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Access to Care for Doctors & Medical Students
Our confidential, independent GP care is designed around the realities of medical work. Whether you need a check-up, support for a current health concern, follow-up care, a Telehealth appointment, or help reconnecting with ongoing medical care, our service is designed to make it easier to seek care with confidence.
A confidential service you can feel safe using
We understand that seeking care can feel difficult when you work in medicine. Our service is designed to help doctors and medical students access independent, professional care with confidence and discretion.
Who can use this service?
Doctors’ Health NT appointments are available to:
- Registered doctors
- Medical students (are bulk billed for all consultations)
If you are not a doctor or medical student, please do not book via this clinic.
What to expect
Your first appointment is designed to give your doctor time to understand your health properly.
For many doctors and medical students, that means more than addressing one immediate issue. Your consultation may include a review of current concerns, medical history, risk factors, examination needs, investigations and a plan for ongoing care.
In some cases, a full medical assessment may be completed over two appointments so your doctor has the time needed for a careful and thorough review.
After booking, you will receive a new patient registration form via HotDoc. Please complete this before your appointment.
Telehealth Appointments
We offer Telehealth appointments via secure video consultation, where clinically appropriate. Telehealth can be a convenient option if you live in a rural or remote area. Once your Telehealth appointment is booked, you will receive an email from HotDoc containing a secure link to join your video consultation.
Medicare rebates for Telehealth consultations are only available if you have had a face-to-face consultation with one of our Doctors' Health NT doctors within the previous 12 months. If you do not meet this Medicare requirement, your consultation will be billed as a private appointment. Please refer to our fee schedule for current consultation fees.
If you prefer to see a local community-based GP who is a member of the DHNT team, please go to our Find a GP page.
How to Book
Appointments are made directly on the online bookings system.
If you can't find a suitable Telehealth appointment online, please contact our reception team by email or phone and we'll do our best to assist.
Email reception@doctorshealthsa.com.au
Phone: DHSA Clinic 08 8232 1250
If you need URGENT PHONE SUPPORT now, click the button above to call our Urgent 24/7 Advice Line on 08 8366 0250
What to expect
Your first appointment is designed to give your doctor time to understand your health properly.
For many doctors and medical students, that means more than addressing one immediate issue. Your consultation may include a review of current concerns, medical history, risk factors, examination needs, investigations and a plan for ongoing care.
In some cases, a full medical assessment may be completed over two appointments so your doctor has the time needed for a careful and thorough review.
After booking, you will receive a new patient registration form via HotDoc. Please complete this before your appointment.
Consultation Fees
From 1 July 2026, our consultation fees will be updated in line with AMA recommended fees.
Appt Item Fee Medicare Gap
Brief 3 $55.00 $20.55 $34.45
<20 mins 23 $112.00 $45.05 $66.95
20-39 mins 36 $205.00 $87.10 $117.90
≥40 mins 44 $315.00 $128.35 $186.65
≥60 mins 123 $450.00 $207.90 $242.10
Full payment is required at the time of your appointment. Medicare rebates can be processed where eligible.
Medical Student Consultations
Doctors' Health NT is committed to supporting the wellbeing of future doctors. All consultations for medical students are bulk billed.
GP Outreach Visits
Doctors’ health services know that geographical isolation is one barrier that prevents rural and remote doctors from accessing independent medical care and we seek to address this by funding some visits to remote NT regions. Our outreach doctors are supported by the team at Doctors’ Health SA and Doctors' Health NT.
Offering GP visits is a way for doctors to access timely medical care for themselves. This initiative aims to directly support the health of rural and remote doctors working across NT and we are fortunate to have a team of experienced GPs who are keen to offer the service to their colleagues.
This private medical consultation is between you and your visiting treating doctor. It consists of a history and examination and other investigations, if required. It is a thorough assessment of your current health and can last up to an hour if necessary. It is an opportunity to confidentially discuss any concerns you may have in a private setting.
Please note that a minimum number of GP patients are required to be seen by the visiting doctor during an Outreach Visit. If you and/or colleagues would like to discuss a GP visiting your region, please contact 08 8232 1250 or email reception@doctorshealthsa.com.au.
Our team of telemedicine doctors are:
Dr Jill Benson AM MBBS, DCH, FACPsychMed, MPH, FACRRM
Dr Jill Benson has been a GP for over 30 years. She currently works as a GP in a private clinic, in three remote Aboriginal communities in the western desert, in the clinic at Doctors Health SA, as a researcher in the Discipline of General Practice at the University of Adelaide, and as a Medical Educator at GPEx, the South Australian GP Training organisation. She has a PhD in refugee health and also works with the Doctors' Health NT program providing support to remote doctors.
