Adult ADHD Assessment

A dedicated adult ADHD clinic at St John Medical Joondalup, running Wednesday mornings. Assessment, diagnosis, treatment initiation and ongoing review, delivered by Dr Robert Allen under the WA GP ADHD prescribing pathway.

The Clinic is launching in phases

Phase 1 — Existing patients (from Aug 2026)

Patients Dr Allen has known for at least 12 months. Raised and booked during a normal consultation — no referral needed.

Phase 2 — Internal referrals (from Nov 2026)

Patients referred by any GP at St John Medical Joondalup or Key Largo Medical Centre.

Phase 3 — External referrals (from May 2027 - capacity permitting)

Referrals from any GP, using the referral template. Opening depends on the prescriber cap at the time.

Assessment appointments are by invitation only and cannot be booked online. Once a referral is accepted, you'll receive a booking link and a written fee summary by email

The assessment process

Step 1 — Comprehensive assessment (60 minutes)

A full diagnostic interview: developmental, educational and occupational history, current symptoms and their functional impact, psychiatric and family history, substance use screen, and blood pressure and heart rate. Old school reports are genuinely useful — bring them if you have them. You'll also be asked to nominate someone who knows you well to complete a short informant questionnaire; collateral history is a standard part of adult ADHD assessment, not an optional extra.

Step 2 — Between appointments

You'll be sent standardised rating scales to complete, along with requests for an ECG, blood tests and a urine drug screen. These establish a baseline before any medication is considered and check for anything that would change the treatment plan. This gap is typically 2–4 weeks.

Step 3 — Diagnosis & treatment planning (30 minutes)

Dr Allen reviews everything together and gives you a clear answer: whether the criteria for ADHD are met, and if so which presentation, alongside anything else relevant that emerged. If medication is appropriate you'll discuss the options, likely benefits, side effects and monitoring requirements, and treatment can start. If ADHD isn't the right diagnosis, you'll be told why and what may better explain your symptoms.

After diagnosis — ongoing care

Stimulant medications are Schedule 8 monitored medicines in Western Australia, prescribed under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 and monitored in real time through ScriptCheckWA. Practically, that means:

  • Titration reviews every few weeks initially while the dose is optimised, spacing out once stable

  • Blood pressure, heart rate and weight checked at every review

  • Rating scales repeated from your baseline, so improvement is measured rather than assumed

  • Substance use, including cannabis, reviewed at every visit. Non-disclosure can end eligibility for stimulant treatment

  • One prescriber, one nominated pharmacy

  • Ongoing care coordinated with your regular GP, who receives a copy of all correspondence

Fees

Comprehensive assessment: 60 min - $700 (rebate approximately $203)

Diagnosis & treatment planning: 30 min - $350 (rebate approximately $85)

Titration or review appointment: 30 min - $350 (rebate approximately $85)

Investigations. Blood tests are generally bulk-billed at the collection centre. The ECG and urine drug screen are billed separately. These are separate to the fees above.

What the assessment fee covers. Not just the hour in the room: reviewing your questionnaires, informant report and any previous records beforehand, the assessment itself, and the written formulation and correspondence afterwards.

FAQ

  • Not currently. Access is limited to the stages above; from Stage 3 a GP referral is required.

  • Assessment appointments require an accepted referral first. A booking link is emailed once your referral is accepted.

  • No.

    The fee pays for a rigorous assessment, not a predetermined outcome. Questionnaires substantially over-identify ADHD, which is why diagnosis rests on a structured clinical interview with collateral history. If ADHD isn't the answer, you'll be told clearly and pointed in the right direction.

  • It allows time for the rating scales, informant questionnaire, ECG, bloods and urine drug screen to be completed and reviewed before any decision about medication. Making that decision properly matters more than making it quickly.

  • Not while it's current.

    THC affects attention, memory and motivation — the same functions being assessed — which makes both diagnosis and safe stimulant prescribing unreliable. This is a clinic policy rather than a WA program rule. Discuss the options with your prescribing doctor and your GP.

  • Often, yes.

    Taking over your prescribing is different to co-prescribing. With a full handover, assuming you meet criteria and clinic capacity, I can take over full prescribing.

    Otherwise speak to your specialist about a co-prescribing arrangement.

  • Assessment appointments are in person. Some follow-up reviews may be suitable for telehealth once treatment is stable.

  • No — deliberately. Referrals open and close against real capacity instead of accumulating a queue. Check the current status above.