Changing doctors: organising records and keeping care connected

When changing doctors, request relevant records, prepare a current medicine and allergy list and identify any tests or referrals still awaiting follow-up. Ask both services how information will be transferred and who remains responsible for outstanding results. A shared record can help, but it should not be assumed to contain your complete clinical history.

Start with the care that cannot be lost in the move

List current conditions, regular medicines, allergies and any plan that needs review. Add pending tests, referrals and recent changes in treatment. These are the items most likely to affect the next appointment. You can organise the fuller history after the immediate priorities are clear.

Tell the new service why you are changing or adding a doctor. Moving house, needing after-hours access and seeking another opinion are different circumstances. Explain whether the new clinician will provide ongoing care or help with one episode, so everyone understands the intended relationship.

Ask the previous service how to request records

Contact the clinic through its records process and specify what you need. You may request access to health information held about you, subject to the applicable framework and exceptions. The clinic may need to verify identity and explain timing or costs. OAIC guidance on accessing health information

Ask whether records can be sent securely to the new clinician with appropriate consent. Keep the request and confirmation. Do not assume that giving the new clinic your previous doctor's name automatically initiates a transfer or that the transfer is complete because one form was signed.

Build a concise health summary

Write the main diagnoses as you understand them, significant procedures, allergies and current care providers. Mark uncertain information rather than presenting it as confirmed. Include the date of the most recent review for an ongoing issue if known.

This summary is a memory aid, not a replacement for clinical records. If a diagnosis was only suspected, say that. If a medicine was stopped, distinguish the old plan from the current one. Clear uncertainty is safer and more useful than a confident but inaccurate history.

Check the medicine list against reality

Bring packaging, a pharmacy list or other reliable information showing what you currently take and how. Include non-prescription products and supplements. Explain any difference between the label, an old discharge summary and the instructions you now follow.

Ask the clinician or pharmacist to resolve discrepancies. Do not combine old and new lists into a regimen yourself. A new doctor needs to understand both the intended plan and what you are actually using before making an appropriate decision about ongoing care.

Identify every outstanding result

For each pending test, write who ordered it, where it was performed, the date and when results were expected. Ask the ordering service who will review and communicate the result during the transition. Do not assume that a new GP automatically receives it.

If the expected communication does not arrive, contact the ordering service. If symptoms worsen, seek assessment based on the current illness rather than waiting for an administrative transfer. The test follow-up question guide helps organise those practical responsibilities.

Referrals need their own handover

Keep referral letters, appointment details and any instructions from the referring clinician. Tell the new doctor whether an appointment is booked, still being arranged or already completed. A referral in a record does not show whether the specialist has actually assessed you.

Ask who should receive the specialist's report and whether the specialist needs updated contact details. If the referral question has changed, discuss that with a clinician. Do not edit the letter or assume that every old referral remains suitable for a new problem.

Understand what My Health Record can and cannot do

My Health Record may provide useful shared information, but it should not be assumed to contain every consultation, result or current instruction. Check what is available and bring important missing documents directly to the appointment. Australian Digital Health Agency information on My Health Record

Tell the clinician if you know that a key record is elsewhere. Avoid treating the absence of a document in a shared system as evidence that the event never happened. The practical task is to identify the relevant information and obtain it through an appropriate channel.

Make privacy choices deliberately

Ask what information is being requested, why and how it will be transferred. If you have concerns about a particularly sensitive record, discuss them with the service so it can explain the options and clinical implications. Avoid sending records to an unverified address.

The OAIC's health information guidance explains general privacy rights. The clinic can explain its specific identity, consent and transfer process. Keep copies securely and avoid sharing full records through public or workplace channels.

Prepare the first appointment around priorities

Tell the new clinician about the most urgent unresolved issue first, then the ongoing review needs. Bring the short summary and a small set of relevant records. If the history is complex, ask the service what appointment type or duration is appropriate before booking.

Do not expect one brief consultation to reconstruct years of care and resolve every issue. Ask how the remaining topics will be addressed. A staged plan can be useful when it clearly identifies what happens now, what can wait and who coordinates the next step.

Using telehealth alongside a regular GP

Tell each clinician when another service has assessed the same issue or changed the plan. Ask how relevant records can be shared with consent. This is particularly useful for prescriptions, investigations and referrals, where disconnected decisions can create confusion.

The Medical Board's telehealth guidance requires an appropriate assessment regardless of consultation mode. A telehealth service may need records or recommend examination rather than simply continue a plan it cannot verify.

Correct errors through the right process

If you notice an incorrect medicine, allergy or important history detail, tell the service holding the record and ask how correction requests are handled. Explain the specific item and provide supporting information where available. Do not silently alter a clinical document before forwarding it.

Keep track of the response so the new clinician knows whether a discrepancy has been resolved. A disagreement about a clinical opinion may require discussion rather than a simple administrative correction. Ask the service to explain the distinction and the next step.

Close the handover loop

Confirm that the new clinician has the records needed for current care, that pending results have an owner and that the next review is arranged. Keep contact details for both services until the transition is complete. A transfer request is the start of the process, not proof that every responsibility has moved.

If a new concern arises, seek care according to its urgency. Do not wait for the entire historical file before addressing an important current symptom. The aim is connected care with clear responsibilities, not a perfect archive before any help can begin.

Discuss your next step with a doctor

Read about Doccio's online doctor consultation and book an online doctor appointment for a suitable non-emergency concern. Bring the relevant history, records and questions from this guide. A doctor decides whether advice, treatment, a document, testing or in-person care is appropriate. Check current fees and service information before booking. If symptoms are urgent, use the appropriate urgent or emergency service instead of waiting for a routine appointment.