor is founded and run by a group of Australian doctors, and we work hard to ensure quality and integrity across out service.
- You can rest assured that every doctor on the Qoctor team is a licensed, registered & fully insured doctor based in Australia.
- Qoctor adheres to high clinical standards.
- Every document you receive from Qoctor will quote the AHPRA registration number of the relevant doctor- so you can easily view the doctor’s registration details on the AHPRA website.
- All certificates issued by Qoctor are provided after an appropriate, detailed telehealth consultation, with a registered doctor based in Australia. Our certificates have exactly the same validity as a certificate issued in person, in a clinic, following appropriate an assessment.
- Online/telehealth services are now commonplace across Australia, and the same professional standards apply to both telehealth and in-person doctors’ appointments.
- If you provide a medical certificate or carer’s certificate to your employer which has been issued by a Qoctor doctor, occasionally they may wish to know more about our service. They can use the ‘contact us’ section from the main menu on the website, or live chat on the bottom right corner of the screen. We’ll be happy to explain our service to them, and how it works.
- Of course, patient confidentiality is paramount- we’ll never share any of your personal information or health details with your employer or any other third parties without your express permission.
- Finally, we have a user friendly “certificate validity checker” for employers, so they can verify that the medical certificate you give them is authentic, if they wish. This can be accessed through the “for employers” section in the main menu, OR start <here>.
- Just follow the website instructions – you can choose a timeslot for your video consultation with the online doctor.
- Ensure you are online on the video platform when your appointment is scheduled (don’t forget there may be a time difference, depending where you live. Our time slots are AEST, i.e. local Melbourne time)
- To get online for your appointment, you should receive an SMS and email 30 minutes prior to your appointment with a link to the video platform. Once your time slot begins, click on this link and you should find yourself in the video waiting room.
- The doctor will connect with you shortly, during the allotted time period. They will ask you questions about your health.
- After your appointment, subject to assessment, your medical certificate can be immediately downloaded from your Qoctor account.
- Please note, if the doctor assesses you and feels you need to see a doctor in person, they may refund you and advise you what you need to do next.
- Click on the link ‘change consult time’ within the confirmation email and then select a time slot of your choice
- Alternatively you can log in to your profile on the website, and click on ‘change consult time’
- This can be done up to 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment slot.
Subject to your assessment, the doctor may decide to issue a medical certificate. If so, your downloadable certificate will appear in your Qoctor profile within moments of your video consultation- simply login to your account to view, download etc.
- We will try to contact you firstly on the video platform and then on your mobile number if there is no answer.
- If we are still unable to get hold of you, we will send you a link via email which will allow you to book another later appointment for free, if you wish. You will have 48 hours to rebook, after which time the link will expire.
- Sometimes, based on your video consultation, the doctor may feel you need to be assessed in person. They may advise you that your symptoms require a physical examination, for safety reasons or some other type of investigation. This may also be advised if you have had multiple medical certificates in a short period of time.
- In that case, the doctor will advise what to do next. A refund is routinely issued in this case.
Can I get a backdated medical certificate?
It is often possible to get a medical certificate to cover recent days, provided certain conditions are met (and depending on the doctor’s assessment). A doctor can certify that a period of illness has occurred prior to the date of your actual appointment/examination, subject to the specific medical circumstances AND provided the sick leave took place within the last few days.
The date of the actual consultation will appear at the top of the medical certificate (this is a legal requirement for all medical documents). The certificate will also state that you were unable to attend work or scheduled activities on the dates in question, due to illness- which may include days in the recent past.
You may find that some other online providers will not provide backdated certificates, or certificates for multiple days- often because they do not actually conduct a proper consultation with the patient to discuss the situation. At Qoctor, a video consultation takes place with every patient. This ensures safety, thoroughness and the flexibility to certify for the dates the patient needs, in a responsible way. It also means employers have more trust in the process.
Employees are sometimes incorrectly advised by their employers that getting a medical certificate relating to previous dates is not allowed. However, Australian employment law clearly states that it is allowable for employees to obtain a medical certificate after the period of sick leave in question. According to www.fairwork.gov.au : “an employee has to let their employer know that they are going to take sick or carer’s leave. This has to be done as soon as possible, and can be after the leave has started. They should also specify how long they will be off or expect to be off work”.
However, when too much time has elapsed since the period of sick leave, a doctor, at their discretion, may determine that they are unable to offer a backdated medical certificate in this case (doctors are duty bound to adhere to guidelines from AHPRA around issuing medical certificates) If the doctor is unable to issue you with a certificate for this (or any other) reason, we will offer a full refund.
Click here to book your medical certifcate consultation.
Qoctor does not currently offer Workcover, Centrelink or TAC Certificates- we recommend you see your regular GP instead, as continuity of care is particularly important for ongoing work related health issues, or certificates relating to ongoing injuries/conditions.
