Patients of an Auckland GP found guilty for professional misconduct are worried support for those with ADHD may be even more difficult to access if the doctor's ability to practice is restricted.
ADHD NZ chairman Darrin Bull told Checkpoint the doctor was thought to have about 800 patients on his books with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there was already a chronic and widespread shortage of medical support available for ADHD patients in both the public and private sectors.
Auckland GP Tony Hanne was accused of wrongly prescribing ADHD medication without the approval of a paediatrician or psychologist, which he said he needed to do, to ensure care for his patients.
During the hearing he told the medical disciplinary tribunal his actions were motivated by worry about the consequences of untreated ADHD for those facing difficulty accessing experts and treatment.
ADHD NZ responds to verdict on Dr Tony Hanne
Today the tribunal announced Dr Hanne had been found guilty of professional misconduct over the incidents.
Bull said Dr Hanne's hearing was widely followed in the ADHD community.
ADHD NZ chairman Darrin Bull Photo: Supplied
The tribunal's guilty finding was understandable to ADHD NZ, and the organisation did not support GPs operating outside the regulations - but, it was still hard for people to hear, he said.
"We know how hard Dr Hanne had advocated for his ADHD patients, and his patients and the community will be sad and upset about this decision.
"We do absolutely support making changes to improve the system. When you can't get help, you're in crisis - that's what worries us.
"Our social media groups are ... sick of it to be honest, people who have ADHD are sick of being stigmatised, they're sick of finding it hard to get the support that they need, and they just see it as a system fighting back against them."
Bull said the problem was a desperate scarcity of practitioners with expertise in ADHD and who were allowed to prescribe medication for it (psychiatrists for adults, and for children psychiatrists and paediatricians), as well as lack of wider knowledge about the condition in the medical sector.
"From our research only 28 percent of GPs understand ADHD. Through Radio NZ's in December we became aware that five district health boards ... were unable to help adults with ADHD," Bull said.
"The key first, is getting access to a diagnosis. And we do support the system of a GP calling in a specialist like a psychiatrist or a paediatrician. But with all the pressures on the mental health system there's not enough people to talk to ADHD patients or people who think they have ADHD."
Penalty discussions were still to be held for Dr Hanne's case by the medical disciplinary tribunal.
Bull said patients were bracing in case those penalties would mean some of Dr Hanne's patients could loose access to support.
"In east Auckland there is very little in support [from] psychiatrists, both publicly and privately in terms of their availability now - and [Hanne's patients] are worried about that."
He recommended patients prepare well in advance, if they needed to see a specialist, and hoped that Hanne's patients would be provided with the contacts they would need.
"We know that in parts of New Zealand there's a 6 to 9 month waiting list, and if you can't get access to your medication you could have problems," he said.
"Our research tells us [treatment and medical expertise for the condition can influence] success at work, success at relationships, and there's also a heightened issue around mental health - Canadian research talks about adults with ADHD being four times more likely to commit suicide than an adult without ADHD - so things like that worry us."
Bull said he was hopeful the awareness generated by this case and a national hui about the problem that was attended by health system representatives and held in late 2021 could lead to positive changes in the next 18 months.