What a remote consultation can and cannot do
Your doctor will assess you using the information you provide, your uploaded measurements and photographs, and your messages. They cannot examine you, listen to your chest, take your blood pressure themselves or feel an abdomen.
That limitation is the whole risk of telemedicine. A condition that would be obvious on examination can be missed remotely. Where your doctor thinks an examination or a test is needed, they will tell you to be seen in person before prescribing — and that instruction is a clinical decision, not an obstacle to negotiate.
Your part of it
The assessment is only as good as your answers. Leaving out a medication, a past reaction, a pregnancy, or a condition you would rather not discuss is the most likely way for this to go wrong.
You agree to take measurements honestly, to report side effects when they happen rather than at the next review, and to seek in-person care when you are told to.
Prescribing is a clinical judgement
The reviewing doctor may prescribe, may prescribe something different from what you asked for, may ask for tests first, or may decline. Declining is a legitimate and common outcome and you are not charged for it.
Prescriptions are dispensed by a PCN-registered pharmacy. The pharmacist is an independent professional and may raise their own clinical query before dispensing.
Records, messaging and privacy
Consultations, messages and prescriptions form part of your medical record and are retained as required by law. Messages sent over WhatsApp are carried by a third-party platform; we use it because it is where you already are, and you should not send anything through it that you would not want on a phone that might be picked up by somebody else.
Emergencies
This service does not provide emergency care and is not monitored overnight. For chest pain, breathlessness, severe abdominal pain, an allergic reaction, a suspected stroke, or thoughts of harming yourself, go to a hospital immediately.
Withdrawing consent
You can withdraw this consent at any time in writing. Doing so ends the clinical relationship and any active prescription plan; it does not delete records we are required to keep.