You should always call 111 and ask for an ambulance if you have any of these symptoms:
- chest pain or tightness (you may also feel pain or tightness in the arm, jaw, neck or tummy)
- difficulty breathing
- choking
- sudden weakness or difficulty talking (this may be a stroke)
- severe pain
- severe bleeding or bleeding that will not stop
- severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- severe burn
- suicidal thoughts, wanting to self-harm, or in a mental crisis.
Mental health crisis assessment teams
About Online GP Care
You can use Online GP Care to book an appointment (or join a queue, depending on your provider) for an online consultation with a registered healthcare professional for care that is not serious or life-threatening. This includes assessment, diagnosis, treatment and health advice for you or your whānau.
Before using Online GP Care you should check if you can get an appointment with your usual healthcare provider. You should always see them first if you can.
Online consultations can provide care and help for things like:
- allergies
- coughs, cold and flu
- tummy bugs
- prescriptions
- medical certificates
- skin irritations and rashes.
There are some non life-threatening health issues that an online consultation is not suitable for. If this turns out to be the case, your online healthcare professional will direct you to see someone in person..
Some conditions need hands-on assessment to diagnose properly. For example:
- tummy pain where they need to check for tenderness or swelling
- swollen joints or injury that need to be felt or moved around
- changes in your skin or lumps on the skin
- if you feel weak, numb or dizzy.
Tests or procedures that cannot be done online include:
- ear infections where a doctor needs to look inside the ear
- throat or chest issues that need to be checked or listened too
- having cervical samples taken, or physical screenings such as breast examination
- wound care or dressing changes.
It is up to each healthcare professional to decide if they will give you a prescription or a medical certificate. These services cannot give out strong medications that can be dangerous or addictive.
A healthcare professional may want to see you in person if it is not clear from your symptoms what may be wrong. This is so they do not miss something important.
For babies or children under 2 years of age, even minor symptoms can get worse quickly or be hard to diagnose online.
Book an Online GP Care appointment now
Choose a provider below and depending on the provider, book your appointment now, join a queue or be seen straight away. Find out more on provider websites.
You can find the fees (casual rates) for each provider on their website and outlined below, including lower charges for pēpi, tamariki, rangatahi and Community Service Card holders.
Prices might be different for international visitors, if you need to see someone in person after your online consultation, it is after hours, or overnight. Each provider will have fees in those cases displayed on their website.
You will need a debit or credit card to pay, and your Community Services Card if you have one.
For online video consultations through a smartphone or computer, you will need access to the internet.
Some providers may ask for ID.
Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.
Book an appointment with Bettr
Call Bettr Online: 09 302 1088
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $79 |
Open: 7am to 10pm every day, including weekends and public holidays.
Book an appointment with CareHQ
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $33 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $80 |
Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Video chat with an emergency doctor
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $25 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $25 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $25 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $99 |
Open: 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends and public holidays.
Book an appointment with MedOnline
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $33 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $79 |
Open: 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends and public holidays.
Book an appointment with Pocket Lab
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $33 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | From $69 |
Open: 9am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm weekends and public holidays.
Book an appointment with Practice Plus
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $25 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $25 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $82 |
Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $33 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $79.95 |
Open: 8am to 9pm every day, including weekends.
Book an appointment with The Doctors Online
| Patient | Fee |
| Under 14 with a Community Services Card | No fee |
| Under 14 with no Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with a Community Service Card | $30 |
| 14 to 17 with no Community Service Card | $55 |
| Adult with a Community Service Card | $33 |
| Adult with no Community Service Card | $89 |
Support to use Online GP Care
If you have a disability, need interpreter services, or are not confident using technology, let the provider know — they can help.
SeniorNet New Zealand has help for older people.
Digital Seniors offers services in Auckland, Wairarapa and Kapiti.
Before your appointment
For online appointments it is good to have:
- a quiet place for privacy
- a list of questions you want to ask, or the most important issues you want to discuss (you will likely only have 15 minutes for your appointment)
- something to write things down
- your medication list
- a support person if you want one — they can join from wherever they are.
