Online Doctor & Telehealth FAQs — Clinic Online Australia

Clinic Online is an Australian telehealth service that connects you with AHPRA-registered Australian GPs on demand — 7am to 10pm AEST, 365 days a year — for live video and phone consultations. Our doctors can issue electronic prescriptions, medical certificates, and specialist, pathology and radiology referrals during the same consultation.

Most patients connect with a consulting GP within a few minutes of requesting a consultation. During very busy periods — for example winter cold and flu season or late evenings — short waits can occur, but you will always be given a realistic estimate before you join the queue.

No booking is required. Clinic Online operates on an on-demand basis, so you can request a consultation whenever you need one and the next available Australian GP will connect with you. If you'd prefer a specific time, you can still request a consult when it suits and join the live queue then.

Yes. Every GP who consults through Clinic Online is a qualified, AHPRA-registered Australian medical practitioner. You can verify any GP's current registration at any time through the public AHPRA register at ahpra.gov.au.

Clinic Online is a fully online (telehealth-only) Australian service operated by Waterlake Pty Ltd. There is no walk-in clinic to visit. Our doctors are AHPRA-registered Australian GPs who consult with patients across all of Australia via secure video and phone.

Clinic Online has two flat rates: AUD $45 for a consultation up to 10 minutes (about 95% of consults — prescriptions, certificates, single-issue advice and referrals) and AUD $59 for a consultation that runs beyond 10 minutes (longer mental health reviews, multi-issue or complex consultations). There are no booking fees, no subscriptions, and no surcharges for evenings, weekends or public holidays.

No. The price you see is the price you pay. Prescriptions, medical certificates and specialist, pathology and radiology referrals issued during your consult are all included. There is no booking fee, no membership, no subscription, no per-document fee, and no surcharge for after-hours, weekends or public holidays.

Medicare rebates for telehealth GP consultations depend on your individual circumstances and current Commonwealth telehealth rules — including whether you have an existing relationship with a GP or practice. Your Clinic Online GP will let you know during the consultation whether a rebate applies and, where eligible, will process the paperwork so the rebate flows back to your nominated bank account.

No. You are only charged once you have actually connected with a consulting GP. If you join the queue and decide to exit before being connected, no charge is taken.

Most of what you'd normally see your GP for: cold and flu, urinary tract infections and other common infections, skin conditions, women's and men's health, mental health concerns, sexual health, contraception, prescription reviews and renewals, chronic-condition management, general health advice, and specialist, pathology or radiology referrals.

Antibiotics can be prescribed during an online GP consultation where they are clinically appropriate — for example a clear urinary tract infection in an otherwise well adult. Your GP will follow Australian antibiotic stewardship guidelines, which means antibiotics are not given for viral illnesses such as most colds or flus, where they do not help and can cause harm.

Anything genuinely emergent (chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, anaphylaxis), conditions that need a hands-on physical examination (suspected fractures, complex wounds, ECGs, procedures, vaccinations), Schedule 8 medications such as opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines (which legally require an in-person assessment), and certain insurance/WorkCover/Centrelink medicals which need a longer in-person assessment with a GP who knows your full history. Your Clinic Online GP will tell you if your concern is one of these and help you plan next steps.

If your consulting GP decides your concern requires a hands-on examination, a procedure, or urgent imaging, they will tell you clearly during your consultation and help you plan next steps — typically a visit to your local GP, urgent care clinic or emergency department. Telehealth is not a replacement for in-person care where that is what your condition needs.

Online GP consultations can be appropriate for many children’s health concerns and may help with symptoms such as coughs, colds, fevers, rashes, vomiting, diarrhoea, or general medical advice. However, if your child is very lethargic, difficult to wake, has breathing difficulties, severe pain, signs of dehydration, please call 000 or attend your nearest Emergency Department, as a physical examination may be urgently required.

Yes. A medical certificate is legally valid in Australia when it is issued by a registered medical practitioner after an appropriate consultation — whether that consultation happens in person or via telehealth. Clinic Online certificates are issued by AHPRA-registered Australian GPs after a real video or phone consultation, include the GP's name, AHPRA registration number and signature, and meet the Fair Work Act 2009 evidence requirements for personal or carer's leave.

Usually within 5 minutes of requesting a consult. Most patients connect with a GP in a few minutes, speak for 5–10 minutes about their symptoms, and receive the certificate as a PDF immediately after the consultation finishes.

No. In Australia a GP can only certify illness for dates from the date of consultation onwards, because that is the date the GP has actually assessed you. Where appropriate, your GP can include a statement that, in their clinical opinion, you have been unwell — but the dated period of incapacity always starts on the consultation day.

Yes — where each is clinically appropriate. A single Clinic Online consultation can include any combination of an e-prescription, a medical certificate, and specialist, pathology or radiology referrals. Everything is sent to you electronically during or immediately after the consult, and accepted across Australia.

