NSW Government Plans State-Wide ADHD Diagnosis, Treatment Reform

Recent reforms in New South Wales, Australia, have expanded the role of general practitioners (GPs) in diagnosing and treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), aiming to reduce long wait times and high costs associated with specialist care. Up to 1,000 GPs will be accredited to provide ongoing prescriptions for stable patients, while a smaller group will be authorized to diagnose and initiate treatment after completing accredited training funded by NSW Health. These changes seek to improve access, particularly for children, as delays in diagnosis and treatment can significantly impact academic and mental health outcomes. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust has temporarily paused new ADHD referrals for adults over 25 to prioritize reducing an extensive waiting list for children, some of whom have waited over ten years. The trust emphasized the greater immediate impact of diagnosis on children’s development and is working on a comprehensive transformation of ADHD services to better support all patients. This contrast highlights differing regional approaches to managing ADHD care challenges, balancing resource allocation and access to timely diagnosis and treatment.