Question 1

Are the doctors registered with the Irish Medical Council?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every doctor who sees patients through Global Health in Ireland holds registration with the Irish Medical Council, the same standing required for any GP or specialist practising in the country. You can ask to see a doctor's registration details before or during your consultation if you'd like to confirm this yourself. Registration means the doctor has met the Council's requirements for qualification, fitness to practise and ongoing professional standards, and is accountable to it in the same way as any doctor you'd see in a clinic. This applies whether you're booking a general consultation, a specialist referral, or a sick cert.

Question 2

Do I need to already be a patient to book a consultation?

Accepted Answer

No prior relationship with us is required. You can create an account and book your first consultation the same way as any returning patient — there's no waiting list to join or referral needed to get started with a general consultation. During booking you'll be asked for basic details and your symptoms or reason for the visit, which the doctor reviews before or during the call. If ongoing care, a specialist opinion or a lab test is appropriate, the doctor can arrange the next step from there. Anyone based in Ireland can use the service without having seen one of our doctors before.

Question 3

What should I do in a medical emergency?

Accepted Answer

Global Health is an online consultation service, not an emergency service, and it isn't monitored for urgent or life-threatening situations. If you or someone with you has a medical emergency, call 112 or 999 immediately, or go straight to your nearest emergency department — don't wait for an online appointment. Our doctors can assess non-urgent symptoms, issue a sick cert where appropriate, or refer you onward, but video consultations aren't suitable for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, heavy bleeding, loss of consciousness or other emergencies. If a doctor believes during a consultation that your symptoms need urgent in-person care, they will tell you to seek it straight away.

Question 4

How do I book an appointment online?

Accepted Answer

Booking is done directly through the website: choose the type of consultation you need, pick an available time, and enter your details and the reason for your visit. You'll see the price for that consultation before you confirm and pay, so there are no surprises at checkout. Once booked, you'll get a confirmation with the time and how to join — usually by video, sometimes by phone. If you're not sure which consultation type fits your situation, the booking flow will guide you, and you can always contact us with questions about scheduling, payment or your account beforehand.

Question 5

How quickly can I see a doctor in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Same-day appointments are usually available, and many patients are seen within a few hours of booking, though exact availability depends on demand and the type of consultation you need. Requests that feel urgent, like needing a sick cert before a shift, are generally easier to fit in quickly than a longer specialist consultation. The booking page always shows real available times rather than an estimate, so you'll know exactly when you can be seen before you pay. If nothing suitable is showing on a given day, checking again shortly afterwards or trying an early morning slot often turns up a same-day option.

Question 6

Can I book or ask questions by phone as well as online?

Accepted Answer

Booking itself happens online, but our phone line is there for questions about your account, an existing booking, or payment, and is answered in English. It isn't used for clinical advice or for diagnosing you over the phone — that happens during your actual consultation with a doctor, whether that's by video or by phone call depending on the appointment type you book. If you're unsure which service to choose or run into an issue completing a booking, calling or emailing us is the quickest way to get it sorted before your appointment time arrives.

Question 7

Is the consultation by video or phone?

Accepted Answer

Most consultations take place by secure video call, which lets the doctor see you and assess visible symptoms directly, similar to an in-person visit. Some consultation types, particularly quick follow-ups or certain sick cert requests, may be offered by phone instead — the booking page tells you which format applies before you confirm. Either way, the call happens at your scheduled time through a private link or number sent with your confirmation, and you don't need to download any special software beyond a basic browser or phone connection. If a doctor feels your symptoms need to be seen in person, they'll tell you during the call.

Question 8

What happens during an online GP consultation?

Accepted Answer

The doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history and any medication you're taking, much as they would in a clinic, then assess what can reasonably be evaluated over video or phone. Based on that assessment, they may offer advice, issue a sick cert, send a prescription to your pharmacy, or refer you for a lab test or a specialist opinion where that's the appropriate next step — none of this is guaranteed in advance and depends entirely on what the doctor finds during your consultation. Appointments are timed so there's room for questions, and you'll get written follow-up instructions afterwards summarising what was discussed and agreed.

Question 9

What if the doctor can't help me over a video call?

Accepted Answer

Not every condition can be safely assessed remotely, and a doctor may tell you during your consultation that you need to be seen in person — whether that's your regular GP, a specialist, or an emergency department, depending on how urgent it is. In that situation the doctor will explain why and what happens next rather than guessing at a diagnosis over a video call. This is a normal and expected outcome of online assessment, not a failure of the service: video consultations suit a wide range of symptoms, but some things genuinely need hands-on examination or in-person tests to assess properly and safely.

Question 10

How do I get a sick cert online?

