Children between the ages of six and 12 in the New England region will soon have increased access to support for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), thanks to a new outreach service headed to Moree.
A team of two paediatricians, a clinical nurse consultant, and shared care coordinator from John Hunter Children Hospital’s ADHD Clinic, supported by not-for-profit transport organisation Little Wings, will offer an initial one-day clinic on 5 November, with more visits to Moree planned in the coming months.
“Our two paediatricians will meet and assess 10 children in the first outreach clinic to Moree, with children who have been waiting the longest being given priority,” said Hunter New England Local Health District Executive Director for Children, Young People and Families, Dr Paul Craven.
“Ongoing support for the patient and their family will be provided by the clinic’s multidisciplinary team via telehealth, which includes a psychologist, clinical nurse consultant, pharmacist, and social worker, in co-ordination with the family’s GP.”
Eligible patients on Moree Hospital’s existing general paediatric waitlist have been contacted to book in an appointment at the outreach clinic, with children who have been waiting the longest given priority.
HNE Kids Paediatrician, Dr Heidi Goldsmith, who is well known to the region having been a junior doctor at Tamworth hospital and regularly on ABC radio taking about her experience as she moved through her rotations, is part of the team for this new outreach service.
“Working in partnership with GPs to co-manage children with ADHD care allows paediatricians to see more new patients, sooner,” Dr Goldsmith said
“The collaborative approach also helps parents and their children avoid lengthy trips to hospital for outpatient appointments and prescriptions.”
“We will continue to expand our services across the Hunter and New England regions through virtual care.”
The paediatricians will provide individualised assessment and diagnosis before sharing a care plan with the patient’s family GP, which may include follow-up appointments with the clinic’s multidisciplinary team via telehealth.
This means patients won’t need to travel long distances to a hospital outpatient service for regular monitoring and prescriptions.
The clinic does not accept direct referrals, and families seeking an ADHD assessment for their child should continue to be referred to their local general paediatric service.
The establishment of this ADHD outreach clinic in Moree is part of a $7.7 million investment from the NSW Government to enhance ADHD services in regional NSW.
Since launching in Newcastle in October 2023, the service has treated more than 100 children, including at other recently established outreach clinics in Tamworth and Muswellbrook.
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