At the start of your appointment you:
- may be asked to confirm your identity (name and date of birth)
- may be asked to confirm you are happy to go ahead with an online appointment
- should introduce any support people you have with you.
Troubleshooting video appointments
If the video disconnects, try to reconnect by selecting 'Rejoin' in the meeting, or the 'Join the meeting' link in your appointment confirmation.
If you cannot reconnect your clinician will call you on the phone to continue the appointment.
Check your speakers or headset:
- volume is turned up enough
- are plugged in and turned on
- are selected as your audio output.
Check the microphone you are using is:
- plugged in and turned on if using an external microphone
- not muted in your device settings
- selected as the microphone in the video call app
- not being used by other software, such as other video call apps.
Quit all other apps if others still cannot hear you. You may need to restart your computer.
Check the camera you are using is:
- plugged in and turned on if using an external camera
- turned on in your device settings
- selected as the camera in the video call app
- not being used by other software, such as other video call apps.
Quit all other apps if others still cannot see you. You may need to restart your computer.
Make sure your modem and router are working properly.
Use a wired connection for best results.
If you use Wi-Fi:
- move closer to your router if you can
- have a direct line of sight between your device and router.
Check if others are using the network, such as video streaming, other video calls, or downloading files. Ask them to pause while you are on your video call.
Seeing your usual healthcare provider
It is still important to enrol with a general practice and see them most of the time. They know you best and can help more with your long-term health.
Information we collect on this service
As funder of the Online GP Care service, Health New Zealand collects information about appointments from service providers, which includes information about service users.
Information is collected to enable and support:
- evaluation of the effectiveness of Online GP Care
- analysis to support planning and service improvements for Online GP Care and related primary healthcare services, within the context of the wider New Zealand healthcare system
- subsidy payment for the services provided.
As part of regular reporting, Health New Zealand collects the following information for all engagements with Online GP Care providers. If you engage with this service, as well as your NHI (National Health Index) number we will collect the following information.
Demographic information
This includes:
- date of birth
- gender
- ethnicity
- country of residence
- location (at approximate town or suburb level)
- if you have a Community Services Card
- if you are enrolled with a primary healthcare provider.
Information about your engagement with Online GP Care
This includes:
- the provider you used
- your reasons for choosing Online GP Care
- when you requested an appointment
- your appointment date, time and length
- the clinician who saw you
- your appointment outcome, for example, if you were treated, referred, or experienced technical issues connecting.
A medical diagnosis code
A code from your appointment (unless you asked for this not to be shared).
Payment information
This is information about:
- your funding code related to your age (under 14, 14 to 17, or adult) and Community Services Card status
- the portion of the service charge paid by you and the portion funded by Health New Zealand.
Information collected by Health New Zealand:
- will not be used to identify you in analysis and reporting activities, including any published reports, without your further consent
- may be validated against other information held by Health New Zealand
- may be analysed alongside other information held by Health New Zealand for the evaluation and analysis purposes described above.
Subject to the protections above and privacy considerations, information may be used for other lawful analysis purposes.
You have a right to access information organisations hold about you and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong.
For information held by Health New Zealand
For information held by Online GP Care providers
Contact the relevant provider directly.
Other online or phone health support
Any New Zealander can use Online GP Care, but if you live in or a visiting a rural location you should use Ka Ora in the first instance.
Ka Ora is an after-hours health service providing phone and video consultations for people living in or visiting rural communities.
You do not need to be enrolled with a healthcare provider to use the service. It is free to speak to a nurse. All appointments are free for tamariki under 14 years old.
Ka Ora is available:
- 5pm to 8:30am during weekdays
- 24 hours during weekends and on public holidays.
Healthline is another important care service that provides free over-the-phone advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through this service you can speak to experienced nurses and paramedics for health advice and information about what to do next.
There are other dedicated online health services available for you to have an appointment with a doctor or another health professional.
You can find more online care providers on Healthpoint.