Prepare for your appointment
What happens in an online medical certificate consultation
The GP will ask about your symptoms or injury, the dates involved and how the concern affects work, study or usual activities. A few clear details can help you feel prepared for the conversation.
What does the GP assess before issuing a medical certificate?
The GP assesses your symptoms or injury, when they started, how they affect what you can do and any relevant health history or recent care. After speaking with you in real time, the GP may issue a certificate, ask for more information, recommend follow-up or advise an examination or another type of care.
The consultation starts with your health
A HerDoc GP assesses the health concern behind your request in a real-time conversation. They can ask follow-up questions and decide what any certificate can accurately say.
Explain why you need the document and who has requested it. Work, study and caring responsibilities may raise different questions. Having a particular form helps explain the request, but booking or payment does not determine the certificate decision.
Symptoms, timing and daily impact
The GP may ask when symptoms or an injury began, how severe they are, how they have changed and what activities are affected. Useful examples include difficulty standing, concentrating or managing usual hours.
You can describe the concern in your own words and ask what the GP recommends. Previous care, medicines, related health conditions and relevant records may help explain the full picture.
What to have ready
Have the information you already know and any directly relevant documents handy. You do not need a perfect record; explain any gaps so the GP can decide whether more information is needed.
- Your main concern and the dates affected
- How work, study or caring tasks are affected
- Current medicines, relevant history and recent care
- Relevant reports or earlier certificates
- The requesting organisation’s form or instructions
When the GP needs more information
During a phone consultation, the GP relies on the conversation and available records. Video can add visual information, but neither can replace a physical examination or measurements when those are needed.
The GP may recommend records, examination, testing or follow-up before deciding the request. Ask what information is missing, where to get the assessment and how soon to act.
Before the appointment ends
The outcome may be a certificate, another care plan or no certificate. Ask what the GP recommends for your health, whether follow-up is needed and what you need to arrange with the organisation requesting evidence.
If the GP issues a certificate, HerDoc emails it after the consultation. Check its details and contact HerDoc if you notice an error. For another HerDoc consultation, a separate fee applies; see current pricing.
When telehealth may not be suitable
- Requests that cannot be assessed without an examination
- Requests without enough information to support the document
- Complex documentation needing another process
When to seek urgent care
Call 000 or go to an emergency department for an emergency such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, stroke signs, severe bleeding or immediate danger. For other severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, seek urgent local care rather than waiting for a certificate appointment.
- Severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms
- An injury needing physical examination
- Symptoms requiring observations, testing or urgent local care
Prepare for a straightforward GP conversation
Have your symptoms or injury, affected dates, work or study impact and any relevant document in mind for the appointment.
Related pages
FAQs
What does the GP need to know first?
Explain the health concern, when it started, how it affects your activities and why documentation is needed. Have any relevant form or instructions handy.
What if I do not have previous records?
You can discuss the information you do have. The GP will explain whether that is enough or whether records or another assessment are needed before deciding the request.
Can the GP decide not to issue a certificate?
Yes. The health information may not support the request, or another assessment may be needed. Ask the GP to explain the reason and the next step for your care.
How will I receive a certificate if one is issued?
HerDoc emails it after the consultation. Check the details and contact HerDoc if something appears incorrect.
Will I need another appointment?
The GP may recommend follow-up if more assessment is needed or symptoms continue. Ask when and with whom to arrange it. Each further HerDoc consultation has its own fee.