Frequently asked questions

Standard-hours consultations cost R365. After-hours consultations cost R450. No medical aid is required. You’ll see the applicable fee before confirming your booking.

Udok doctors are available every day from 06:00 to 20:00, including weekends and public holidays. Doctor availability may vary during busier periods and on public holidays.

Create or sign in to your Udok account and choose how you would like to consult. You can start an Express Consult with the first available doctor, consult with a specific doctor who is online, book an online consultation for later, or book an in-person consultation with a participating doctor near you.

Yes. All doctors consulting through Udok are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Supported medical aid schemes and plans can be used for eligible Express consultations, subject to your scheme, plan, eligibility and available benefits. Add your medical aid details to your profile so eligibility can be checked before your consultation. Other consultations can be paid by card or wallet.

No. You can use Udok without medical aid and pay for your consultation using one of the available payment methods.

Yes. If your doctor determines that medication is clinically appropriate, they can issue a digital prescription following your consultation. Prescriptions are not guaranteed and remain at the doctor’s clinical discretion.

Yes. A doctor may issue a digital sick note or medical certificate if they determine that it is medically appropriate following your consultation. Booking a consultation does not guarantee that a sick note will be issued.

Yes, but you will still need to complete a consultation with a doctor. This allows the doctor to review your health and confirm that the medication remains appropriate for you.

Yes. Where clinically appropriate, your doctor may provide referrals for pathology or laboratory tests, specialists or further in-person care.

Yes. You can browse available doctors and filter them by factors such as special interests and languages. You can view qualifications in each doctor’s profile. If you need care immediately, you can also choose an Express Consult with the first available doctor.

Yes. You can add dependants and people you care for to your Udok account and manage their healthcare from one place.

Yes. Your Udok profile keeps a record of your previous consultations, medical information and documents so that your healthcare history can be available when you consult again.

Your consultation documents are stored in your Udok account under “Documents” on the main menu. You can view, send or download them from your consultation history or Documents section.

No. Udok is not an emergency medical service. If you are experiencing severe symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding or another medical emergency, seek emergency medical care immediately.

No. You can access Udok online from a compatible phone, tablet or computer through the Udok website. You can also access Udok, register and consult from WhatsApp via the Udok WhatsApp channel, +27 83 716 7601.

Yes. You can access an online Udok consultation from anywhere in South Africa, provided you have a suitable device and internet connection.

Your doctor will discuss the appropriate next steps with you. Depending on your clinical needs, this may include treatment advice, a digital prescription, sick note, referral, further testing or a recommendation for an in-person assessment.

Udok is available to GPs, specialists and other healthcare professionals in private practice. New practices can also register and use the platform to manage both virtual and in-person consultations.

The platform subscription is R699 per practitioner, per month, including VAT. A 5% service fee is charged on virtual consultations conducted through the platform. Practitioners set their own consultation fees and retain the balance.

No. Udok operates on a month-to-month basis. You can cancel with one calendar month’s written notice.

Your subscription includes electronic medical records, practice management and invoicing tools, virtual and in-person consultation workflows, online scheduling, AI-assisted patient intake, digital clinical documents, support for electronic prescriptions signed using an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES), patient records and consultation history, payment functionality and support.

Yes. Udok is designed to complement your existing practice. Your patients can book and consult with you through your own practice experience, allowing you to extend your existing doctor-patient relationship into virtual care.

Yes. Udok supports virtual and in-person consultations, allowing you to decide which type of consultation is most appropriate for each patient.

Yes. For patients who consult directly through your own practice, you can set your own consultation fees. Practices that choose to participate in Udok’s consumer-facing network may be required to follow the applicable Udok consultation pricing for those patients.

Yes. You control your own availability and consultation schedule. The platform is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so your virtual practice can operate whenever you choose.

Yes. Patients can book available consultation times through your practice’s online experience, based on the availability you have configured.

Yes. The platform supports scheduled consultations as well as workflows that allow patients to access an available practitioner for more immediate care.

Your practice brand remains the primary patient-facing brand. Udok provides the technology and infrastructure behind the service. Udok branding may appear in certain system touchpoints where required.

Udok supports Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) for prescriptions through an SAAA-accredited provider. Complete the provider’s identity verification and certificate setup, then connect your certificate to Udok to authorise signing. Signing depends on your configured signature mode; after an eligible signing failure, you may explicitly choose your saved signature image for that prescription. An image-signed prescription does not carry AES. Other clinical documents use your saved signature image.

An AES is a legally recognised form of electronic signature with additional identity verification and security requirements. Udok supports AES for electronic prescriptions so that the identity of the signing practitioner can be verified and the integrity of the signed document protected.

