Frequently Asked Questions 

Toowoomba Telehealth may be suitable if you are located in Toowoomba or surrounding areas, your concern can be safely assessed by telehealth, you are not experiencing emergency symptoms, and you understand that Medicare eligibility and clinical suitability are confirmed before or during your appointment. See our Eligibility Criteria page for more information. 

Not necessarily. You should generally be within the Toowoomba Telehealth service area at the time of your appointment. This may include patients who live, work, study or are temporarily staying in the region. 

You may be able to book while travelling within Australia, but the appointment will usually be privately billed if you are outside our service area. We may also be less able to guide you to local face-to-face care. We cannot provide consultations if you are overseas.

Telehealth may be suitable for many non-urgent GP concerns, including selected prescription requests, results, referrals, medical certificates, minor illnesses and follow-up care. It is not suitable for emergencies, serious symptoms, procedures or problems that need physical examination. See our Services and Eligibility Criteria pages for more information. 

Selected telehealth support for older patients, carers, aged-care and home-care situations where telehealth can safely provide the care needed. 

Medicare-eligible appointments under 10 minutes will be bulk billed. Longer appointments are privately billed, and a Medicare rebate may apply if eligibility criteria are met. See our Fees & Medicare page for more information.

You generally need a valid Medicare or DVA card, be physically located in Australia, meet Medicare telehealth relationship rules or an exemption, and have the appropriate Medicare item confirmed by the doctor to receive a Medicare rebate. Eligibility is not guaranteed at booking. See our Medicare Eligibility section for more information. 

For Toowoomba Telehealth, this usually means you have seen the same Toowoomba Telehealth doctor in person within the last 12 months at their usual GP practice or another practice where they work. 

Exemptions may include urgent after-hours care (between 11pm and 7 am), children under 12 months, sexual health, reproductive health or blood-borne virus care, homelessness, natural disaster and other Medicare-recognised categories. 

No. Toowoomba Telehealth is not a MyMedicare registration practice. Patients are encouraged to maintain their usual relationship with their regular GP and general practice.

A private fee will apply. You may be asked to pay a holding fee before your appointment. The final fee depends on consultation duration and type.

You can book privately if you are in our service area and the concern is clinically suitable. We do not directly bill private health funds, but we can provide a receipt with an item code where applicable for you to submit to your insurer. Your private health fund may only reimburse you part of the fee.

Book online by clicking the ‘book appointment’ button, through the ‘AMS Connect’ app or call us on (07) 4642 2880. Please review the Eligibility Criteria page before booking. 

Where available, you may choose the Toowoomba Telehealth doctor you wish to book with.

To book your appointment we will need your name, date of birth, contact details, address, and Medicare or DVA details. To check your Medicare Eligibility for Telehealth, we will also ask you a brief reason for your appointment, whether you have seen the selected doctor in person in the last 12 months, and the address of where you will be located at the time of your consultation. If you are booking with us for the first time, we will also send you a new patient intake form to be filled online which will ask about your health information including medical history, medications, allergies, social and family history etc.

Yes. We will review your booking and contact you if eligibility or fees need to be clarified. You can also contact us before booking.

The doctor or staff may recommend that you see your usual GP, a local face-to-face clinic, urgent care, emergency care or 000 depending on the concern.

You can book privately if you are in our service area and the concern is clinically suitable. We do not directly bill private health funds, but we can provide a receipt with an item code where applicable for you to submit to your insurer. Your private health fund may only reimburse you part of the fee.

We may help with general GP advice, minor illnesses, repeat prescriptions where safe, results, referrals, selected certificates, follow-up consultations, selected skin concerns, selected sexual or reproductive health concerns and chronic disease discussions where telehealth is safe. See our Services page for more information.

Telehealth is generally not suitable for emergencies, chest pain, severe breathing symptoms, stroke-like symptoms, collapse, severe allergic reactions, severe bleeding, severe pain, moderate to severe abdominal pain, injuries, suspected fractures, head injuries, very unwell children, suicidal thoughts, procedures, controlled medicines, or complex legal, insurance, occupational or regulatory assessments.

Antibiotics are only prescribed when clinically appropriate. Some infections need physical examination, urine testing, swabs, imaging or urgent care and may not be suitable for telehealth. 

Repeat prescriptions may be provided where safe. The doctor will consider the medication, your history, monitoring needs and whether telehealth is appropriate. We generally do not provide repeat prescriptions for more than 2 months duration, as it is best practice for your regular GP to review the ongoing need for your regular medications.

Drugs of dependence, controlled medicines and some high-risk medicines are not prescribed. 

Medical certificates may be provided where clinically appropriate. A certificate is not guaranteed and some requests require face-to-face assessment or your usual GP. 

Referrals may be provided where clinically appropriate. Some concerns require face-to-face examination or further investigation prior to referral. 

Yes, if the doctor has access to your results and it is suitable to discuss your results via Telehealth. Some results need urgent, face-to-face or original-ordering-doctor follow-up.

Telehealth can support selected chronic disease discussions and follow-up, but ongoing chronic disease care is usually best coordinated by your regular GP.

Children may use telehealth where clinically appropriate and supervised by a parent or guardian. Very unwell babies or children need urgent face-to-face care or 000.

No. If you have serious or urgent symptoms, call 000 or attend the nearest Emergency Department.

Do not book telehealth appointment. Call 000 or attend the nearest Emergency Department.

In Queensland, call 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84 for advice. If symptoms are serious, rapidly worsening or potentially life-threatening, call 000.

We may provide selected urgent after-hours assessments where telehealth is safe. Symptoms that may need examination, imaging, pathology, procedures, ambulance care or hospital treatment are not suitable.

No. The doctor will prescribe only if it is clinically appropriate, safe and consistent with good medical practice.

No. A doctor must assess whether the medication is appropriate and safe, in consultation with you.

Yes, where clinically appropriate. Some concerns require face-to-face examination before testing is arranged.

Simple forms may be suitable, but many forms need physical examination, identity verification or your usual GP. Form completion appointments are generally privately billed and may not attract a Medicare rebate.

These requests are generally not suitable for telehealth. Please see your usual GP or an appropriate face-to-face service.

Yes. We handle patient information confidentially and in accordance with privacy and health records obligations. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

With your consent, we generally share a handover letter including your consultation note  with your regular GP to support continuity of care.

Where clinically appropriate and authorised, doctors may access My Health Record. You can ask us not to access it. At Toowoomba Telehealth, only doctors are authorised to access My Health Record.

For selected concerns, photos may help assessment. Photos should only be sent through approved secure channels and only when requested.

Video is recommended where possible. Telephone may be used when video is unavailable. Telephone consultations have a maximum time limit of 20 minutes.

The doctor may advise that you attend your usual GP, other local GP clinic, urgent care or Emergency Department depending on the concern.

The doctor or staff may try to reconnect or contact you using the details provided at booking. Please keep your phone available at the appointment time. 

Check that you are in the service area, your concern is non-urgent and suitable for telehealth, and you understand that Medicare eligibility and fees are confirmed before or during your appointment.

Contact us before booking. If symptoms are serious or urgent, do not wait for telehealth. Call 000 or attend the nearest Emergency Department.