Hunter ADHD Nurse Practitioner Pathway

The Hunter ADHD Nurse Practitioner Pathway (HANPP) has been developed to increase access to specialist ADHD care within the Hunter Region.

The model involves nurse practitioners providing clinical care to children with, or suspected of having, ADHD, overseen by consultant paediatricians, with support from other allied health practitioners and social workers.

The pathway is open to both children with a pre-existing diagnosis or those in whom a diagnosis has been suspected.

Our social worker is also involved when required for each family, at no extra cost.

All cases are discussed at our multi-disciplinary case conference with the paediatrician who is overseeing your child's clinical care.

If there are any concerns between appointments then these can be discussed with your nurse practitioner or paediatrician via a telehealth or telephone consult.

Referrals

A referral letter from the patient's GP addressed to Dr Robert Parry needs to be received by our clinic before an appointment can be offered.

Not every young person is suited to this pathway, so each referral is triaged to check that the pathway is the right fit before an appointment is offered.

All referrals are triaged by Dr Robert Parry before an appointment can be offered.

GPs can read more about referring into ADHD shared care on our ADHD shared care for referrers page.

Criteria:

Age: 5 years to 16 years inclusive
The primary reason for referral is for diagnosis or management of ADHD
The patient does not need to have already been assessed for ADHD

Workflow

Hunter ADHD Nurse Practitioner Patheway image

Initial Review

Review by Nurse practitioner in our clinic +/- review with our social worker as required.

Case Conference

Paediatrician, nurse practitioner, and social worker discuss your case.

Complete Assessment Questionnaires

If your child has not previously been assessed to have ADHD, we will request parents and school teachers to complete assessment questionnaires.

Case Conference

Case review prior to follow up consultation to further discuss and formulate plan.

Six Week Follow-Up

Discuss diagnosis and plan with your nurse practitioner with social worker assistance as required.

Case Conference

A case review with paediatrician, nurse practitioner and social worker. If medication is considered as part of the treatment plan this is then prescribed via e-script by paediatrician.

Six Week Follow-Up

Review by nurse practitioner in clinic for follow up, medication dose titration as required, and social worker input as required. Telehealth consults may also be provided between these intervals as required.

Fees

The program is a shared-care model: a nurse practitioner, supervised by a paediatrician, works with your GP to care for young people with ADHD.

Hunter Children’s Clinics is a privately run service so unfortunately there is an out of pocket charge to the patient.

Nurse practitioner visits will not be bulk billed, but there is a Medicare rebate available. Initial consults are billed at $450 with a Medicare rebate available as per MBS item number 82216. Follow up consults are billed at $230 with a Medicare rebate available as per MBS item number 82210.

If it is determined that ongoing paediatric care is needed rather than nurse practitioner care, any follow-up paediatric consults will be billed privately, at the standard paediatric fee rate, with Medicare rebates available.

Case conferences and telephone calls to the patient, by either the paediatrician or nurse practitioner, are generally bulk billed as long as there is a valid referral.

There are no patient charges for any services provided by the team social worker.

Telephone consults with either the nurse practitioner, paediatrician, or social worker are generally bulk billed as long as there is a valid referral. Additional consults or assessments with other team members (paediatrician, psychologist, etc.) will have an additional cost.

Bulk billing is always at the discretion of the individual clinician, is never guaranteed, and our administrative staff cannot promise it in advance. From 1 July 2026, written or digital Assignment of Benefit consent is required for every bulk-billed service.

Our HANPP team

The Hunter ADHD Nurse Practitioner Pathway is provided by our nurse practitioners, Laura Hendriks and Katie McKenna, with paediatrician oversight.

Frequently asked questions

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed additional postgraduate qualifications and is endorsed to assess, diagnose and manage patients at an advanced level of practice. At Hunter Children's Clinics the pathway is provided by Laura Hendriks and Katie McKenna, both of whom began their careers in neonatal intensive care.

Who prescribes my child's ADHD medication on this pathway?

The paediatrician. Your nurse practitioner carries out the review, including where a change of dose is being considered, and the paediatrician then makes the final decision and prescribes by e-script.

Is my child eligible for this pathway?

The pathway is for young people aged 5 to 16 years inclusive whose primary reason for referral is the diagnosis or management of ADHD. Your child does not need to have already been assessed for ADHD. Not every young person is suited to the pathway, so every referral is triaged by Dr Robert Parry before an appointment is offered.

Do we still see a paediatrician?

The pathway is nurse practitioner led with consultant paediatrician oversight throughout. Every case is discussed at a multidisciplinary case conference with the paediatrician who oversees your child's clinical care. If it is decided that ongoing paediatric care is needed rather than nurse practitioner care, follow-up paediatric consults are billed privately at the standard paediatric fee rate, with Medicare rebates available.

Do we need a GP referral?

Yes. A referral letter from your GP addressed to Dr Robert Parry must be received before an appointment can be offered, and a referral is also required for a Medicare rebate on nurse practitioner consultations. GPs can read more on our ADHD shared care for referrers page.

Is a Medicare rebate available for nurse practitioner appointments?

Nurse practitioner visits are not bulk billed, but a Medicare rebate is available: initial consultations are billed at $450 with a rebate under MBS item 82216, and follow-up consultations at $230 with a rebate under MBS item 82210. Please check the current rebate amount with Medicare or your GP. Case conferences and telephone consultations with the nurse practitioner, paediatrician or social worker are generally bulk billed as long as there is a valid referral, though bulk billing is always at the individual clinician's discretion and is never guaranteed.

Is there a cost for seeing the social worker?

No. There are no patient charges for any services provided by the team social worker. Our social work team works as part of the nurse practitioner pathway and attends the case conference held for every child on it, and can help with things such as NDIS applications, school discussions and supports, engaging other services, and Centrelink assistance.

Content reviewed July 2026