ADHD assessments
There is a lot of interest in ADHD as a diagnosis, and a lot of people are wondering if it is part of their life, or if it might be affecting someone they are close to. Until now, it has been very difficult, time consuming and costly to find out because it had to bediagnosed by a specialist.
Recently this has changed and some GPs have undertaken extra training to enable them to diagnose, but this is still not a straightforward process. It is also not considered a core part of general practice and remains unfunded. This is like the way minor surgery or having an ECG cost extra.
If you want to explore a diagnosis for ADHD, please let your GP, nurse or reception know. The process does take time and therefore we can only assess a few patients per month. The cost of the initial process will be $800, and this will be broken down to three main steps:
First, you will see our counsellor Nicola, or nurse Kym, where you will be given some screening forms to complete, these are quite in-depth questions so it is important for them to be available to help with this. They will work closely with the doctor as part of the diagnosis pathway which overall aids the process, making it more efficient and less costly overall. This part will cost $250.
You will then have an appointment with a trained GP (who may not be your regular GP) this will be an hour consult and the cost for this will be $400. This can only be done following the first step.
Lastly a further follow up appointment with your GP or Nicola will be available for $150. This is important to see how things are going and make any further changes to your management plan.
It is very important to realise that exploring the diagnosis does not mean a diagnosis of ADHD will necessarily happen. Or even if it does, medication may not be the best treatment. Private referral to other services is still an option for patients who prefer to see an external specialist. If you are not sure what to do, please talk to your GP who can help to advise you.