Watch: Professor Michael Kidd explains the new telehealth items for GPs

GPs can email medical certificates to patients during Medicare-funded phone and video consultations, health officials have confirmed.

Emergency COVID-19 items were added to the MBS on Monday to will allow patients to access telehealth with GPs, other specialists and other health providers, such as psychologists.

The Department of Health's Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Michael Kidd, answered questions from GPs on how to use the new items in a seminar streamed online on Monday.

Telehealth consultations would have to be bulk-billed to attract a rebate, although that would change in coming days, Professor Kidd said.

He also said some GPs had raised concerns about their privacy obligations relating to documents, such as medical certificates that would need to be delivered to patients.