Can I message my practitioner through Abby?

Can I message my doctor through Abby Health?

Abby Health does not currently offer direct messaging between patients and clinicians between appointments. If you need to follow up with a clinician, the right path is to book a short appointment — available 7 days a week. Every clinician you see on Abby has access to your full medical history, so you will not need to repeat yourself or start from scratch.

Why doesn't Abby offer between-appointment messaging?

Clinical messaging is harder to do safely than it looks. Symptoms change, history matters, and a short message often hides something more serious. Australian standards from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners emphasise that clinical decisions should be made on a real assessment, not a snippet of text. We would rather give you a properly recorded consult, with notes, prescriptions, and a clinician who can ask follow-up questions, than a quick reply that misses something important.

It also keeps your record clean. Every interaction at Abby is documented in your file, ready for the next clinician you see — that is the foundation of continuity of care.

What's the right way to follow up after an appointment?

If you have a question after a consult — for example, you forgot to mention something, your symptoms are not improving, or you want to double-check something the clinician said — book a short follow-up appointment. They are usually 5 to 10 minutes. Your file will already include the notes from your previous consult, so the clinician picks up where the last one left off.

For administrative questions — booking, billing, prescription delivery, account issues — the right path is the Abby Health support team, not a clinician. Support handles non-clinical matters quickly and refers anything clinical back to a clinician. To learn more about how prescriptions and follow-ups work, see How to get a prescription online in Australia.

How does continuity of care work without messaging?

Continuity at Abby comes from your record, not the inbox. Abby AI, our medical decision-support tool, surfaces your full history before each appointment so the clinician arrives already informed — symptoms, prescriptions, test results, prior notes. You can read more about it in How does Abby remember my medical history?. Three in four Abby patients see the same clinician again. Abby Health internal data, Q1 2026.

You can also see who has accessed your records and what is stored under My Health in the app. We are upfront about this — see How do I access my past appointments and records?.

What if I have results to discuss?

Test and imaging results sent through Abby are reviewed by a clinician before they are shared with you. You will receive an SMS when the results are back, and a short follow-up appointment is the way to discuss them. The same approach applies to pathology: see How do I get my pathology results?. Your privacy is governed by Australian standards — you can read about your rights on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner site.

What if I'm worried something has changed?

If your condition is changing, do not wait for a return message. Book the next available appointment — Abby runs 7 days a week, including evenings. If your symptoms are severe or worsening, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department. For mental health, if you are in crisis right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000.

You can also call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for 24-hour nurse-led triage if you are not sure how urgent things are. If they recommend a clinician review, you can book an Abby appointment straight after.

Can I send images or documents to my clinician?

Yes. You can upload photos (for example, a rash, a wound, packaging from a medication you have been taking) and documents (specialist letters, hospital discharge summaries, past test results) when you book your next consult. The clinician will see them before the call begins, alongside your existing record. This is the safer alternative to a between-appointment message — it puts visual context into a real consultation rather than a one-way text. For more on what to send, see How do I use the AI-powered intake form?.

How Abby can help

If you need to follow up with a clinician, the fastest, safest route is a short appointment — your full history will be in front of them before you start. Abby appointments are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card. Book again at abbyhealth.app/services/general-practice, and the clinician will pick up the thread.