Yes. Practitioners who issue applicable electronic prescriptions through Udok need to complete the required AES onboarding and identity-verification process.

Yes. Consultation notes, relevant medical history, clinical documents and other patient information can be recorded within the patient’s electronic medical record, helping maintain continuity between consultations.

Where appropriate permissions and practice access are configured, practitioners within the same practice can access the relevant patient information required for continuity of care.

Yes. Udok provides integrated payment functionality for consultations, including supported online payment methods and medical aid workflows.

Yes. The platform supports both GPs and specialists and can be used for specialist virtual and in-person workflows.

Yes. Udok can be introduced as part of your existing practice workflow rather than requiring you to change how your entire practice operates. The exact setup will depend on your existing systems and how you intend to use Udok.

Udok primarily provides the technology to help you manage and extend your own practice. Practices can also opt in to the Udok network, where eligible practices and practitioners can be discovered by patients seeking virtual or in-person care. Participation does not guarantee new patients.

Your practice retains ownership of its patient and clinical data. If you stop using Udok, your records can be exported for use in another system.

Udok’s data handling, consent processes, clinical records and platform workflows are designed to support compliance with POPIA and relevant HPCSA requirements.

Most practices can be operational within one to two days after registration, depending on AES readiness and how quickly the required onboarding and verification steps can be completed.

The Udok team will guide you through onboarding, practice configuration, practitioner setup and any required verification so that your practice can begin using the platform.

You can cancel your subscription with one calendar month’s written notice. Your practice data remains yours, and Udok can provide an export of your records and patient information.

Udok for Businesses gives employers a simple way to provide employees with access to registered South African doctors, without the cost or complexity of a traditional medical aid benefit. Employees can access Udok doctors for virtual or in-person consultations, depending on availability.

A standard Udok consultation costs R365. Businesses can speak to Udok about creating a standing healthcare benefit for their employees. Email [email protected] to enquire about options.

No. The benefit can be structured around your business requirements. For example, you may choose to provide access to your whole workforce, a specific group of employees or allocate a certain number of consultations.

No. Employees can use Udok without medical aid. This makes Udok particularly useful for businesses with employees who do not currently have access to private primary healthcare.

Yes. Employees with supported medical aid cover can use their medical aid for eligible Express consultations, subject to their scheme, plan, eligibility and available benefits.

Yes. A business can structure the benefit around an agreed number of consultations or vouchers per employee. The exact structure can be tailored to your workforce and budget.

Employees can consult with Udok doctors for appropriate primary healthcare needs. Depending on the clinical assessment, a doctor may provide treatment advice, issue a digital prescription or sick note, arrange further testing, provide a referral or recommend an in-person assessment.

Yes. Where clinically appropriate, a Udok doctor can issue a digital prescription, medical certificate or sick note following a consultation. These documents are issued at the doctor’s clinical discretion and are not automatically guaranteed simply because a consultation has taken place.

Yes. Doctors consulting through Udok are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Yes. Employees can access virtual consultations using a compatible smartphone, tablet or computer with an internet connection.

Yes. Where participating practices and appointments are available, employees can also access in-person consultations through the Udok network.

No. Udok can be accessed online through a compatible browser. Patients can also access Udok through supported WhatsApp consultation workflows.

Employees can create or manage dependant profiles through their Udok account where applicable. Whether consultations for dependants are included in an employer-funded benefit will depend on the arrangement agreed between Udok and the business.

Udok can work with small businesses, growing teams and large workforces. The structure can be adapted according to employee numbers, budget and how the organisation wants to provide the benefit.

Udok can structure solutions for different workforce sizes. Any minimum purchase or employee requirements will depend on the specific commercial arrangement agreed with your business.

The service is designed to require minimal administration from the employer. Udok manages the healthcare platform and patient consultation experience.

No. An employee’s consultation and medical information remains confidential between the patient and the healthcare provider and is handled in accordance with applicable privacy and healthcare requirements. Employers should not receive individual clinical information simply because they fund access to the service.

Reporting can be agreed as part of a business programme. Where reporting is provided, it can be structured around appropriate non-clinical or aggregated utilisation information while protecting individual patient confidentiality.

Rollout will depend on the size of the workforce and the benefit structure selected.

Yes. Udok can structure a solution based on your number of employees, budget and healthcare requirements, using vouchers, standing access or a combination of both.

Tell Udok about your business and workforce size. The Udok team will then recommend an appropriate structure and provide a proposal for your organisation.

Joining the Udok pharmacy network is free and non-binding. Once registered, Udok will create your pharmacy listing, Pharmacy Portal access and any assisted-access profiles required for authorised clinic staff.

