Online GP Consultation in Ireland

What an online GP can help with

Remote consultation suits a wide range of everyday, non-emergency concerns where the doctor can reach a reliable view from your history, your description of symptoms and what they can see on video.

That commonly includes coughs, colds and sore throats; urinary symptoms; skin complaints, rashes and acne; digestive problems; headaches; hay fever and allergies; contraception queries; travel health advice; medication reviews; mental health concerns such as low mood, anxiety or sleep difficulty; and general advice on symptoms you are unsure about.

The purpose is a proper assessment and a plan for what to do next. Sometimes that plan is medication. Sometimes it is self-care and a clear description of what should make you seek further help. Sometimes it is a referral.

What an online GP cannot help with

Video consultation has real limits, and knowing them keeps you safe.

A doctor cannot examine you physically. They cannot listen to your chest, feel your abdomen, look inside your ears or throat with an instrument, take your blood pressure, or take bloods. Where any of those are needed to make a safe decision, the GP will tell you and direct you to in-person care.

Do not use GPLine for anything urgent or severe. Call 999 or 112 for chest pain, difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding, sudden weakness or difficulty speaking, a seizure, a serious injury, or if you believe there is an immediate risk to life.

We also do not prescribe controlled medications, including sleeping tablets, diazepam, tramadol, gabapentin or similar. This applies regardless of the reason given.

How a GPLine consultation works

Book. Pick a slot, describe briefly what you need, and pay by card. The fee is shown before you confirm.

Prepare. Have to hand a list of any medicines you take with doses, any known allergies, when your symptoms began, anything you have already tried, and the name of the pharmacy you use. Somewhere private with a decent connection and good light helps, particularly if the doctor needs to look at a skin problem.

Consult. The GP will take a history and, where it helps, ask to see the affected area on camera. Consultations typically run about ten minutes.

Outcome. You will get a clear plan. Depending on what the doctor decides, that may include a prescription sent to your pharmacy, a medical certificate, a referral letter, or advice on self-care with clear guidance on when to seek further help.

Is an online GP a replacement for your own GP?

No, and it should not be treated as one.

Your registered GP holds your full medical record, knows your history, manages chronic conditions, runs screening and vaccination programmes, and can examine you. That continuity is genuinely valuable and worth protecting.

An online consultation is useful when you need to be seen and cannot get an appointment in time, when your practice is closed, when travel is difficult, or when the issue is straightforward and time matters. Many patients in rural Ireland use it alongside their own GP rather than instead of them.

If you do not have a GP, we would encourage you to register with one. The HSE has information on finding a GP in your area, and on medical card and GP visit card eligibility.

• HSE health information: https://www2.hse.ie/
• Citizens Information on medical cards: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/

Your privacy

Consultations are encrypted. Records are stored on servers within the EU. GPLine operates under GDPR and is subject to the Irish Data Protection Commission. Your health data is not sold.

Everything you discuss with the doctor is confidential, on the same footing as an in-person consultation.