Council
19 June, 2025
MP proposes medical change to ease growing waiting lists
SOUTH West Coast MP Roma has called for GPs to be given greater ability to diagnose and treat a common neurodevelopmental condition amid fears waitlists are being pushed to a breaking point.
Ms Britnell this week backed calls from the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) to be granted authority to diagnose and treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), particularly in regional areas where the waitlist to see paediatricians and psychiatrists are being stretched to their limits.
She said she had recently met with a local GP who had completed an intensive 30-week training course specifically focused on ADHD diagnosis and treatment, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to confidently support families – but who remains legally restricted from providing the care they are trained to deliver.
“This is a case of capability without authority,” Ms Britnell said.
“We have GPs – highly trained, deeply committed professionals – ready and willing to help families, yet they’re locked out of providing the support they know is urgently needed.”
Ms Britnell said wait times to see paediatricians and psychiatrists often extend beyond 12 months, which leaves children and adults in distress and families in limbo.
Many children with ADHD also suffer from anxiety and behavioural impacts which interfere with their schooling, socialisation, and emotional wellbeing.
“This is about unlocking capacity already in the system,” Ms Britnell said.
“In 2017, I participated in a parliamentary health inquiry that warned we would face enormous pressure on our regional health system.
“The inquiry made a number of recommendations which have been ignored by the Allan Labor Government.
“What we’re seeing now confirms those predictions – and this is one practical, immediate step that the government could make now to ease that pressure.”
Ms Britnell has formally advocated to the Minister for Health to review current prescribing regulations and support appropriately-trained GPs to manage ADHD cases.
“I welcome the strong voice of the GP community in reinforcing what I’ve already raised with the Minister,” she said.
“GPs have always managed complex care, in a wide variety of areas, such as midwifery, dermatology, and diabetes and know when to escalate to specialists.
“They should be trusted to continue doing so in the ADHD space.
“This change would not only improve access to care for children and families – it would help stabilise the entire regional health system, easing the load on already overwhelmed specialists.”
Ms Britnell said GPs in Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales are able to diagnose and prescribe for ADHD, and called for the Victorian Government to follow suit.
“The Victorian Government should act now and rectify this situation,” she said.
“The regions have the largest waitlists, and this simple step would make an immediate difference.”
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