Partner pharmacies can be listed within the Udok network for patients to find and receive a starter pack containing a professionally designed poster and QR code for patients to scan to consult through the pharmacy. They can receive electronic prescriptions securely through the Udok Pharmacy Portal, record partial or full dispensing, release existing claims that cannot be fulfilled, facilitate virtual doctor consultations from an in-store clinic, and participate in Udok’s pharmacy consultation and kiosk programmes. Each completed consultation attributed to your pharmacy’s QR code earns the pharmacy a R50 referral reward.

Your pharmacy can be listed within the Udok network so patients can find participating pharmacies and direct their prescriptions to the pharmacy of their choice.

Patients can direct their prescription to your pharmacy through Udok. Authorised pharmacists receive the prescription securely through the Udok Pharmacy Portal, where it can be reviewed, claimed and managed through the dispensing process.

Authorised pharmacy users can view prescriptions directed to the pharmacy, claim a prescription, record partial dispensing and mark a prescription as fully dispensed. If a prescription cannot be fulfilled, leave it unclaimed or release an existing claim. Dispensing updates are also made visible to the treating doctor, helping maintain continuity of care.

No. Udok supports AES prescription signing through an SAAA-accredited provider, but the signature depends on the practitioner’s configured signing mode. After an eligible signing failure, the practitioner may explicitly choose a saved signature image for that prescription. An image-signed prescription does not carry AES. Check the prescription’s signature and authenticity separately from its Udok claim status before dispensing.

A patient may send their prescription to multiple pharmacies, but once the original prescription has been claimed through a pharmacy, the system records which pharmacy holds the original. This helps reduce duplicate dispensing and gives participating pharmacies visibility of the prescription’s claim status.

Yes. If your pharmacy has an appropriate private consultation space, authorised pharmacy or clinic staff can assist patients to access a Udok virtual consultation from the pharmacy. Patients remain in control of their profile, consent, doctor selection and payment.

Authorised staff can help the patient register or access their Udok profile, select a doctor or join Udok Express, start the virtual consultation, and access the appropriate consultation device or private area. The consultation itself takes place directly between the patient and the doctor.

Should a nurse be on staff, they may assist by facilitating the clinical consultation between the patient and the treating doctor.

Not necessarily. Patients can use their own smartphone or device, or the pharmacy may facilitate the consultation using an appropriate device in a private consultation area. Participating pharmacies may also be eligible for a Udok consultation kiosk.

Udok is equipping selected partner pharmacy clinics with consultation kiosks that patients can use to start a virtual doctor consultation on site. This allows patients to consult even if they do not have a suitable device of their own.

Kiosk availability and any applicable commercial arrangements depend on the pharmacy’s setup and agreement with Udok. Pharmacies interested in a kiosk can indicate this when registering and the Udok team will discuss the available options.

A suitable private area or consultation room is recommended if you want to facilitate virtual consultations in-store. This helps protect patient privacy and allows the consultation to take place confidentially.

A standard Udok consultation costs R365, with the applicable fee shown to the patient before they proceed. Certain consultation periods may carry a different applicable fee.

Consultation payments are handled through Udok. Supported payment options include online card payments, Pay by Bank, Capitec Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Payflex, Scan to Pay, 1Voucher and supported medical aid options.

No. Consultation payments are processed through Udok, rather than being collected by the pharmacy as payment for the doctor’s consultation.

The patient can choose to direct the resulting electronic prescription to your pharmacy. If your pharmacy receives it through the Udok Pharmacy Portal, authorised staff can then manage the prescription through the normal dispensing process.

No. Scanning your pharmacy’s QR code attributes an eligible consultation to your pharmacy for referral reporting; it does not automatically route a prescription. Patients choose which pharmacy receives their prescription. Being part of the Udok network makes your pharmacy discoverable and gives patients the option to direct their prescription to you.

Yes. Supported medical aid patients may use their medical aid for eligible Express consultations, subject to their scheme, plan, eligibility and available benefits.

No additional pharmacy software is required to access the Udok Pharmacy Portal. Authorised users receive secure login credentials and access the portal online using a compatible device and internet connection.

Access is limited to authorised pharmacy users. When your pharmacy is onboarded, Udok will collect the details of the staff members who require portal access and configure the appropriate accounts.

No. Pharmacy access is limited to the information required for the pharmacy’s role, such as prescriptions and relevant dispensing information. A patient’s broader medical record and consultation information remain confidential and subject to applicable healthcare and privacy requirements.

Yes. When dispensing information is updated through the Pharmacy Portal, the treating doctor can see the relevant dispensing status, helping support continuity of care and medication adherence.

Complete the pharmacy registration form on the Udok website. Registration is free and non-binding. Once reviewed, a member of the Udok team will contact you and assist with your pharmacy listing, portal access and any consultation-facilitation setup required.