The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) SA Branch has welcomed the SA Government's recognition that more needs to be done to support South Australians with ADHD, while cautioning that changes must prioritise patient safety and quality outcomes through greater training and support for doctors treating ADHD. 

RANZCP SA Chair Dr Patrick Clarke said the College strongly supports making ADHD management more accessible, affordable and timely for South Australians, but implementation must ensure the highest standards of care. 

“Right now, too many people in South Australia are struggling to access timely ADHD care due to long wait times, high costs, workforce shortages, medication shortages, and inconsistent care pathways across states.  

“For many years, we’ve said that people deserve consistent, evidence-based ADHD care regardless of their postcode or income. At the same time, we want to ensure that ADHD care remains as high quality and safe as we can make it, as that’s what South Australians expect and deserve from their mental health system,” Dr Clarke said. 

Dr Clarke said getting ADHD care right meant making sure all doctors have adequate training to identify and diagnose ADHD – both in isolation and when the issue might be more complex and require specialist involvement. 

“Our GP colleagues play a very important role as the first point of contact for people with ADHD and can help manage many ADHD presentations, providing huge relief to people who are unable to get the diagnosis and treatment they need from a psychiatrist or paediatrician due to workforce shortages, long waitlists or high costs. 

“But ADHD diagnosis can often be complex, particularly when symptoms overlap with other mental health conditions. Stimulant medications can have serious side effects if not prescribed properly. Most people aren’t aware they can actually trigger psychosis, perhaps for the very first time.  

"It's a small risk, but when you're talking about thousands of people, that's still a significant number of very distressing outcomes. 

“This is where psychiatrists come in, as specialists uniquely trained to assess the complexities presented by overlapping mental health conditions and undertake holistic assessment – looking at biological, psychological, and social factors before forming a diagnosis and treatment plan.” 

Dr Clarke said the best medical outcomes come from doctors working together in a shared care approach, and the same principle should apply to training doctors, across the board. 

"Every state has different rules around ADHD care and stimulant prescribing. We need nationally consistent standards for both training and prescribing, that all doctors must meet to properly diagnose ADHD and safely prescribe medications, as recommended by the Senate Inquiry into ADHD in 2023. 

“The RANZCP is committed to working with other medical colleges to develop high-quality ADHD training that gives practitioners the specialist knowledge and support they need to manage ADHD in the community. 

“You get the best results in medicine when there’s a multidisciplinary, shared care approach and doctors work together to make sure their patient gets the best outcome. The same is true when it comes to the training we give our doctors. 

"The SA Branch of the College is also proposing a small-scale publicly run service focused on delivering ADHD diagnosis and treatment. This service would bring together psychiatrists, GPs, paediatricians, psychologists, nurses and people with lived experience to increase community access to care and provide more clinicians hands-on-experience and training treating ADHD." 

  “This can expand access to ADHD training in the state and ensure proper safeguards are in place so every South Australian is able to access timely, affordable, safe and highest quality ADHD care. 

“We suggest this service is aimed at addressing the needs of people who are at the greatest risk of missing out on ADHD treatment and care. 

"I treat around 150 ADHD patients – that's all I can manage, and I can't take on anymore. So, we’re glad to see the SA Government doing more to expand access to ADHD care in the state for people who are missing out on help. 

"I always tell colleagues it's a rewarding area where you see life-changing results, but I didn't know that until I tried it. Giving trainee specialists more ADHD exposure will greatly increase the pool of doctors with appropriate exposure to see these patients,” Dr Clarke said. 

ENQUIRIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview call Dishi Gahlowt on +61 437 315 911 or email media@ranzcp.org.  

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments and other groups on mental health care. For information about our work, our members or our history, visit www.ranzcp.org. 

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In New Zealand: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline NZ on 0800 543 354 or www.lifeline.org.nz or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865 or www.lifeline.org.nz/suicide-prevention.