Schedule 8 and Schedule 4D medications — including opioids (e.g. oxycodone, codeine combinations), stimulants (e.g. dexamphetamine, methylphenidate) and benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam, alprazolam) — are not issued via Clinic Online. These medications legally require an in-person assessment by a GP who has reviewed your full history. We are also not the right service for cosmetic prescriptions or off-label weight-loss products outside our published clinical pathway.

All consultations take place over an encrypted video or phone connection. Your clinical notes are stored in a secure, Australian-hosted medical records system and are only accessible to clinicians directly involved in your care. Clinic Online complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and the My Health Record Act where applicable.

Patients can request a copy of their medical records, prescriptions, certificates and referrals at any time. Email support@cliniconline.com.au with the subject "Medical Records Request" including the full name, date of birth and email address associated with your account. We will verify your identity and respond in line with the Privacy Act 1988.

A smartphone, tablet or computer with a camera, microphone and a stable internet connection is enough. We support all major modern browsers — there is no app installation required for the website. If your video connection drops mid-consult, your GP can call you back on the phone number on your account.

Yes. Clinic Online operates 7am – 10pm AEST every day of the year, including evenings, weekends and public holidays. There are no after-hours surcharges. For dedicated information on overnight and public-holiday care, see our After Hours Telehealth page.

Yes. Clinic Online is accessible from anywhere in Australia with a stable internet or phone connection — useful if you are travelling interstate, staying somewhere without a regular GP, or between moves. Telehealth consultations are intended for Australian residents and visitors physically located in Australia.

No — please do not contact us in an emergency. If you or someone you are with is experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of stroke (facial droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty), severe bleeding, severe allergic reaction, suicidal thoughts with intent, or any life-threatening symptom, call 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department immediately. Telehealth — including Clinic Online — is never a substitute for emergency care.

Anyone who is currently in Australia can use Clinic Online as long as they are over 17 years old. For anyone under the age of 17 you must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or have their consent.

Our doctors can provide prescriptions with repeats as long as deemed clinically correct. This would be via ePrescriptions, with a QR token sent to you to be taken to your chosen pharmacy. Clinic online doctors follow the guidelines set out by their respective colleges and there may be a reason why the Doctor may be unable to prescribe a certain script including but not exclusively your medical history. There are also certain medications that our GPs are unable to prescribe due to the strict mandates set out. These include all controlled substances, S8 scripts and some S4Ds. Medications like Benzodiazepines, Panadeine Forte, Mersyndol Forte, Gabapentin, Pregabalin (Lyrica), Tramal, Phentermine (Duromine), Semaglutide (Ozempic), Liraglutide (Saxenda), Modafinil, Armodafinil,, Quetiapine, Zolpidem (Stilnox), Zopiclone (Imovane), Ivermectin (Stromectol), Risperidone, Clomid, Mifepristone and Misoprostol. Our specialists may be able to prescribe the above medications if it is deemed appropriate after review and assessment.

Yes a medical certificate can be issued as long as deemed medically appropriate. Once completed the Medical certificate can be found in the inbox of your profile. The maximum number of days that the doctor can provide is 3 days. Unfortunately a medical certificate cannot be backdated by our doctors. Our doctors are unable to provide a Work cover certificate, “clearance” medical certificate, Centrelink Certificate or any certificate that requires forms to be filled. They are also unable to provide any certificates that are needed for exemptions for legal proceedings.

Once assessed our doctors will send you the appropriate pathology request forms that can be taken to any pathology lab. The request form will be available in the inbox of your Clinic Online profile. You can chose to either print the form or email the lab. The result of your tests will be sent back to Clinic online and you will receive a text message once we have the results. If you would like to discuss your results, you can organise a consultation with the doctor. If you would like your local GP or specialist to be forwarded the results, you can request this at the initial consult. If you do bot receive a text message regarding your results being received kindly contact us at support@cliniconline.com.au.

Once assessed our doctors will send you the appropriate radiology request forms that can be taken to any imaging centre. The request form will be available in the inbox of your Clinic Online profile. You can chose to either print the form or email the centre. The result of your tests will be sent back to Clinic online and you will receive a text message once we have the results. If you would like to discuss your results, you can organise a consultation with the doctor. If you would like your local GP or specialist to be forwarded the results, you can request this at the initial consult. If you do bot receive a text message regarding your results being received kindly contact us at support@cliniconline.com.au.

Yes, you can get a referral via our GP’s for a specialist of your choice. Alternatively we have Specialists on our portal that you can book for. You will need a referral for the specialist and can request this from our GPs.

Send an email to support@cliniconline.com.au with the subject heading 'Account Deletion' and provide you full name, contact number and IHI number.