Online GP care
Medical certificates through an online GP
Talk to a HerDoc GP about an illness, injury or symptoms affecting work, study or usual activities. The GP will ask about what is happening and decide whether they can issue a medical certificate after the consultation.
Can I get a medical certificate through an online GP appointment?
Yes. A HerDoc GP can assess any type of medical-certificate request during a telehealth appointment and may issue the requested certificate when the consultation supports it. You can talk about your symptoms or injury, when they started and how they are affecting work, study or daily life; some complex requests may still need face-to-face assessment or another process.
Online GP appointments for women
Book online, then speak by phone with an AHPRA-registered Australian GP.
GP care that fits women's lives
HerDoc supports general health, women's health and life-stage concerns, where telehealth is suitable.
How it works
Book online
Choose an appointment time that suits you.
Speak with an Australian GP
Talk by phone with an AHPRA-registered doctor. Your GP can provide advice and, where clinically appropriate, discuss prescriptions, certificates, referrals, pathology requests or follow-up guidance during the appointment.
Often suitable for
- General health and mental wellbeing
- Women's health, menopause and perimenopause
- Medication advice and prescriptions
- Medical certificates, referrals and pathology requests
Not for urgent care
HerDoc is not for emergencies, crisis support or symptoms that need immediate hands-on care.
- Chest pain, breathing difficulty or severe symptoms
- Sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms
- Mental health crisis or risk of harm
- Symptoms that need a physical examination
For urgent or severe symptoms, call 000 or seek emergency care.
Start with the certificate question that fits your situation
You may already know that you need evidence for work or study, have a particular form, or be unsure which certificate is the right document. Either is fine. A HerDoc GP can assess any certificate request, then decide from the consultation whether the requested document can be issued.
Choose the guide that best matches what you want to understand:
- Medical certificates for work: evidence, dates, privacy and employer questions.
- Medical certificates for stress: talking about stress or mental-health symptoms affecting your work.
- What happens in the assessment: what the GP may ask and what to have handy.
- When telehealth may not fit: examination needs and more complex documentation requests.
Explore medical certificate guides
What the GP may ask about
The GP needs enough information to understand the health concern and how it is affecting you. They may ask about:
The individual decision stays with the treating GP. Depending on what they learn, they may issue a certificate, ask for more information, recommend follow-up or advise another type of care.
- your symptoms or injury and when they started
- what has changed since the symptoms began
- how the concern affects work, study or usual activities
- relevant health history, medicines or recent care
- the dates you want to discuss and why
A consultation, not a form request
A medical certificate follows a real-time conversation with the GP. During intake, state why you need the certificate, the type of document requested and the dates involved so HerDoc can advise you about the next steps. Booking or paying for the appointment does not determine the certificate decision, the dates covered or the wording used.
If you are preparing for the appointment, have your symptoms, timing, work or study impact and any relevant recent information in mind. The detailed appointment process remains on How HerDoc telehealth appointments work.
Work, study and other documentation
An ordinary sickness certificate is different from a workers-compensation form, fitness assessment, insurance report or legal report. You can ask a HerDoc GP about any of these documents, but they can involve different questions, evidence and examination requirements and may be more likely to need face-to-face care.
If you have been given a particular form or instructions by an employer, school, university, insurer or another organisation, check what they are asking for before the appointment. The GP can then see the request, but should not be expected to use wording or reach an outcome that the health information does not support.
Cost, privacy and practical details
For current consultation fees, what the fee covers and any Medicare information, see HerDoc pricing. For how HerDoc handles personal information, see the HerDoc privacy policy.
If the GP issues a certificate, HerDoc will email it to you after the consultation. It should arrive within a reasonably short time, although the exact timing can vary.
If the GP recommends follow-up, you will need to book another consultation. Each consultation has its own fee, so check HerDoc pricing before booking again.
When telehealth may not be suitable
- Injuries that need physical examination
- Symptoms that need local testing or observations
- Complex documents requiring another assessment process
When to seek urgent care
Some symptoms or injuries need a physical examination, local testing or faster help. If that applies, the GP may recommend an in-person appointment or another service instead of deciding the request by telehealth. Do not wait for a routine certificate appointment if symptoms are severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or you feel unsafe. Call 000 or go to an emergency department in an emergency, and see when to seek urgent care for more guidance.
- Severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms
- Chest pain or severe breathing difficulty
- Stroke signs, fainting or severe bleeding
- Immediate danger or risk of harm
Talk to a GP about a medical-certificate request
Share the reason for your request, the document and dates involved, and how the illness, injury or symptoms are affecting you.
FAQs
Can I get a medical certificate through an online GP appointment?
Yes. A HerDoc GP can assess your request during a telehealth appointment and may issue a certificate after discussing your health concern. The decision and any dates covered depend on what the GP can support from the consultation.
How does an online medical certificate consultation work?
You speak with a GP in real time about your symptoms or injury, when they began and how they affect work, study or usual activities. The GP then explains the outcome, which may include a certificate, follow-up or another care recommendation.
Can I request a medical certificate for work?
Yes. You can discuss an illness, injury or symptoms affecting your ability to work with a HerDoc GP. Read the medical certificates for work guide for evidence, date and employer questions.
Can I discuss a medical certificate for stress or mental-health symptoms?
Yes. You can talk privately with a GP about stress, sleep, mood or other symptoms affecting your work. The stress and medical certificates guide explains what may be useful to discuss and where to get more help.
What will the GP ask before deciding whether to issue a certificate?
The GP may ask about the symptoms or injury, dates, functional impact, relevant history and what has changed. The medical certificate assessment guide explains how to prepare.
Can a certificate cover days before the appointment?
Do not assume that earlier dates can be covered. Talk to the GP as soon as you know you need evidence, because they can only certify a period they can support after assessing the information available.
Will my employer or another organisation accept an online medical certificate?
Acceptance depends on the organisation's requirements and your circumstances. Check what evidence is requested and ask the organisation directly if you are unsure; HerDoc cannot promise a third party's decision.
How will I receive the certificate if one is issued?
HerDoc will email the certificate to you after the consultation if the GP issues one. It should arrive within a reasonably short time, although the exact timing can vary, so allow for any deadline set by the requesting organisation.
What happens if the GP cannot issue a certificate?
The GP can decline or redirect the request if the information does not support the document or another type of assessment is needed. They will explain the decision and may suggest follow-up, an examination or a different documentation pathway.
When does a certificate request need in-person or urgent care?
An in-person examination may be needed when the GP cannot assess an injury, symptom or functional limitation adequately by telehealth. Severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms should be handled through emergency or urgent local care, not a routine certificate appointment.