Can I change the medical reason stated on the certificate?

No. The medical reason reflects the doctor's clinical assessment at the time of the consultation. It cannot be altered to suit employer preferences, as it is a legal medical document.

I forgot to add my middle name, can I amend it?

Yes. Minor administrative details like name spellings, missing middle names, or address corrections can typically be amended by contacting our support team with proof of identity.

Can I extend the dates on an existing certificate?

No. Extending dates requires a new clinical assessment to verify you are still unfit for work. You cannot amend the dates of a past certificate to cover new days; a new consultation is required.

Is there a fee to amend details?

Administrative corrections (such as typos) are typically processed free of charge. However, changes that require a doctor's review or a new clinical assessment will incur a standard consultation fee.

Requesting Corrections or Amendments in Medical Certificates

Introduction

Accuracy is paramount in the rapidly evolving digital health landscape. A medical certificate, being a formal legal document, if some of the details on it, like your name, date of birth, or the consultation date, are not right, your employer or university may not accept it.

In theory, Prime Medic's systems are configured to automatically fetch information from your patient profile, but human error can occur. If it is a mistake in your surname or if an address is given wrongly, you have the right to make sure that your medical records are correct.

This document will guide you through the official process for requesting corrections or changes to an issued online medical certificate. We explain how to submit a safe request to us, why we need to verify your identity before making changes, and your rights under Australian privacy law.

Please clarify what constitutes an error before you submit a request. Take a look at our Common Errors on Medical Certificates list.

When to Request a Correction or Amendment

Merely modifying the information on your document to reflect what is true is not always a justification for a "correction." The difference between correcting a mistake and getting a second medical opinion is crucial.

Reasons for Amendment Based on Truth

Administrative Errors: Your name that was misspelled, gender markers that were wrongly indicated, or an old address being used on the file.
Omission of Information: The employee's required middle name was omitted.
Incorrect Date: If the certificate shows "2024" instead of "2025" due to the system.

Reasons why it is not Valid (Clinical Decisions)

Extending Dates: Extending the duration of the certificate (e.g., from '1 day off' to '2 days off') requires a new consultation to assess the medical condition. It is not considered a correction of the original certificate.
Backdating: Backdating a certificate to a date earlier than the consultation is prohibited under Australian law. The certificate must accurately reflect the consultation date, as determined by the doctor's assessment.

Should you require a duplicate of a document you have lost rather than a correction, you may proceed with our Lost Medical Certificate Re-issue process.

Steps to Submit a Correction Request

Maintaining accurate, authentic medical records is one reason we do not authorise patients to make changes to issued certificates independently. Here is the secured way of working it out:

Do Not Modify the PDF: You make the document unusable by invalidating the digital signature if you change the words yourself.
Contact Support: Go to the Prime Medic Help Centre, and choose "Request Correction."
Giving Details: Explain the inaccuracies you have found (e.g., "The name is spelled Smit and should be Smith") and mention the part where it is mentioned.
Attach Proof: In the case of name or DOB changing, please attach a copy of your photo ID (Driver's License or Passport) so that we can check the correct details.

We carry out these requests safely. Find out more about our Privacy Policy in relation to the use of your ID documents.

Verification and Security Checks

One may wonder, "What is the purpose of showing an ID just to correct a spelling error?"

To prevent fraudulent requests, we verify the identity of the individual requesting corrections to protect patient data.

Anti-Fraud: A measure to prevent someone who is not the patient (such as a partner with whom the patient is separated or an employer) from using the patient's identity to alter medical records without the patient's knowledge/consent.
Digital Integrity: If we issue a revised certificate, we must nullify the old certificate in our system to ensure verification.

Such a rigorous method ensures your document remains trustworthy. You can check that out with Digital Signature Verification.

Processing Time and Confirmation

It is always tricky when we need the correct document on hand, without delay, to show our employers.

Turnaround: In most cases, the time taken for the administrators to effect corrections (typos) is within 24 working hours.
Doctor Review: If the error relates to the medical aspect (e.g., illness dates), the doctor's file will be reviewed. It depends on their schedule and may therefore be longer.
Notification: You will receive an email and a dashboard notification when the certificate is available for download.

After the modifications, the updated document will remain available. Knowing the concept of Record Keeping and Patient Control will help you understand how we handle these different versions.

Patient Rights Under Privacy Law

Submitting a request for correction is your prerogative, not merely a favour.

Under the Privacy Act 1988, you have the right to access and request corrections to your medical records if the data is inaccurate or outdated. However, please note that clinical decisions, such as the duration of unfitness, cannot be altered without further medical evaluation.

We must take reasonable steps to correct the information.
If a correction is not made (e.g., if the doctor deems the original record accurate), we will provide written confirmation of the decision, including the reason for the refusal.

In case you want to explore your legal rights more thoroughly, click the links to our Data Privacy and Access Rights page and Legal Compliance overview.