GPs could soon be able to diagnose and treat ADHD under a new program to take pressure off the mental health system. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The ACT Government is looking for expressions of interest from general practitioners as it moves to the next step of its pilot program to allow GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD.
The new program aims to tackle the lengthy wait times that people seeking a diagnosis often face for paediatricians and psychiatrists.
The government has about 30 interested GPs already and has now opened an EOI period to find partners throughout the city who will be the first to diagnose and treat ADHD without a therapist’s oversight.
Currently, if a person suspects they or their child has ADHD, it is a lengthy process to access treatment.
“We’d have to have a specialist diagnosis by a psychiatrist, paediatrician or neurologist,” ACT Chief Psychiatrist Dr Anthony Cidoni said.
”So that means getting a referral from a general practitioner, then having to wait for a private appointment and get the diagnosis made by a specialist.”
Dr Cidoni said the existing system created long waits for people in need. But by the beginning of next year, this will no longer be the case.
Ahead of the change, the government will work with health experts to design a training regime for interested GPs.
The pilot program will run for one year, and Dr Ciodoni said it should be up and running within six months.
“We anticipate the pilot will allow us to work through and test how well the education and training and supervision arrangements that we put in place for GPs go and ensure that we’ve got adequate training and supervision,” he said.
“So we just want to make sure we get the settings right. We would anticipate that we might make some adjustments to the program, but would very strongly want to continue the program beyond the 12-month pilot.”
Another element of the widened scope for practitioners will be the expansion of an existing ACT program that allows paediatricians, psychiatrists and neurologists to give prescribing abilities to a GP for two years.
According to Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, expanding GPs’ scope of practice was an ongoing priority for the government.
“By expanding the scope of practice for GPs to diagnose and prescribe for ADHD, we’re empowering them to play a more significant role in treatment and care for those with ADHD and making it easier for people to access the support they need sooner,” she said.
The ACT’s pilot program, first proposed ahead of last year’s election, has been strongly backed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
RACGP NSW and ACT chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said GPs were eager to work with the government.
“GPs are often a patient or family’s first point of contact on ADHD, so last year’s commitment by ACT Labor was very welcome,” she said.
”We look forward to working with the ACT Government to develop and implement an approach that supports Canberrans’ access to care.
“Not every GP will prescribe medicine for ADHD, but GPs with an interest and the appropriate skills and training should be allowed to provide this care independently.”
Reforming ADHD care has been a major state and federal issue for several years, with a Senate inquiry in 2023 recommending the development of a uniform set of prescribing rules federally.
The ACT and NSW are developing their own GP-led strategies to address issues with wait times.
