GP Psych Support - Free patient management advice for GPs, from a psychiatrist, within 24 hours

The GP Psych Support project team is facilitating a needs analysis to gather information, input and feedback via a short online survey

The results of the survey will guide the future direction of the GP Psych Support service. The survey will be open until 24 May 2013.

GP Psych Support psychiatrists have the extensive knowledge and experience to provide GPs with advice in the mental health management of:
  • perinatal
  • child and adolescent
  • drug and alcohol
  • general adult
  • older adult psychiatry
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Whether:
  • engaging in general assessment and management,
  • making changes to a patient's medication,
  • determining a diagnosis, or
  • deciding on the need for specialist referral

This advisory service is available free to GPs, GP registrars and International Medical Graduates Australia wide, 24 hours a day, all year round.

clock GP Psych Support psychiatrists are available to provide GPs with support and a response within 24 hours.
How does it work?

GPs submit enquiries to a psychiatrist and receive advice on patient mental health matters via their choice of phone, fax, or secure website.

Once verified as a GP, submitting an enquiry is easy;

Free phone 1800 200 588
A call centre operator will take details and log an enquiry on behalf of the GP.
Free Fax 1800 012 422
By completing a fax back form and faxing through the enquiry details.
Secure website
By logging onto this website with a username and password and entering the enquiry details.

When submitting an enquiry, GPs are required to nominate their preferred method of receiving a psychiatrist’s response; phone, fax or secure website. Regardless of the preference, a psychiatrist will provide a comprehensive, evidence based response, within 24 hours.

Please note: the GP Psych Support Service is not appropriate for emergency cases. GPs that have patients with a high risk of suicidal ideation; suicidal intent; or risk to others should not submit an enquiry about these patients to GP Psych Support but refer them to acute psychiatric emergency services. Where a patients risk is assessed as low to moderate risk in each of the three risk categories the GP is permitted to submit an enquiry for response. The responsibility for clinical management decisions remains the sole responsibility of the treating GP.

RACGP crest The GP Psych Support service is funded by the
Department of Health and Ageing as part of the Better
Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative.