Hundreds of GPs across NSW can now diagnose and treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a move the state government says will make care more accessible and affordable for patients and families.
Almost 300 GPs have completed additional training to assess, diagnose, and begin prescribing medication for ADHD in both adults and children, potentially reducing long waits and costly appointments with specialists.
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NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told Sunrise on Wednesday the reforms were designed to help patients access care sooner, particularly in regional and remote communities.
“We need it to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable, particularly for families,” he said.
“Our highly trained GPs … will now be able to assess, diagnose and then treat a person with ADHD.
“What that means is faster diagnosis, cheaper healthcare and more accessible healthcare.”
Park said patients could generally access a GP within days or weeks compared with waiting many months to see a specialist.
“For people living in regional, rural, or remote NSW it can be the tyranny of distance and long drives to get access to a specialist,” he said.
“What we’re trying to do here is make the care closer to home.”
The new assessments will involve extended GP appointments, rather than the standard short consultations many patients are accustomed to.
“This is an important change. What we need to do is be able to provide healthcare in a more accessible way and a more affordable way but still effectively,” Park said.
GPs who complete the endorsed prescriber training will be supported by specialist psychiatrists and paediatricians through the Virtual Psychiatry Hub and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.
They will continue to be able to refer patients to specialists and escalate care when necessary.
The government says up to 2500 free GP ADHD assessments will be funded under the reforms, potentially saving eligible patients up to $1500 a year in out-of-pocket costs.
A further 300 GPs are expected to begin endorsed prescriber training next month, expanding the number able to diagnose and treat ADHD across NSW.
Locations for endorsed GP prescribers are expected to be available through the Healthdirect website from next month.
