What if I have a problem during my appointment?

What should I do about a problem during your appointment?

If you hit a problem during your appointment — a dropped call, frozen video, or poor audio — the first step is to close and reopen the app, then rejoin via the Appointments tab. For phone consultations, stay near your phone as your clinician will attempt to call back. If you cannot reconnect, contact Abby Health support via live chat to reschedule your appointment at no cost.

What to do if your video call drops or freezes

Video call issues are most commonly caused by internet connectivity. If your call drops, freezes, or the audio cuts out mid-consultation:

1. Close the Abby Health app fully — do not just minimise it.
2. Check your internet connection. Switch to Wi-Fi if you were on mobile data, or vice versa.
3. Reopen the app and go to Appointments.
4. Tap Join Video Call to rejoin the consultation.

Your clinician will typically wait in the session for a short period while you reconnect. If the call ends before you can rejoin, your clinician will attempt to reach you through the app or by phone. For more detailed troubleshooting steps, see how to troubleshoot your video call.

What to do if your phone consultation drops out

If a phone consultation disconnects:

• Stay near your phone — your clinician will attempt to call you back from 0483 957 072.
• Check that your phone is not in Do Not Disturb mode or that call forwarding has not been triggered.
• Confirm you have adequate mobile reception where you are.

If your clinician does not call back within a few minutes, open the Abby Health app and use live chat to let the support team know what happened. They can check on your appointment and help arrange a callback or reschedule. For more on phone call dropouts specifically, see what to do if your phone consultation drops out.

What if the problem is not technical — what if the consultation itself is not going well?

If you feel that a consultation is not meeting your needs — your concern is not being addressed, you feel rushed, or you disagree with what is being recommended — you have options:

• Tell your clinician directly. Honest communication during the consultation leads to better outcomes.
• Book a follow-up with a different clinician for a second perspective. Our clinicians are all AHPRA-registered, and seeking clarity is entirely appropriate.
• Contact the Abby Health support team if you have a complaint or concern about how your consultation was conducted. See how to contact the Abby support team.

What if I think my symptoms need more urgent attention?

If your symptoms are severe or worsening during or after a consultation, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department. For non-emergency advice between appointments, Healthdirect runs a 24-hour nurse helpline funded by the Australian Government. Telehealth is appropriate for a wide range of conditions, but it has clinical limits — our clinicians will tell you clearly if your situation requires immediate in-person care. For guidance on when telehealth is the right choice, see what telehealth cannot do: the safety limits. The RACGP publishes telehealth practice guidance that Abby clinicians follow.

Will a problem during my appointment affect my record?

If a technical issue prevents your consultation from completing, it will not be recorded as a no-show or late cancellation. Contact the Abby Health support team after the fact to flag what happened, and the support team will make a note on your account. You will be able to rebook without penalty. Details on how to reach us are in the how to contact the Abby support team article.

How Abby can help

Abby Health is an online-first clinic designed to make healthcare accessible and reliable for every Australian. Problems during appointments are rare, and when they happen, our support team is available 7 days a week to resolve them quickly. Abby appointments are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card. Book or manage your care at abbyhealth.app.