In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For health advice any time, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Seeing a doctor should be straightforward, but the details can be confusing. Which GP should you choose? Will the appointment be bulk billed? How long does a referral last? Can you have a telehealth appointment? Where should you go when something's urgent but not an emergency? Patient Appointments is an independent guide that answers these questions in plain language, using official Australian sources.
Booking a GP
A regular GP who knows your history is one of the most valuable things you can have for your health. Think about location, hours, billing, services and, above all, communication. You can check any doctor's registration on Ahpra's free online register. When you book, choose an appointment long enough for what you need to discuss, and ask about costs. Our booking section covers choosing a GP, booking an appointment, preparing for your appointment and MyMedicare.
Costs and Medicare
Bulk billing means the provider accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment, so you pay nothing for that service, but the practice decides whether to bulk bill. Our costs section explains bulk billing, asking about fees, referrals and specialists and telehealth. We never publish fees, because they vary and change.
Urgent and after-hours care
Not every urgent problem needs an emergency department. Medicare Urgent Care Clinics treat urgent, non-life-threatening problems without an appointment, and healthdirect's nurses can help you decide where to go. Our urgent care section covers urgent care clinics, after-hours care, when to call 000 and making a health complaint.
Facts worth knowing
These come from official sources. Rules change, so check the latest details.
- Bulk billing means no charge for that service. Services Australia says the provider accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment.
- The practice decides. Ask before you book whether your appointment will be bulk billed.
- Urgent care clinics need no appointment. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are bulk billed and need no appointment or referral.
- GP referrals generally last 12 months from the first specialist service, unless the GP specifies otherwise, according to Services Australia.
- MyMedicare is free and voluntary. It links you with a regular practice and preferred GP.
- healthdirect is available 24/7 on 1800 022 222.
- You can't SMS 000. People who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment can use the National Relay Service, including 106 by TTY.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Assuming you'll be bulk billed without asking.
- Booking a short appointment for several problems.
- Forgetting your list of medicines, including vitamins and supplements.
- Going to an emergency department for a minor problem, or waiting too long with a serious one.
- Leaving without understanding the plan. Ask until it's clear.
Popular guides
- Bulk billing explained
- How to choose a GP
- Medicare Urgent Care Clinics
- When to call 000
- Referrals and specialists
- Telehealth appointments
For practices and health businesses
If you run a practice or health service and would like to be considered for a listing, see feature your business. Listings are clearly labelled and never affect what our guides say.
About this site
This web address was once home to an online directory for booking appointments at medical centres, which later lapsed. Patient Appointments is now a new, independent consumer guide with new content, and isn't connected with the previous operator. We're not a medical practice, booking platform, government agency or insurer, and we don't give medical advice. We write every guide in our own words, rely on official sources such as Services Australia, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, healthdirect and Ahpra, and list sources on every page. Read more about us and our editorial policy.
