Online GP and your registered GP in Ireland

The surgery list is closed and you still have your own GP. Here is when an online visit helps, and what should stay with your registered doctor in Ireland.

The surgery text lands at lunch. No routine slots this week. You still have a registered GP. You also have a throat that has been rough since yesterday, and work wants an answer before Friday. That is usually when people type online gp vs own gp ireland and wonder if booking online means leaving their doctor.

It does not. BookMyDoc is a planned phone or video visit when you need to speak with an IMC-registered GP. Your own GP stays your own GP.

Book an appointment if you already want a slot. How it works and pricing show the steps and the live fee.

Online GP vs your own GP in Ireland

Your registered GP holds the long record. Childhood notes. Repeat reviews. The form your employer only accepts from that practice. Illness Benefit paperwork that still has to go through them. That relationship does not move because you booked one online visit.

An online GP is for a single planned consult. You tell the story once. They assess what they can see and hear. They may advise self-care, say you need to be seen in person, or send treatment to a local pharmacy when that is clinically appropriate. Paying does not buy a note or a medicine.

On our about page we say the same thing in one line: keep your registered GP for ongoing care. Pricing lists "ongoing replacement for your registered GP" under what the fee does not cover.

When a one-off online visit is enough

Use it when the problem is new, limited, and not an emergency, and you cannot get your own GP today.

A sore throat, cough, or sinus pain you can describe
A rash you can show on video
A follow-up question after you already know the diagnosis
A fit-to-work or sick-cert question, if a remote visit is safe
You are away from home and your own surgery cannot see you this week

Same-day only if a GP is free. We do not promise a slot every hour. Hours are typically 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Ireland time. We are not overnight cover and we are not A&E.

If breathing is hard, chest pain is new, or someone is confused or floppy, call 112 or 999 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for either GP.

What should stay with your registered GP

Some jobs are a poor fit for a stranger on a video call, even a good one.

Long-term conditions that need the same doctor watching the trend
DSP Illness Benefit and some employer forms that name your own GP
A medical card review or a hospital letter that has to match the practice file
Anything that needs an exam, a swab, or bloods we cannot do on a laptop
A form your workplace occupational-health team must sign themselves

If HR wants a fit-to-work line rather than a simple sick week, read occupational health and fit-for-work notes in Ireland. If you only need a time-off note, use how to get a sick cert online in Ireland. Ask HR which heading they need before you pay.

Tell your own GP afterwards if the online visit changed a medicine or a plan. They should not find out from a chemist three months later.

What to say on the call

The online GP does not have your chart. Say the useful bits in plain words.

Your own GP's practice name, if a form might need them later
What you already tried, and what made it worse
Allergies, and medicines you take most days
Whether you are pregnant, driving for work, or looking after a baby
The exact line HR asked for, if a note is the reason you booked

If you are not sure you should be online at all, say that too. A good call ends with "see your own GP this week" or "go to ED" when that is the safer path.

How the visit works

Create an account or sign in. Pick the service. Phone or video. Check the fee on the screen. Pay. An IMC-registered GP calls you or you join the video at the booked time.

The short version is on how it works. If you want the click path, use how to book a GP appointment online.

You do not transfer your medical card. You do not deregister. You do not need a referral from your own GP to book.

After the call, a certificate or treatment goes out only if the GP decides it fits. Some notes still have to come from your registered practice. We will say so on the call rather than pretend.

What it costs

Live clinic rows on pricing (25 Sept 2026): weekday Online Consultation from €35.99. Evenings and weekends usually €40.00. Check the amount before you pay. The fee is for the consultation, not for a guaranteed document.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to leave my own GP?

No. Keep them for ongoing care. One online visit does not switch your practice.

Can BookMyDoc be my only GP?

No. We are not a replacement for your registered GP. Use us for a planned visit when you need to speak with a doctor.

Will my own GP get the notes?

Not automatically. If something important changed, tell them, or ask what you can share from your account.

What if the form says "registered GP" on it?

Read the small print. If it has to be your own doctor, booking us will not fix that. If any GP can assess you, an online visit may be enough.

How do I contact you?

WhatsApp +353 899805438, email [bookmydoc.ie@gmail.com](mailto:bookmydoc.ie@gmail.com), or the contact page. Facebook is bookmydoc.ireland.