STUDY REVEALS SOCIOECONOMIC BARRIERS TO CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE ACCESS. NSW, WA and SA commence reforms allowing GPs to diagnosis and treat ADHD
With
Dr Anita Muñoz, General Practitioner &
Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) Victoria Chair
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Melbourne | August 2025
Research published in the Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP) has revealed mental health and developmental–behavioural issues such as ADHD are the most common paediatric referrals in metropolitan general practices.
But the research also revealed children at higher risk are less likely to get the care they may need.
The study of 49,932 consultations at 22 GP clinics in Victoria and New South Wales found private billing specialist GPs were around 1.7 times more likely to refer than bulk billing GPs in the sample – and most referrals were to private billing paediatric specialists.
Corresponding author, consultant paediatrician, and University of Melbourne Professor Harriet Hiscock said the study showed a clear difference in children’s access to appropriate care depending on their socioeconomic status.
She said the study showed the need for greater investment in primary care and public paediatric mental health services, as well as for integrated care between GPs and paediatricians.
“Children from lower socioeconomic areas are more likely to have mental health and developmental–behavioural problems than those from wealthier areas,” Professor Hiscock said.
“However, these children were more likely to attend bulk billing practices and received fewer referrals for specialist care.
“We need more investment in public specialist paediatric services and paediatric mental health services.
“We also need more investment in paediatric primary care, including properly funding longer GP-patient consults, funding co-consults between GPs and paediatric specialists, and empowering GPs to diagnose and treat developmental concerns such as ADHD, especially in lower socioeconomic areas.”
The governments of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia, have announced they will allow GPs to work to their full scope of practice to diagnose and treat ADHD. Children in Queensland have been able to access ADHD diagnosis and support for eight years.
GPs in Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have also called for GPs to be able to diagnose ADHD to improve access to treatment. In Victoria, a shared care ADHD pilot is underway with GPs and paediatricians.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz about the study and the reform underway.
Source: Adapted from RACGP Media Release
-
Australian Healthcare Week
Held 27th-28th March at the ICC Sydney, the expo is one of the largest, if not the largest healthcare events in the regions. AHJ as media partner attended and met with delegates, exhibitors and leaders in the healthcare industry. Click the post to see footage.
-
New bar for cosmetic plastic surgeon accreditation
The newly established Australian and New Zealand Board of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery (ANZBCPS) has highlighted a concerning lack of confidence among cosmetic surgery patients in selecting qualified surgeons based on available online information.
In response to these challenges, the ANZBCPS has introduced the Board Certified Program to ensure patients have access to trustworthy information about qualified surgeons. Participating surgeons may use the title “ANZBCPS Board Certified,” indicating they meet stringent quality and safety standards, and adhere to the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements set by AHPRA.
-
Redefining diversity in clinical trials
Ensuring inclusion, diversity, equity and patient input in the development of novel drugs and medical devices has become well accepted in health care. However appropriate implementation of these elements has been a challenge for many. Only by implementing these conscious inputs can patient outcomes be improved and health disparities in marginalised groups be addressed.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Gillian Mason, Consumer and Community Involvement Lead at Hunter Medical Research Institute in Newcastle, NSW on this topic discussed at the recent ARCS Conference in Sydney.
