Queensland GPs to diagnose adult ADHD: what the shift means for your practice

A major shift in ADHD care

If you are a GP in Queensland, chances are you have already seen this reform coming. Over the past few years, more adults have been asking about focus issues, workplace struggles or the symptoms they only recognised after their children were diagnosed. For many clinicians, these conversations end the same way: lengthy waitlists, high fees or unclear referral pathways.

That changes on 1 December 2025, when Queensland GPs will be able to diagnose and manage ADHD in adults. It is one of the most significant shifts in mental health policy in recent years, bringing care closer to where adults already seek help and reducing the bottleneck created by mandatory specialist involvement.

For practice owners, the reform is both an opportunity and an operational turning point. Adult ADHD care is clinically complex, administratively heavy and often emotionally charged. To deliver it safely and sustainably, clinics will need to plan now rather than scramble later.

Why ADHD is moving into general practice

Under current rules, GPs can diagnose ADHD and prescribe stimulants for people aged four to eighteen, but adult care has relied heavily on psychiatrists and paediatricians. This has created long delays, high out-of-pocket costs and inconsistent access across regions.

Allowing GPs to initiate assessment and treatment for adults formalises what has been informally happening for years. Patients raise concerns in routine consults and expect their usual GP to help. Under the new framework, these conversations can progress into structured assessment, treatment initiation and long-term management within the same clinic.

With adult ADHD awareness accelerating and demand unlikely to plateau, practices should expect steady requests for assessments, medication reviews, care planning, shared-care arrangements and mental health support.

What this means for GP practices

The reform expands the scope of primary care, but it also reshapes the operational environment in three major ways.

1. Appointment pressures will increase

Adult ADHD assessments simply do not fit into 15-minute consults. They require time, detailed history-taking, review of collateral information and structured documentation. Practices already running at capacity may struggle unless they:

• review appointment lengths for assessments and follow-ups
• adjust scheduling templates
• establish clear billing models for long consults and mental health-related MBS items.

The clinics that handle the transition best will treat ADHD work as a distinct clinical service, not an add-on squeezed between coughs and UTIs.

2. Workflows will need redesigning

The volume and structure of ADHD care can overwhelm teams without clear systems. Key questions for practice leaders include:

• Who sends and collects pre-appointment screening tools
• How follow-up reviews are automatically booked
• How stimulant prescribing, medication monitoring and side effects are recorded
• The escalation pathway for complex presentations such as trauma, personality disorder or suspected neurodevelopmental comorbidity.

A well-designed workflow protects both clinicians and patients. A vague one creates risk, burnout and administrative backlogs.

3. Team roles must be clarified

Sustainable ADHD care is a team sport.

Effective models often include:

• Admin-led intake and distribution of screening packs
• Nurse-supported monitoring, physical observations and care coordination
• GP-led diagnostic assessment and review.

A clear division of labour reduces bottlenecks, protects GP time and ensures consistent patient experience.

Building safe and consistent internal processes

A strong governance framework underpins safe ADHD management. Clinics should begin drafting or updating internal policies now, including:

• A step-by-step assessment and diagnostic pathway
• Standardised documentation templates
• Red-flag criteria for escalation to psychology or psychiatry
• Protocols for stimulant initiation, monitoring and review
• Processes for managing co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, trauma, sleep issues or substance use.

Building early relationships with local psychologists, OTs and psychiatrists will support smoother transitions for patients with higher needs. For rural and regional clinics, these partnerships may include telehealth providers.

Designing an ADHD service that scales

For many practices, this reform is not just a compliance requirement but a chance to create a dedicated adult ADHD service. Scalable models may include:

• Weekly ADHD clinic sessions
• Integrated allied health support
• A structured intake and triage pathway
• Patient information packs outlining expectations, timelines and responsibilities.

Transparent communication helps set boundaries. Neurodiversity-affirming care helps build trust. Consistent processes across clinicians help protect the clinic and ensure patients receive reliable, high-quality care.

The state of play beyond Queensland

Queensland is the first to fully shift adult ADHD diagnosis and management into primary care, but it is unlikely to be the last.

• South Australia will allow GPs to diagnose and prescribe for both children and adults from 2026, supported by optional training.
• New South Wales will enable GPs to continue prescribing once treatment is specialist-initiated, with accreditation pathways for GP diagnosis.
• Western Australia is developing a structured framework allowing trained GPs to diagnose and manage ADHD across age groups.

For multi-site operators and corporate groups, this signals a broader national trend: ADHD care is moving closer to community settings and into the hands of primary care teams.

The bottom line for practice leaders

Allowing GPs to diagnose and manage adult ADHD is one of the most significant shifts in primary care in years. The change brings opportunity and responsibility in equal measure.

Practices that prepare early by redesigning workflows, strengthening governance, planning appointment structures and building collaborative referral pathways, will deliver safer, more accessible and more consistent ADHD care when the reform begins.

This isn’t just a policy update. It’s the beginning of a broader redesign of how Australians access neurodevelopmental care. Clinics that invest in structure now will be ready to meet a rapidly growing community need.

Sources: 

Queensland to be first state to allow GPs to prescribe for adults with ADHD | Queensland Government

Another state gives GPs green light to treat ADHD | RAGCP