Accepted Answer

Book a general consultation and explain your symptoms to the doctor by video or phone, the same as you would in a GP surgery. If the doctor's assessment supports it, they'll issue a sick cert electronically, usually sent to your email the same day. A sick cert is only issued where it's clinically appropriate after the doctor has actually assessed you — it isn't something you can request and receive automatically, and the doctor may ask follow-up questions or decline to issue one if your description doesn't support it. You don't need to be an existing patient to book this type of consultation.

Question 11

How long does it take to receive my sick cert?

Accepted Answer

Once your consultation is complete and the doctor has decided a sick cert is appropriate, it's typically issued and emailed to you the same day, often within a few hours. Turnaround depends on how quickly you're seen and how busy the service is at that time, so booking earlier in the day generally means a faster result. The cert itself states the dates it covers based on what the doctor assessed — it isn't backdated beyond what's clinically justified. If you need it urgently for a shift or a deadline, mention this when booking so you can choose the earliest available appointment.

Question 12

Will my employer accept a sick cert issued online?

Accepted Answer

A sick cert issued by an Irish Medical Council-registered doctor after a proper assessment carries the same standing whether the consultation happened online or in a surgery — Irish law doesn't require a certificate to come from a face-to-face visit. That said, individual employers set their own sick-leave policies, so it's worth checking what your employer expects if you're unsure. Statutory entitlements such as Illness Benefit are a separate matter: they're assessed by the Department of Social Protection under its own criteria and certification requirements, and our doctors can issue a medical cert but can't submit or decide a benefit claim on your behalf.

Question 13

Can the doctor send a prescription to my pharmacy?

Accepted Answer

Where a prescription is clinically appropriate, the doctor can send it electronically to a pharmacy of your choice, so it's often ready to collect shortly after your consultation ends. You'll be asked which pharmacy you'd like to use during or after the appointment. Not every consultation results in a prescription — the doctor decides based on your symptoms and history, and some medications aren't suitable to prescribe without an in-person examination or further tests. If a prescription isn't appropriate, the doctor will explain the reasoning and suggest other options, which might include a follow-up, a referral, or simple self-care advice instead.

Question 14

Is my medical information kept confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your consultation details are treated as sensitive medical information under Irish and EU data protection law, and are only used to provide your care and any directly related administration, such as issuing a sick cert or sending a prescription to your pharmacy. Doctors are bound by the same confidentiality obligations that apply to any registered practitioner in Ireland. Your information isn't shared with your employer, family members or anyone else without your consent, except in the rare circumstances the law requires disclosure, such as a serious risk to safety. Our privacy policy sets out exactly what's collected and how it's used in full.

Question 15

Who can see my consultation records?

Accepted Answer

Your records are accessible to the doctor who treated you and to the limited administrative staff who need them to run the service, such as fulfilling a prescription or issuing documentation you've requested. They aren't shared with your employer or anyone else unless you specifically ask us to, for example by requesting a copy be sent somewhere. If a doctor decides you need onward referral to a specialist or a lab test, relevant details are shared with that provider so your care can continue, but only what's needed for that purpose. Access is logged and restricted in line with our data protection obligations.

Question 16

Can I get a copy of my medical records?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you're entitled to request a copy of your consultation records and any certificates or prescriptions issued to you, under your data protection rights. You can do this through your account or by contacting us directly, and we'll confirm what's needed to verify your identity before releasing anything, since these are sensitive health records. There's no need to have a specific reason for asking — access to your own records is your right. If you want records sent on to another doctor, a new employer, or an insurer, let us know and we can arrange that with your consent.

Question 17

How much does a consultation cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing depends on the type of consultation you need — a general consultation, a specialist referral and a sick cert-focused visit aren't necessarily priced the same. Rather than list figures here that could go out of date, the exact price for your chosen appointment is always shown clearly during booking, before you confirm or pay anything. If you hold one of our membership plans, some consultations may already be included as part of your plan rather than charged individually — this is shown at checkout too. If you have a question about cost before booking, contact us and we can point you to the right consultation type.

Question 18

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Payment is taken securely online by card at the time of booking, so your appointment is confirmed and paid for before you see the doctor. If you're a member on one of our plans, eligible consultations may be covered under your membership instead of a separate charge — this is applied automatically at checkout where it applies. We don't take payment over the phone or by any method outside the booking flow, which keeps your card details out of emails or calls. If a payment doesn't go through, the booking page will let you know straight away so you can try again or use a different card.

Questions, answered without the marketing speak.

Ireland

Are the doctors registered with the Irish Medical Council?

Do I need to already be a patient to book a consultation?

What should I do in a medical emergency?

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