Most allied health practices that struggle with GP referrals have one common issue, and it's memory. You read that right. GPs aren't holding back referrals because they doubt your quality of care. They just don't remember you from your last visit. They may not know you've added a hand therapist, opened on Saturday mornings, or cut your wait for a new knee patient from three weeks to four days. So when they write a referral or a patient asks who to see, they reach for the name they already know. 

That gap matters more than it used to. Under Medicare's GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, a referral letter doesn't have to name a provider, and patients can take it to the physio of their choice. So the real question for your practice is no longer "How do we get on the form?" It's "How do we stay in front of mind with the GP?"
 

In short: an allied health referral platform helps physios, exercise physiologists, psychologists, dietitians and other allied health providers build and keep relationships with the GP clinics that refer to them. It's different from a patient booking app, which brings patients in directly, and from a secure messaging tool, which moves the referral letter. The best choice depends on which of these problems you are trying to solve.

 

 

What changed for allied health referrals and why it matters now

 

On 1st July 2025, the GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP) replaced GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements. 

For allied health, three changes stand out.

1. Referral forms gave way to ordinary referral letters, the same as the specialists.
2. GPs no longer have to coordinate with you before they refer.
3. Lastly, a referral now lasts for the period the GP writes on it, or 18 months from the first service if they don't say otherwise.

The detail many practices have missed is the timeline.  Patients with an old plan can keep using it until 30 June 2027. Thereafter, they will need a GPCCMP to continue receiving Medicare-subsidised allied health services.    That means many plans, and a lot of referral decisions, will be written in general practice over the coming months. Each one is a moment when a GP decides where that patient goes next.

One rule hasn't changed: you still send the GP a written report after the first and last service. Most practices treat that as paperwork. In fact, the report is the most regular contact you have with a referring GP, so it's worth keeping it short, clear, and useful.

 

Five kinds of referral platforms and what each one does

 

Search for an allied health referral platform, and you will find tools doing very different jobs. It helps to sort them by the problem they solve.

Patient booking platforms such as HotDoc and HealthEngine put your availability in front of patients who are searching and booking online. HotDoc integrates with coreplus, Cliniko and Nookal, while HealthEngine offers bookings, reminders and recalls across GP, dental and allied health. Both are effective at filling the diary with patients who come to you directly. Neither is built to grow your relationship with the GPs who refer.

Secure messaging and e-referral tools such as HealthLink, Consultmed and MEDrefer move the referral letter safely from the GP's software to yours, and some let you track it. That matters, especially as Medicare encourages electronic referrals to cut down on lost ones. But these tools carry the referral after the GP has chosen you. They don't shape the choice.

Directories, like the referral directory built into Best Practice software and Healthdirect's National Health Services Directory, help GPs look you up. Keeping your listing accurate is basic housekeeping. Old hours or a former address can cost you a referral without anyone noticing.

Allied health-to-GP tools such as Refr work in the other direction, helping you send patients on to a GP or a specialist and see whether they got there. Referring well is part of a two-way relationship, and GPs remember the clinicians who close the loop.

GP engagement platforms such as RxTro focus on the relationship itself; getting time with GP clinics, sharing what's new, and showing up regularly in a way the clinic is happy with.

 

Booking platforms like HotDoc and HealthEngine put you in front of patients, while messaging tools like HealthLink carry the referral once it's made (written by the GPs). A GP engagement platform like RxTro puts you in front of the GPs themselves, through booked time with their clinics.

 

How RxTro helps allied health practices reach GPs

 

RxTro puts allied health practices in front of local GPs; at times the clinic has agreed to. GP clinics use RxTro for free to manage professional visits. Allied health practices join as care partners, starting with a 7-day free trial before moving to a paid plan. As a care partner, you can book time with GP clinics, share your services and events, and run educational sessions.

So instead of leaving a brochure at reception, you might book twenty minutes to walk a GP team through your new falls-prevention class. And because clinics can request materials from partners they've never met, some of your best introductions start with the clinic reaching out to you.

 

 

 

What actually earns a GP referral

Ask GPs why they refer to one physio over another, and the same few things come up. They want to know who you're best suited for, how quickly you can see them, and what they'll get back.

Be specific about who you help. "We treat musculoskeletal conditions" is forgettable. We see post-op knee and hip patients within five days and run a hydro class on Tuesdays, which is something a GP can act on. For an exercise physiologist, it might be your group program for type 2 diabetes, which GPs can refer to under Medicare item 81110, or your work with patients who've been told to get moving but don't know where to start.

Make your reports worth reading. A one-page report with the assessment, plan, and one clear recommendation after the first and last service does more for your reputation than any flyer.

Tell GPs when something changes. A new clinician with a pelvic health interest, shorter waits, after-hours appointments, and a second location. These are the updates that turn you from "a physio" into "the physio" in a GP's mind.

And show up regularly, at a time that suits the clinic. One well-planned visit a quarter does more than ten unannounced drop-ins that interrupt reception. If you want ideas on what to bring to those visits, read our guide on how to get more GP referrals in Australia.

How to choose the right option for your practice

Start with what’s actually going wrong. Are there gaps in your diary, and are new patients not finding you? A booking platform will help. Referrals that arrive and then go missing somewhere between the GP’s desk and yours? That’s a messaging problem. But if GPs aren’t thinking of you, or the clinic down the road always gets there first, no booking widget will fix that. You need a way to build the relationship and keep it going.

If you’re weighing up a GP engagement platform, check the practical things before the feature list. Are the GP clinics near you actually using it? Can you book time with a clinic, or only send messages and hope someone reads them? And does it fit how clinics really run, with the practice manager deciding who comes in and when? A platform that clinics find annoying won’t get you very far.

Most practices that grow steadily end up using two or three of these tools, and that’s fine. Just be clear about the role of each one.

 

Quick answers for allied health practices

The questions physios, exercise physiologists and other allied health practices ask most about GP referrals since the 2025 changes.

01. What is an allied health referral platform?

A tool that helps allied health providers connect with GP clinics, manage referral relationships and share updates about their services. It's different from a patient booking platform, which brings patients to you directly.

02. Does a GP referral have to name a specific physio or allied health provider?

No. Under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, the referral doesn't have to name a provider, and patients can take it to the allied health professional of their choice. That's why being known to local GPs matters.

03. How long is an allied health referral valid under a GPCCMP?

For the period the GP writes on the referral. If no period is given, it's valid for 18 months from the first service.

04. What's the difference between a referral platform and a booking platform?

A booking platform helps patients find and book you. A referral platform helps GPs know, trust and remember you, so they send patients your way.

05. How can physiotherapists and exercise physiologists get more GP referrals?

Be specific about who you help, keep local GPs updated on services and wait times, send short and useful reports, and plan regular contact with clinics. A GP engagement platform like RxTro makes that contact easier to book and keep up.

 

 

Sources: Services Australia, "Allied health and other primary health care referrals for GP chronic condition management plans"; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, "Referral arrangements for allied health services" (May 2025); RACGP, "Changes to Chronic Disease Management Framework – FAQs" (July 2025). Platform details are taken from each provider's own website.