Sixteen Bay of Plenty GPs who are interested in providing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services are upskilling in their own time at personal cost. GPs and nurse practitioners could begin diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults from February 1. Previously, GPs and nurse practitioners could only prescribe ADHD medicines to patients with a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist, or after someone had already been diagnosed and had their first prescription, a Ministry of Health statement said. Pharmac announced the change in June, citing easier access for people to be diagnosed and prescribed treatment for ADHD. A mother who hopes to get a diagnosis says the change is “great”, but her GP practice hasn’t “trained anyone up”. It comes as one doctor says “most” Western Bay of Plenty clinics have received inquiries from patients seeking a diagnosis but warn ADHD services “will take time to happen” as GPs complete training. A Bay of Plenty mother, who spoke on the condition she not be named to protect her family’s medical privacy, said she and her husband believed they had ADHD and hoped to get a diagnosis from their GP. “My husband has gone through the process of trialling SSRIs [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] that are also used for ADHD because that’s the only thing he can access. He can’t access stimulants without a diagnosis, obviously. “Unfortunately, what I’ve heard from a lot of people, and is the case at least at our GP practice, is that they haven’t trained anyone up. “They don’t know if they will. It’s a huge, costly thing for them.” She said their son was diagnosed with ADHD and had been on medication since October. “Seeing the change in our son, [we] believe it could make an amazing difference.” This included “being able to focus on things” and “not go from zero to 100 straight away”. GPs passionate about improving access Specialist GP Dr Alison Fawdry said she helped form a local peer support group with 16 Bay of Plenty GPs. “We all have a personal interest in upskilling and providing this service. Many members have lived experience of ADHD themselves or within their whānau. “All of us are upskilling in our own time and at our own expense because we are passionate about improving access.” The Bay of Plenty ADHD peer group lead said the group was focused on finding a way to provide assessment for people who faced barriers to care. “However, this work sits outside normal primary care and is not publicly funded.” She said a GP-run diagnosis would likely be less expensive than private models, “but there will still be a cost”. “While we work to make this service available within our community, we will also continue to advocate for it to be publicly funded.” Fawdry said ADHD services in general practice would be “a few more months” away. Dr Claire Isham - Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation clinical director and Tauranga GP - pictured in 2024. Photo / Alex Cairns Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation clinical director and GP Dr Claire Isham said clinicians could choose whether they had the time, capacity and training to offer ADHD services. Isham said adults had historically faced long waits and high costs because of a reliance on psychiatrists. Expanding the range of clinicians able to diagnose and manage ADHD would improve access to services, “but this will take time to happen” as they completed training and gained experience, she said. Isham said ADHD services were not part of a standard 15-minute consultation and an assessment typically took 90 to 120 minutes over multiple appointments. She said “most” clinics had received ADHD inquiries since February 1. Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president and Tauranga GP Dr Luke Bradford. Photo / Mead Norton Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president and Tauranga GP Dr Luke Bradford said he thought there was “somewhat of a perception” that ever...