GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe drugs for children and adults under NSW reforms

GPs in New South Wales will be among the first in Australia to diagnose and provide medication for children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the state government has announced.
Currently, most people seeking a diagnosis, management and ongoing prescription medication for ADHD must see a specialist – often a paediatrician for children or a psychiatrist for adults.
That creates difficulties, critics have said, due to the high costs and long wait lists involved, especially in regional areas.
The NSW reforms should help people like mid-north coast mother Suzanne Grobke, who told the Guardian in March that she was making an eight-hour round-trip to visit a Sydney paediatrician every three months to access ADHD medicine for her 12-year-old daughter.
The government announced on Monday it would enable up to 1,000 general practitioners to provide ongoing ADHD prescriptions for children and adults on stable doses of medication. A smaller number of GPs would be enabled to diagnose and initiate medication where appropriate.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said 'by safely training more GPs to treat and diagnose ADHD, we are hoping to break the cycle of people having to wait years for what can be a life-altering diagnosis'.
The move was welcomed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The college's NSW chair, Dr Rebekah Hoffman, said: 'This announcement will have life-changing impacts when it comes to accessing timely and affordable ADHD care for families across the state.'
Hoffman said she had heard of families in rural areas travelling more than seven hours to see a paediatrician, and families in Sydney spending more than $5,000 on assessments and diagnosis for ADHD.'
'We know when it comes to ADHD that early intervention is vital, and being able to access appropriate therapy and medications from a young age helps kids thrive at school and at home,' she said.
The state government would seek expressions of interest from GPs to undertake additional education and training funded by NSW Health in the coming months.
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
after newsletter promotion
The reforms would be staged, prioritising prescriptions for children because of the significant impact any delay can have on a child's development. Ongoing prescriptions for children were expected from early 2026.
In Queensland, GPs have been able to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medicine for children but not adults since 2017. Western Australia committed in February to reforms allowing GPs to diagnose and prescribe stimulant medication for ADHD for patients over 10 years of age.
The WA chair of RACGP, Dr Ramya Raman, said GPs in the state would 'soon' begin a structured college educational program with 13 hours of online modules and complete workshops led by non-GP specialists.
A 2023 Senate inquiry into ADHD in Australia recommended nationally consistent rules for ADHD medication prescriptions. The proposal was supported by the federal government, but it is yet to commit to national reforms.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

31 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

Aussie Olympic legend Leisel Jones breaks down in tears while opening up about suicide moment

Three-time Olympic gold medal winner Leisel Jones broke down while opening up about her mental health battle and how 14 years ago she almost took her own life. The swimming legend was a guest speaker at the Albury Wodonga Winter Solstice on Saturday night where she urged people to reach out for help if they need it. 'I'd really like to talk about the hope and the light at the end of the tunnel,' Jones said. 'And I distinctly remember sitting down with my psychologist after 2011 when I had contemplated taking my own life. 'I remember Lisa saying to me, she said there is light at the end of the tunnel. I was like, who bloody blew it out because I can't see it, and I just feel like it's never getting any closer, but extraordinarily it does. 'And that light will always be there, but you just have to find it, and sometimes you do have to light it yourself. Jones has been very open about her struggles with mental health over the years 'It's a lot of hard work. You do have to work through it, but the first thing is recognising that you may have a problem and that you may want to work through it. It is incredibly brave to go and seek help. 'I personally, I've got a mental health care plan. I'm about to start with a psychologist on Tuesday. It's all about taking that first step, getting in there, really digging deep. 'It's gritty, it's awful, and it sometimes feel like it's a waste of time. But trust me, it's so worth it, because there is hope out there.' The decorated athlete contemplated suicide in 2011 while she was on a training holiday in Spain. But her coach at the time, and current Head Coach of Swimming Australia, Rohan Taylor interrupted her and took her to get the help she desperately needed. 'I did not care for my mental health whatsoever, because it was completely neglected and was not important, and even as a youngster, when I was coming up, I was told that we were not allowed to use psychologists, because psychologists were for weak athletes,' she said. 'So I was denied access to a psychologist as a 14 year-old girl who was going to her first Olympic Games. 'And that was devastating to me, because I really could have benefited talking about mental health, because I did not believe I was a weak athlete. 'I believed I was very strong, but I just did not have that connection with strong mental health and a strong body. So that internal connection between mind and body is so important.' Jones won 14 individual world records, nine Olympic medals, 10 Commonwealth Games Gold medals and 23 National titles during her career.

