Frequently asked questions

Simply download the app or register via clicking the ‘Log In’ button on this website and then selecting ‘Create Your Account’. You’ll need to input your details and then enter your access code to complete registration.

Your employer or insurer will be able to provide you with the correct access code. It’s usually best to contact your HR team if your employer provides the service. If you have access to the service via a family member’s insurance or employee benefits, then ask the policyholder for the access code.

Yes. You can add minors under your profile.

We ask you to verify your identity because it helps us provide a safe and effective service. If we need to safeguard your wellbeing or react in an emergency situation, we need to be sure of your identity. The verification process also supports the transfer of information between Teladoc and other organisations like the NHS when you provide consent. It’s also a regulatory requirement by the Care Quality Commission, who regulate health and social care services across the country.

When you register with the service or request an appointment, we’ll send you a link so you can submit proof of your identity. You will need to:

• Upload a picture of a photo ID document, most commonly a passport or driving licence
• Upload a recent ‘selfie’ which we can compare to the picture on your photo ID

In most cases, you cannot access our healthcare services without verifying your identity first.

If you want to book an appointment for an eligible child, you will need to provide proof of parental responsibility for that child. We will contact you to request the relevant documentation. You must also have verified your own identity before the appointment can go ahead.

Parental responsibility is a legal construct. If you’re the child’s birth mother or father, you will have legal parental responsibility over a child in the vast majority of cases (unless it’s been removed). Adoptive parents also have parental responsibility for a child but step parents and family members who have not been legally granted guardianship over that child do not.

We’ll contact you with a link which you can follow and upload your documents safely and securely.

If you submit good quality photographs then the verification process won’t take long. We use an automated checking service, which can return a result quickly. Our teams will pick up the result of your completed verification request and update your profile accordingly.

It’s important to note that we do not provide an emergency service. If you’re seriously unwell and experiencing a medical emergency, you should call 111, 999 or go straight to your nearest Accident and Emergency or urgent care centre. Conditions we can’t treat remotely include (but are not limited to):

• Chest pains
• Shortness of breath
• Severe abdominal pain
• Heavy bleeding
• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness/blackouts
• High fever in an infant

Log in to your account and click on the ‘Medical’ link in the top menu. From the dropdown options that appear, select ‘General Practitioner’. From the following page, you can select from two options:

• Request Video Consultation – choose a scheduled appointment slot and speak with a doctor over video
• Speak to a GP – request a call back from a GP as soon as one is available

You can also request a call back by clicking ‘GP Consultation’ from the homepage when you first log in.

You will need to confirm your phone number (which we also collect at registration) and your location. We also ask you to provide a brief reason for your booking. This allows us to review your symptoms and ensure you don’t need emergency intervention. Finally, there’s an option to upload a file. You can add documents which will help the doctor, such as a photo of a rash or injury, or evidence that you’ve been taking a particular medication if you’re requesting a repeat.

One of our duty GPs will first review your appointment request to ensure you don’t need urgent intervention. Your case will then pass into our call back list and a doctor will call your nominated telephone. We aim to call you back within 2 hours but during busy times, it may take longer.

As this is a call back service, you don’t book a scheduled appointment slot so you need to make sure you have your phone nearby and are able to take a call in the hours that follow you booking. You should try to find a quiet space so you can speak privately and make sure that you have good phone signal.

When you choose a video appointment, you will pick a scheduled timeslot from those we have available. You connect to the appointment by logging into the app at the scheduled time and clicking on the relevant booking in the ‘Upcoming Consultations’ section.

Try to make sure you connect a few minutes early and have good internet signal. You should find a quiet space where you can speak with the GP.

Our GPs can issue private prescriptions if they deem in appropriate and within our prescribing protocols.

We’re a private service and not part of the NHS so our doctors cannot issue NHS prescriptions. This means you will pay the cost price of the medicine at your chosen pharmacy.

We can:

• Issue a private electronic prescription which you can take to any participating pharmacy
• Deliver your medication to your door
• Send your prescription to a local pharmacy for collection

We offer an electronic prescription service via our partner Signature Rx. When the doctor issues a prescription, you receive a prescription code by SMS and email. You can take this code to any participating pharmacy at the time of your choosing to collect your medication. The pharmacist will log into the Signature Rx portal to check and dispense the prescription. Participating pharmacies include all branches of Boots, Lloyd’s, Well and independent pharmacies. 

We offer a delivery prescription service via our partner, Signature Pharmacy. They can take orders 8am-8pm 7 days a week. We recommend that patients use the delivery service where possible. Your GP will offer this option if you need a prescription.

If you live in London, you’ll receive your medication on the same day as long as it’s ordered by 3pm. Outside of London, Signature will deliver your medication the next day if it’s ordered by 1pm.

