1 in 3
patients have delayed or did not use health services when needed¹
What's Telehealth On Demand?
Telehealth On Demand is designed to support general practices by offering a temporary safety net for patients when their regular care team isn’t available.
It enables patients to request virtual consults with available doctors across Australia for same-day needs like medical certificates or repeat prescriptions.
With patient consent, consult notes are sent directly back to the practice, helping maintain continuity and keeping patients connected to their home practice.
A flexible way to care
Expand your practice's capacity
Offer virtual consults when and where doctors want to; between sessions, after hours, or during calendar gaps.
More flexibility for your doctors
Switch between online and offline consults in a way that protects energy, emotional load, and time.
Maximise earning potential
Fill white space in the doctor’s day with care that fits around their schedule. Every consult is privately billed, helping them earn without extra work.
Designed to support your practice
Keep patients in your ecosystem
Give patients a trusted interim care option when you’re unavailable, that connects back to you.
Support new and early-career doctors
Help doctors grow their patient base while delivering real value to patients.
Minimise revenue loss from blank calendar space
Convert gaps in the schedule into care that counts—for patients and the practice.
The access and connection patients crave
Patients regular care teams always come first
But when their usual care team is unavailable, they can stay within the ecosystem they know and trust.
Qualified Australian doctors only
All consults are conducted by fully qualified doctors following strict telehealth guidelines.
Seamless follow-up
With patient consent, consult notes flow back to the patient’s usual practice, keeping everyone informed and aligned.
“This isn’t a substitute for your GP, it’s a safety net when you can’t get in, and you still want to stay connected to them.”
Quick facts
1 in 3
Patients have needed to access their GP after-hours¹
1 in 4
Australians have already accessed a virtual care provider²
75%
Of patients have already returned to their regular practice for follow-up³
How it works:
Patient confirms their care team is unavailable
Patients begin by acknowledging that their usual GP or practice is unavailable. They complete a short screening to confirm their suitability for virtual care.
Matched with an available HotDoc doctor
Once approved, the patient is matched with a doctor in the HotDoc network who has open availability.
Payment is handled automatically
After the consultation, payment is securely processed and transferred to your nominated account—no extra admin required.
Notes return to the regular practice
With patient consent, consult notes and prescription details are shared back with the patient’s regular practice to support ongoing care.
Ready to explore the future of hybrid care?
Express your interest in joining Telehealth On Demand
FAQs
Telehealth On Demand connects patients with HotDoc GPs for same-day virtual care focused on single-issue needs, such as medical certificates, repeat prescriptions, and general advice.
The service is designed as a safety net, not a substitute, providing timely access to acute care while keeping patients connected to their regular GP or practice.
With patient consent, consult notes can be automatically shared with the patient’s home practice, and patients are encouraged to follow up with their usual GP.
HotDoc’s Telehealth On Demand is built with, not around, general practice. Local GPs from real practices like yours are encouraged to participate, and our booking flows encourage patients to return to their regular provider both before they book and after each appointment.
Patients can also share consult notes with their regular practice, enabling seamless follow-up and protecting continuity of care.
Telehealth On Demand enables your GPs to offer same-day virtual care for single-issue needs when a patient is otherwise unable to access timely care. It creates flexibility around your schedule, additional billable opportunities during white space, improves access for patients and directs the patient back to their regular provider after the consult.
Telehealth On Demand allows patients to access same-day virtual care for single-issue when they are otherwise unable to access timely care. To promote continuity of care, patients can opt to have all consult notes shared directly with their nominated practice and receive a copy of their own consult notes after each appointment.
Any GP at a practice using HotDoc can opt in to provide Telehealth On Demand consults when it suits their schedule. It’s an opportunity to make use of quieter times or offer care remotely, without needing to manage additional infrastructure or admin. To express your interest in joining, simply click the “I’m Interested” button and complete a short questionnaire.
We’ve designed a set of Telehealth On Demand guidelines to help ensure patients remain connected to their usual care team, even when same-day access isn’t available. These guidelines focus on three key forms of continuity.
Relational continuity: The patient’s Care Team remains the default option in the app. If no availability is shown or the practice doesn’t offer telehealth, we prompt the patient to call reception before showing other options.
Management continuity: After each consult, patients are encouraged to book a follow-up with their usual GP.
Information continuity: With the patient’s consent, all consult notes are sent back to their nominated GP or practice.
You can read more in our Telehealth On Demand guidelines here.
²HotDoc Patient Survey, 2025
³HotDoc Telehealth On Demand Pilot Program Data, 2025