The Guardian

2 hours ago

• The Guardian

Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan opens up on mental health struggles and hitting ‘rock bottom'

The Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has opened up about his mental health struggles for the first time since taking a leave of absence, saying there were times he 'didn't want to leave the house'. The former No 1 draft pick is hoping to make his AFL comeback after recently visiting a health retreat in northern New South Wales. Ugle-Hagan has not played this season but rejoined Bulldogs teammates earlier this week for the first time since April. He revealed the extent of his struggles while speaking with former AFL players Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson on their Rip Through It podcast, saying he had battled with suicidal thoughts. 'All the noises actually sent me to a rehab facility for my mental health,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'It got to a point where I had to give my car to a mate, so I couldn't drive – I just didn't trust myself driving. 'There were times when I would think about, to be honest with you, [it is] just not even worth living. 'I went through a struggle where I didn't want to leave the house. I hit rock bottom and found basement … suicidal thoughts would come pretty frequently.' Ugle-Hagan said he turned to alcohol at the height of his struggles before spending time at the health retreat. 'When you are down, you want to keep finding an upper,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'My upper was probably staying and hanging out with my mates and getting on the piss, and training with them as well. 'But it just had no end goal. I didn't have a game. I didn't have anything. 'My mental health wasn't in the right space, so I was struggling, and I found it really tough to even enjoy football.' Ugle-Hagan had been unable to regularly train with the Dogs since late last year. He took part in a light training session at Whitten Oval, but could still be weeks away from a possible comeback at VFL level. The AFL would need to approve Ugle-Hagan's comeback because he has been under the league's mental health plan since taking leave. But Ugle-Hagan, who is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of next season, said he was focused on resuming his 67-game AFL career. The Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge last week raised that same prospect. 'I want to play footy. I can't wait to play footy,' Ugle-Hagan said. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion 'I have been watching every single Bulldogs game. I have been supporting them. 'I will go to games at the end of the year. I genuinely want to play one more (game), I want to play some games. 'It's going to be grouse.' Ugle-Hagan maintained his commitment to the Bulldogs after trade speculation linked him with a possible trade to the Sydney Swans, given his time spent in NSW. He led the Bulldogs with a career-best 43 goals in 22 appearances last year, but has not featured at any level since the elimination final defeat to Hawthorn. Beveridge has also swatted away suggestions Ugle-Hagan could be on the move, declaring him 'our player'. 'I'm obviously still contracted with the Doggies and I still want to play for them and I want to win a flag,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'It's the Bulldogs until my contract runs out and then hopefully they offer me ­another one, but we will see how we go. 'They have given me opportunities since day dot, so why can't I get back?' – with Australian Associated Press In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

I'm a donor baby and wanted to find out if I had any siblings... nothing could have prepared me for the result

A donor-conceived woman has discovered she has at least 77 siblings after uncovering her biological father donated over 300 times. Lyndal Bubke, 33, from Brisbane, was told she had dozens of brothers and sisters across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and around the world after carrying out a DNA test through a genealogy company in 2022. The 33-year-old woman had been told by her parents that she and her brother had been conceived via a donor at Queensland Fertility Group when she began looking into her ancestry. Genealogy results revealed Ms Bubke also had 11 half-siblings, and this number has now risen to 77. Her biological father was able to donate sperm a total of 325 times. Ms Bubke has said she believes it's likely she has even more siblings and the figure is likely to be in the hundreds, if not thousands. Queensland Fertility Group told the 33-year-old woman's parents they were unable to provide any information on her donor conception or details about the donor. The clinic explained the records were lost in a flood. Ms Bubke had to contact the clinic herself to tell them she was the biological daughter of the donor. She revealed she suffers from anxiety and fears every day she will be told she has another sibling. 'I go around and I look at people on the street and I think, I wonder if you could be my sibling, you look like my sister, you look like my brother,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'I can confirm my husband and I are not related … but in those (first) few weeks, there were the horrible thoughts of, what if my husband is donor-conceived and we didn't know? 'What if one of my ex-boyfriends is a sibling? I'll only be happy once I know all of my siblings, and I'll die unhappy then, because I'll never get that. There's just no way for me to ever find them all because the records were … destroyed.' Ms Bubke has understandably been left horrified over the practices of Queensland Fertility Group and clinics across the country. The Brisbane woman's parents felt betrayed by the fertility clinic, who were told each donation would only be used for a small number of families. Her parents were not told who the donor was or the number of times he donated. Ms Bubke has been campaigning for improved regulations for fertility clinics and the creation of a database for donor conceived people, donors and recipient parents. A Queensland Fertility Group spokesperson said they strongly support IVF reforms and stated that previously the law emphasised the importance of the donor's right to anonymity. 'Today's donor conception legislation prohibits anonymous donation, and newly introduced Queensland legislation now includes a 10-family limit for sperm donors,' they said.