Driving equity through data: How ACHA is supporting NSW's ADHD Workforce Reforms

What does equitable access to ADHD care look like in practice? Through a sophisticated, data-driven prioritisation model, ACHA helped NSW Health allocate specialist ADHD training opportunities where they were needed most - creating a transparent framework that could inform future health workforce reforms.

As demand for ADHD assessment and treatment continues to outstrip specialist availability, ensuring equitable access to care has become a priority nationally. To support NSW Health's ADHD reforms, ACHA was engaged to design and implement a robust prioritisation and allocation framework for general practitioner endorsed prescriber training places.

Rather than relying on a first-come, first-served approach, ACHA developed a transparent, needs-based model that allocated training places to areas and communities to have the greatest impact.

The approach considered multiple indicators of need, including population size, Aboriginal population, socioeconomic disadvantage and rurality.

The model ensured Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS)-employed practitioners were prioritised, with remaining places allocated across Primary Health Network regions with safeguards to maintain equitable geographic distribution.

Beyond training allocation, ACHA also supported NSW Health with the design of a complementary support payment framework to reduce barriers to participation. The model recognised factors such as rural and remote practice, ACCHS employment and the complexity of local patient populations, helping ensure clinicians in priority communities could undertake training without a disproportionate financial burden.

The result is a scalable, evidence-based approach that aligns workforce development with community need. By combining rigorous data analysis, transparent decision-making and practical service design, ACHA has helped lay the foundations for a more equitable system of care for ADHD - one that supports clinicians where they are needed most and improves access for communities across NSW.