FAQs
We recommend that you read the information below before contacting us.
Our phone lines can be busy at times, if you have not found the information you are looking for, please send us an email on admin@hellodoc.com.au or via contact us form.
In the event we missed your call, we will always return it, provided that you have left a voicemail with your name and number.
HelloDoc is an exclusive mental health service, providing appointments with Psychiatrists and Psychologists, via secure video conferencing platforms all across Australia.
All our appointments are done via video conferencing only (Telehealth). The platform we use for video conference is similar to zoom or skype but built to provide safe and secure telehealth consultations and is very easy to use.
Our Psychiatrists offer assessments and management plans for all common mental health conditions including but not limited to, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Stress, PTSD, OCD, Mood disorders, Bipolar affective disorder, Schizophrenia, Borderline personality disorder, ADHD, ADD and ASD assessments.
Our psychiatrists can also do Legal and forensic reports, work/occupational assessments, reports for medical procedures, and assessments for many other situations and conditions. Please speak to our admin staff if your inquiry is about anything else.
Our Psychologists can do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing, and relationship counselling, as well as psychoeducation, symptoms management, re-framing perspectives, sleep hygiene, skills development, breathing exercises, mindfulness, self-care, and nurturing connections.
- You get a referral from your GP. You or your GP sends it to us via email, fax or secure messaging. Email (referrals@hellodoc.com.au), FAX 03 9001 0712, or secure messaging (hellodoc).
- Our triage team reviews the referral and “match it” with one of our psychiatrists.
- We speak to you and discuss about making an appointment.
- If applicable, you pay the fee before the appointment.
- A day before your appointment, we send you a text reminder and an email with video link for your video appointment.
- You attend your appointment with your practitioner. Practitioner discusses the plan of management with you.
- Practitioner sends a report to your referring GP.
- You follow up with your GP to go through the recommendations and management plans.
Effective 1st November 2021, our psychiatrists will continue bulk billing initial assessments for eligible patients from regional, rural and remote locations only.
To find out if you live in an eligible area click here. Enter in your home address and select Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Area (ASGS Remoteness Areas). If you live in an ASGC-RA 2-5 region, you are eligible for this service.
Complex assessments such as Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD) and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are charged at our private fee rate. The private fee must be paid prior to the appointment but Medicare rebates are available for eligible appointments.
Yes, our psychiatrists continue to provide assessments for Metropolitan area patients (ASGS-RA1), (see above in ‘Do You Bulk Bill‘ to find out if you are in regional or metropolitan area).
Private, and low-rate fee schedule is available with Medicare rebates. Speak to our admin team for this.
HelloDoc is a nationwide telehealth service, our clinicians are based in different states in Australia. Our clinicians have provided thousands of appointments for patients based in every state and territory in Australia.
Our outbound calling number (03 9001 0711) and our fax number (03 9001 0712) is a Victorian based landline number, but our support/admin staff and clinicians are based in different states in Australia.
Yes, you will need a referral from your GP for an appointment with Psychiatrist, and GP Mental health care plan (MHCP) for appointments with psychologist.
Yes, a number of our psychiatrists are accepting new referrals. Our Psychologists are taking new patients as well.
We generally contact the patient within 5 business days after receiving the referral. Sometimes the details we receive from the referral are incorrect, and we have also experienced situations where referrals have gone ‘missing’ or are never sent to us in the first place.
Please contact us if you have not heard from us in 5 business days after sending your referrals. It is your responsibility to ensure that we have your referral.
Please note: We do not accept requests for urgent/emergency assessments. Please note above that your referral need to be triaged by our team which can take 5 business days or more.
Based on the average waiting times for thousands of appointments conducted by HelloDoc practitioners, our waiting time for new appointments, including ADHD/ADD/ASD assessments is between 1-4 weeks.
We pride ourselves with the achievement that we have had hundreds of new assessments booked and completed within one week of receiving referrals.
Please note: Although our waiting times could be really short, we do not accept requests for urgent/emergency assessments. Please note above that your referral need to be triaged by our team which can take 5 business days or more
Yes, we have a number of Psychiatrists who are experts in ADHD/ADD and also Psychiatrist expert in ASD assessments.
Majority of these assessments are completed in two sessions, which are privately charged with a rebate for eligible appointments. Please speak to our admin staff for fee structure.
In most cases, if medications are indicated, your treating psychiatrist will recommend to your GP and request their support to prescribe recommended standard medications, including medications for ADHD/ADD.
Where it’s a requirement from prescription regulatory authority (for example, for patients in NSW), and for controlled medications like ‘stimulant’ medications, then our psychiatrists will issue scripts and work with your GP to stabilize medications and then hand over your care to your GP once suitable.
Our psychiatrists review patients from every state and territory in Australia and are familiar with the state rules and regulations.
Please note: Scripts can take anywhere from a few days to few weeks, to be completed and sent to your nominated pharmacy, as it’s a process, which might require further approvals and can take time. We will advise you once the scripts are sent.
Unfortunately, our psychiatrists are unable to issue any scripts via email or phone without a consultation/ assessment.
You will need to follow our usual process of getting a referral from your GP and sending it to us and then have your appointment with treating psychiatrist. (please see above in “how does it work” for further information on booking appointments)
If you have an appointment booked with one of our practitioners, a text reminder will be sent a day before your appointment.
An email with video link will also be sent a day before your appointment. Sometimes, the email lands in your junk/spam folder. Please check the junk/spam folder by the end of day, one day before your appointment. If you still can’t find your appointment link, please email us on admin@hellodoc.com.au and we will send it again.
The email sent to you will have the simple instructions on how to connect to the appointment. We have had the feedback from patients after attending thousands of appointments, that our system is quite user friendly and easy to connect.
If you have an appointment booked and are having trouble connecting, please call us on 1300 959 942 or send an email to admin@hellodoc.com.au
If your appointment is after hours, and you are having trouble connecting to the video conference, please send us an email or call us immediately and leave a voicemail which will be attended to.
Our service number is re-directed to a voicemail after hours. During after hours voicemails and emails are monitored only for people attending appointments. There will always be an admin person on “stand-by” to help you connect or troubleshoot.