Dr Julie Mencel BMBS(Flinders), FRACGP, MFM (Monash)
Dr Julie Mencel has over 30 years’ experience of working as a GP. She has worked in Adelaide and overseas and during her career she has attained her fellowship from the RACGP and has completed a Masters in Family Medicine. She has undertaken further study in the management of obesity with the University of Melbourne and is currently undertaking further training in Lifestyle medicine with the Australasian society of Lifestyle Medicine. She is a current member of the Australasian Menopause Society. She thoroughly enjoys collaborating with her patients to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing and provides a comprehensive approach to the management of their health concerns. She is passionate about using lifestyle medicine, to manage a range of medical conditions. Dr Mencel’s professional interests are: Lifestyle Medicine. Preventative Medicine and personalised medicine. Management of cardiovascular health, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. Women’s health especially management of menopause, perimenopause, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Healthy ageing. The holistic care of cancer patients. The health and well-being of doctors and medical students.
Dr Lorenzo Ponte MBBS FRACGP
Dr Lorenzo Ponte brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as a General Practitioner. He graduated from The University of Adelaide in 1996, and did his GP training in Minlaton, on the Yorke Peninsula. He completed his Fellowship in 2001, and remained in Minlaton as a rural GP until 2011. He relocated to Adelaide to become the Clinical Director at Uni-Health Playford. Lorenzo started working at Health on Kensington in 2021, and provides 2 sessions a month at Doctors' Health SA. His strong association with University run clinics at Minlaton and Playford fostered an interest in medical education and teaching of undergraduate medical students as well as post graduate GP Registrars. Lorenzo has also worked closely with many International Medical Graduates both as a supervisor and co worker and has developed a very good understanding of the issues they face.
Dr Hema Shankar FRACGP BMBS(Flinders)
Dr Hema Shankar has been practising medicine in a variety of settings – urban, rural and remote, hospitals and private practice and out in the field with MSF since graduating from Flinders University in 2002. Her breadth of experience includes ICU, ED, ophthalmology, dermatology and Indigenous health. She has worked with the displaced Rohingya population in Bangladesh and with disadvantaged Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Queensland and WA. Since completing her fellowship in General Practice in 2012, she has worked in rural and remote locations all over Australia, often as a solo practitioner. Having been involved in the education, training and supervision of medical students, junior doctors and IMGs, she understands the challenges that face doctors in the rapidly evolving field of medical practice and service delivery. In her role with Doctors' Health SA she provides peer support to her colleagues enabling them to look after their health and well-being and enjoy productive and fulfilling careers in medicine.
Dr Michael Beckoff MBBS (Adel) FACRRM FAICD
Dr Mike Beckoff is a procedural rural generalist currently working as a locum in rural and remote areas of Australia and has been doing so since 2011. He graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1974 and practised rural general practice, emergency medicine, GP surgery and GP advanced obstetrics at Bridge Clinic from 1977 until 2010, since which time he has been working as a rural and remote locum across Australia. He has been Chair of the Murray Mallee GP Network and Chair of General Practice SA since 2005. His current positions include, Board Director HealthDirect, Board Director ACRRM [Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine] Board Chair RDWA [Rural Doctor’s Workforce Agency]; Clinical Standards Committee ACSQHC [Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare]; SA MET Committee; SA Health Clinical Senate; SA Health College Chairs Committee; Clinical Adviser [Mental Health] CHSA LHN [Country Health SA Local Hospital Network]; Chair SA Health Statewide Steering Committee for Mental Health Shared Care and SA Country PHN Clinical Governance Council. Dr Beckoff has a strong interest in the health of doctors and especially those from a rural and IMG background.
Dr Penelope Dargaville FRACGP
Dr Penelope Dargaville has worked in general practice since 1983, in a variety of settings in the ACT and SA. She has additionally worked as a medical educator for the RACGP, as a medical adviser for Medicare Australia, and as an independent assessor for AHPRA. In each of these settings, she has observed the effects of stressors on doctors who are consulting in what can be challenging circumstances. While at the RACGP, she developed and delivered a self care program which was integrated into the GP registrar’s education. This underpins the way she practices herself. She is on the Executive Committee for SASH - South Australian Society of Hypnosis and has a supervision and assessment role. She consults as a clinical hypnotherapist- both in her general practice setting, and at specialist rooms. This experience has given her a breadth of skills allowing her to manage a wide range of physical and psychological conditions.
Dr Chris Holmwood MBBS (University of NSW) Dip RACOG FRACGP Mast CEd FRACP (Addiction Medicine)
Chris Holmwood is an Addiction Medicine Specialist with an interest in helping medical professionals experiencing issues with substance use. Until recently he was one of the Directors of Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) with responsibility for hospital and general practice liaison. He is experienced in all areas of Addiction Medicine.