If you prefer to collect your prescription from a specific pharmacy, we can accommodate your request on most occasions. We will contact your preferred pharmacy to ensure they have the medication in stock and confirm contact details before sending it through. Please note that it can be difficult to get through to pharmacies during busy periods, which can cause delays. 

Some medications are not suitable for prescribing via an online clinical service. These include controlled drugs like diazepam, strong painkillers, sleeping pills and drugs that require close monitoring through a regular GP.

As we don’t have access to your NHS GP notes and history, we need to be careful about what we prescribe. In some circumstances, we may need to ask you for additional information before we can issue a prescription. Our GPs will only prescribe medication, including antibiotics, if they can do so safely.

We are not a replacement for your regular or NHS GP and do not have access to your complete medical history. For those reasons, we can’t issue ongoing repeat prescriptions for long term conditions. These are much better managed by your regular doctor who can examine you in person.

We may be able to issue a single prescription for some conditions. If you want to request a short term course of a repeat medication, please upload photographic evidence that you have been prescribed that medication before when you book your appointment.

You can request a specialist referral during your GP consultation. Our clinicians will find out more about your condition and issue a referral when it is clinically indicated. The referral letter can be emailed to you when your consultation notes have been completed by the GP - typically within two hours.

As a private service, we only issue private, open referrals and do not refer into the NHS. If you have medical insurance you should contact your insurer to find out the next steps. If you do not have insurance, you will be charged by the specialist for the appointment and any investigations they may recommend. 

There is no charge from the service. However if you do not have private medical insurance, you will be charged for the consultation and any investigation by the specialist. 

Yes. There are no limits on the number of referrals a GP can issue, so long as they are clinically appropriate. 

You can request a sick note during your GP consultation. The sick note can be emailed to you when your consultation notes have been completed by the GP – typically within two hours.

Sick notes are issued at the discretion of the consulting GP and only when clinically appropriate. There is no charge for issuing a sick note. 

Sick notes are limited to a maximum of two weeks and cannot be back-dated. If you need to be signed off longer than two weeks, we recommend you should see your NHS GP for an in-person examination. 

We do not offer fit notes. Fit notes are to certify a patient is fit enough to carry out a given activity, e.g. return to work, fly, run the marathon. This often requires an in-person examination and is best done by the NHS GP. 

Log into your account and select the ‘Mental Health’ option from the top menu. From the dropdown, you can select:

• Mental health support 

Our mental health support team will contact you to arrange an appointment. If you haven’t already done so, we will need to ask you to verify your identity before we arrange sessions. This is a mandatory regulatory and safety requirement.

We use a combination of clinical psychologists and counsellors to provide treatment. We’ll assign a therapist who is appropriate for your needs.

The service is entirely confidential, we will not report your usage of the service to your employer or anyone else. We will only share clinical notes with third parties when we have your explicit consent unless we are required to do so by law or to prevent you or someone else from harm.

All patients seeking one-to-one psychological support must hold low or no risk to self, to others, or from others. We offer a short psychotherapeutic framework of intervention, which is appropriate for issues of low severity, complexity, and chronicity. Some of the most commonly sought treatments are:

• Individuals seeking to address the emotional impact of life events and change.
• Individuals wishing to acquire coping skills to manage emotions, in particular low mood, anxiety, and anger.
• Individuals seeking psychoeducation around mental health and wellbeing.
• Individuals seeking support to manage the bio-psycho-social impact of physical health conditions.
• Individuals seeking relationship and psychosexual support.
• Individual seeking to address self-relation and self-esteem.

Teladoc Health is not an emergency service; therefore, we do not provide any form of crisis support or continued support to the following conditions:

• Moderate to high risk to self (e.g.: suicidal ideation with intent, recent history of suicidal attempts, current self-harming behaviour, substance abuse, and so on.)
• Moderate to high risk to others (e.g.: individuals with a forensic history, history of violence, or currently holding risk towards others)
• Moderate to high risk from others (e.g.: current domestic violence, subject to trafficking, or other forms of abuse)
• Chronic mental health conditions (i.e., Bipolar Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, low functioning Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Conditions, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and so on)
• Neurocognitive disorders and conditions impairing normal cognitive function (i.e., Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia and so on)

If you’d like to make a complaint or express your dissatisfaction about your experience using our service, then you can contact us by email, phone or post.

Should you wish to formalise your complaint, we prefer you to do so in writing where possible because it helps us understand and investigate the circumstances of your experience. The contact details are as follows:

Email - qualityassurance@teladochealth.com or generaladmin@teladochealth.com

Phone – please call the number advertised on this website

Post – Teladoc Health UK, Floor 5. Aspect House. 84-87 Queens Road. Brighton, BN1 3XE

We welcome feedback of all types. If you’ve found our service useful then please do let us know. Equally, if you’re unhappy then we will take your concerns seriously.

We send a feedback survey to patients who use our services so you can rate us and provide your comments. You can also contact us by email using the details above.