- Most employers will accept a PDF copy of your certificate- and they can go online to check its validity (though patient confidentiality is always maintained, your personal information is not shared).
- Unfortunately we are unable to supply a paper copy of your online certificate, but you can obviously print out the document yourself if necessary. It will contain all the required information, including the doctor’s credentials, AHPRA registration number and their signature.
- All certificates are generated electronically- we are a paperless practice as this improves efficiency and is kinder to the environment.
Yes. In Australia, Medicare card-holders can generally claim a Medicare rebate when they see a specialist doctor, once they have presented a valid specialist referral letter. A valid specialist referral is less than 12 months old, and states the name of the specialist you wish to attend, as well as relevant health information.
The consultation fee with Qoctor is $24.99. As Qoctor is a private telehealth service, there is no Medicare rebate for this online doctor fee. However, as noted above, the specialist referral letter will allow you to claim a Medicare rebate when you proceed to see the specialist.
- You will receive your downloadable referral letter typically within a few hours of paying. This will be sent to you in the form of an email & also stored on your profile. If you require it urgently, our customer service team can assist you. Send an email to info@qoctor.com.au
A specialist referral letter:
- makes you eligibility for certain Medicare rebates (if you have a valid Medicare card), so a specialist visit will usually cost you less out of pocket.
- provides key information about your health to the specialist
- gives the specialist details of your regular GP, which makes sure your important health information is stored in one place.
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.
To request a repeat specialist referral letter, go to the Qoctor specialist referrals page, and select “repeat specialist referral”. A telehealth appointment to discuss a repeat specialist referral letter with Qoctor costs $25.99. You will need to answer a few online questions relating to your health. The doctor will go through this information and will discuss your health issues with you over the phone.
It will usually possible to get a same day appointment with Qoctor- if the doctor issues a referral letter, you can download it from your account immediately following your appointment. If you need it faster (for example, if you are already at your specialist waiting room), just use the live chat on the homepage of the website, and the customer service team will try to get your telehealth appointment prioritised. To request a repeat referral letter from Qoctor, start here.
Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.
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 $25.99. 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 to get an appointment with Qoctor from 8AM to 12AM AEST on weekdays and 8AM to 10PM on weekends. 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 8AM to 12AM AEST on weekdays and 8AM to 10PM on weekends. 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 $25.99. 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.
The online consultation fee to discuss a specialist referral letter with Qoctor is $25.99. As Qoctor is a private telehealth service, there is no Medicare rebate for this online doctor fee. However, the referral letter may allow you to claim a Medicare rebate when you see the specialist.
What is a repeat specialist referral letter?
A repeat specialist referral is a letter from a GP to a specialist you have seen in the past. It includes the medical reason for seeing the specialist, and other health information. Referral letters expire after a period of time (usually a year). In Australia, Medicare card-holders can claim a rebate when they see a specialist doctor, once they have a specialist referral letter written by a GP. In the past, if you needed a referral letter, you had to see a GP in person to request one. But seeing an online doctor via telehealth is now an easy alternative.
Once you have completed the online assessment for your specialist referral, and made payment, the doctor will review your request. This process often takes a matter of minutes, but it can take an hour or two at busy times (or till the next morning if you make the request outside business hours- i.e. later than 9pm). If they have all the information they need, the doctor will then issue the referral letter- you will be notified via email that you can now download it.
If you are already waiting at your specialist’s office, and need your letter in a hurry- just let our customer service team know via live chat (located on our home page)- they’ll prioritise your letter, and have it sent through to your email, so you can download it from your account as soon as possible.
In Australia, Medicare card-holders can generally claim a Medicare rebate when they see a specialist doctor, once they have a valid specialist referral letter. A valid specialist referral is less than 12 months old, and states the name of the specialist you wish to attend, as well as relevant health information.
The telehealth consultation fee to discuss a specialist referral letter online with Qoctor is $25.99. As Qoctor is a private telehealth service, there is no Medicare rebate for this online doctor fee.
“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.
“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.
“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 $25.99. 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.
In Australia, Medicare card-holders can generally claim a Medicare rebate when they see a specialist doctor, once they have a valid specialist referral letter written by a GP. A valid specialist referral is less than 12 months old, and states the name of the specialist you wish to attend, as well as relevant health information.
The consultation fee to get a specialist referral letter online from Qoctor is $22.99. As Qoctor is a private telehealth service, there is no Medicare rebate for this online doctor fee. However, as noted above, the specialist referral letter will allow you to claim a Medicare rebate when you proceed to see the specialist.
- If the details you provide on your referral questionnaire or patient profile are incorrect and you later wish to change them, please get in touch via info@qoctor.com.au or use the live chat on our home page www.qoctor.com.au
- In some cases, the issue may be rectified without having to book another telehealth consultation.
- However, sometimes, if there is a significant difference in the information required on the letter, you may be asked to book another appointment with a Qoctor doctor.