Frequently asked questions

Is this service right for me?

  • No. Overstory Medical is a telehealth-only practice, so there's no clinic to visit. If a concern comes up that needs a physical exam, I'll refer you back to your GP or treating team for an in-person assessment.

  • Adults who have finished surgery, radiotherapy and intravenous chemotherapy (where required) for early cancer. This includes breast, bowel and prostate cancer, as well as other cancers treated with the aim of cure. Consultations can take place any time from six weeks after treatment finishes. Concerns are often easier to address early, but some effects of treatment last for years, so a consultation can still be worthwhile up to five years afterwards. Who it suits →

  • I’m unable to offer consultations to people who live outside Australia. If you live in Australia, you need to be physically in Australia at the time of your consultation.

  • No. Your cancer follow-up, including any checks and scans, stays with your GP or usual cancer specialist. Consultations add to the care you already have.

  • Consultations aren't suitable while you're still having surgery, radiotherapy or intravenous chemotherapy, or within six weeks of finishing. They also aren't the right fit for metastatic cancer or blood cancers, or when something needs urgent care. Complex nutrition problems, such as after stomach or oesophageal surgery, and long-term pain after surgery need other specialist care. Telehealth consultations don't include a physical examination. Other long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease don't stop you booking. I take them into account, and your GP and specialists continue to manage them. Who it isn't for →

  • This service doesn't provide urgent or emergency care. Contact your GP or treating team, go to your nearest emergency department or call 000.

  • During active treatment, your treating team monitors side effects, adjusts treatment and arranges urgent assessment. My consultations focus on recovery and longer-term health, which works best once the immediate demands of treatment have settled.

  • Yes. Hormone therapy and other ongoing treatments can continue for months or years, and that’s a good time to address what comes up after initial treatment, from recovery to longer-term health. Your oncologist continues to manage the treatment itself.

  • Consultations are aimed at the first five years after finishing treatment. After that, your GP can continue to support you, including with hormone therapy. They can still refer you if they think a consultation would help.

Referrals and fees

  • No. You can have a consultation without a referral, but you'll need one to claim a Medicare rebate. A GP referral usually lasts 12 months, and referrals can't be backdated. Getting a referral →

  • Consultations are privately billed, and there's an out-of-pocket cost. A Medicare rebate applies for eligible patients with a valid referral and a video consultation. The practice confirms the fee and your expected rebate in writing before your appointment. Fees and Medicare →

  • Payment is made by credit card, in full, before your appointment. A secure payment link is emailed one week beforehand. Cash and cheques aren’t accepted. Any applicable Medicare rebate is paid to your nominated bank account after the consultation.

  • Please provide at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Later cancellations and non-attendance may incur a fee, and Medicare rebates don't apply to cancellation fees. Cancellations →

Before and during your consultation

  • Complete the online questionnaire and consent form before your appointment. It covers your treatment, medications, symptoms, lifestyle and priorities, and lets you choose what matters most. Not everything can usually be covered in the first consultation, so follow-up is discussed at the end.

  • A laptop or tablet is easiest and most comfortable, but a smartphone also works. You'll need a working camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection and a quiet, private space. You will be sent a secure link in your booking confirmation email. There's no app to download and no account to create. Please be ready 10 minutes early. A Medicare rebate only applies to video consultations. Phone consultations aren't eligible.

  • I'll try to sort it out with you on the spot. If that isn't possible, we'll discuss the options for continuing the consultation, including rescheduling at no cost to you.

  • The initial consultation is about 50 minutes, which allows time to go through your treatment history, work through your questions and agree on where to start. Follow-ups are usually 25 minutes. I aim to run on time, but please allow a little extra time in case I'm running late. If there's going to be a longer delay, the practice will let you know before your appointment.

  • Yes, if they're with you in the same room. A separate video link can't be provided for privacy reasons. Please let me know beforehand.

  • Yes, with your consent. It lets me focus on you rather than typing during the consultation. The software transcribes the conversation to help prepare clinical notes, which I check and edit. No audio or video recording is kept. Only the clinical notes are stored in your record. You can decline or withdraw consent at any time and the consultation continues with standard note-taking.

What a consultation includes

  • It's specialist medical advice, based on current evidence and tailored to your treatment history, your health and the issues you raise. It may include symptom management, lifestyle recommendations and, where appropriate, medicines for the effects of treatment. Decisions about surveillance, investigations and cancer treatment stay with your GP or usual cancer specialist.

  • Yes, where a medicine would help with an effect of treatment. I don't prescribe opioids, benzodiazepines or similar sedatives, stimulants, other Schedule 8 medicines or GLP-1 medicines. Your GP or treating team can advise on anything outside this scope.

  • Assessment usually relies on your history and existing results. Tests for new or concerning symptoms, and any surveillance scans, are arranged by your GP or usual cancer specialist. If a test would help, I'll recommend it in my communication to your GP, with the reasons, so they can consider it alongside your other care.

  • I’ll recommend allied health support where it would help and include this in my communication to your GP, who can consider a referral if required and advise on Medicare entitlements.

  • No. Certificates and reports for work, insurance or legal purposes are best provided by your GP or treating specialists, who manage your ongoing care. I can provide a certificate of attendance for your consultation if required.

After your consultation

  • Yes. You’ll receive a written summary and the recommended next steps within five business days of your consultation.

  • Yes. A letter goes to your GP and, where appropriate, your oncologist, surgeon or radiation oncologist. If you’d like, it can also go to others involved in your care, such as a physiotherapist or psychologist. Medicare requires a letter to the referring doctor. If you have concerns about information being shared, let me know. Please advise the practice if you change your GP.

  • Brief administrative or clarification questions can be sent by email, with a reply usually within two to three business days. Questions that need clinical discussion are best handled in a follow-up consultation or with your GP.

  • Contact your GP or treating team, who can assess you in person. For anything urgent, go to your nearest emergency department or call 000.