For GPs · June 2026
Adult psychiatry referrals: a quick guide for GPs
What to send, when to refer, what your patient experiences, and how shared care works. A two-minute read for GPs considering a referral to our clinic.
A specialist partner who keeps you in the loop.
Adult psychiatry, ADHD assessment and ongoing shared care. Every referral is acknowledged in writing within 48 hours, and your patient's consultation letter comes back to you after every assessment.
Scope of practice
What we treat and what we don't
We do a focused list of things well. If a patient sits outside it, we'll tell you at triage so you can redirect them sooner rather than after a wait.
We see
- Adult ADHD assessment and management
- Mood disorders (depression, bipolar spectrum)
- Anxiety disorders requiring specialist input
- Trauma-related presentations
- Medication review and rationalisation
- Transition-age young people (17+) moving from paediatric care
- Patients you're currently prescribing for who need a current treating psychiatrist
- Accepted WorkCover claim
We don't see
- Tertiary mental health care (e.g. CATT, case management)
- Acute psychosis or acute suicidality
- NDIS-related referrals
- Medico-legal or court assessments
- Child and adolescent psychiatry (under 17)
Not sure if a patient fits?
Call Kate Cogan, our dedicated Mental Health Nurse.
A two-minute conversation before you send the referral saves everyone time if the patient sits outside our scope. Kate triages queries from GPs personally.
(03) 8822 8444 ↗Who does what
Where your part ends and ours begins
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Your practice
Send the referral
HealthLink, email or fax, addressed to the Psychiatrist at Outcome Health.
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Outcome Health
Acknowledge in writing
Within 48 hours, with confirmed timing. We contact your patient directly.
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Outcome Health
Assess
Nurse Practitioner intake, then a psychiatrist review and care plan.
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Outcome Health
Letter back to you
A written summary and recommendations after the review.
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Your practice
Continue in shared care
You prescribe once your patient is stable. We stay reachable for clinical questions.
Referral process
How a referral moves through the clinic
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Referral + screening
Send a referral with recent mental health care and current medications. For ADHD assessments, also include current investigations (bloods, ECG and a urine drug screen) and let us know whether you intend to keep prescribing once stable.
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Acknowledged
You receive a written confirmation. Your patient is contacted directly by our intake nurses to talk through the process.
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MHNP intake
A 60 to 90 minute consultation with one of our Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. Health history, screening, information collated for the psychiatrist.
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Psychiatrist review
A 50-minute diagnostic consultation and care plan with one of our psychiatrists.
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Letter back
Summary letter and recommendations to you. For ADHD: an additional 30-minute psychiatrist follow-up before handover.
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Ongoing support
Ongoing MHNP support with therapy and medication reviews. Psychiatrists available for complex or follow-up care if needed.
What to include
What to include in a referral
None of this is mandatory beyond a current GP or Nurse Practitioner referral, but the more you can include up front, the sooner we can get your patient booked and seen. You can use our printable letter template or your own standard referral, and we'll come back with anything missing.
- Standard referral letter addressed to our team
- For ADHD assessments, current investigations: bloods, ECG, urine drug screen
- For ADHD assessments, please advise if you will continue prescribing once the patient is stable
- Details of past mental health care (reports if available)
- Current medications
- A summary of the presenting concern and what you're hoping we'll address
Referrer FAQ
Questions GPs ask us
What's your current wait time?
Typically 3 to 4 weeks. ADHD assessments may have a slightly longer queue. We'll tell you the specific timeframe when we acknowledge the referral.
Do you take Medicare-rebated referrals only?
A current valid GP or Nurse Practitioner referral is required for Medicare rebates and for our intake process. Patients can self-refer but lose the rebate.
Who does my patient see first?
Step one is a 60 to 90 minute consultation with one of our Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. They complete a full health history and screening, then collate the information for the psychiatrist review that follows.
What investigations do you need before the first appointment?
For ADHD assessments: current bloods, ECG, and a urine drug screen. If anything comes back abnormal, please manage it through your practice before we book the patient in.
How are you with shared care?
It's the model we're built around. We initiate and stabilise; you continue prescribing once your patient is stable. We send you a written update after every review, and we're reachable for clinical questions in between.
I'm not sure if a referral is appropriate. Who do I call?
Kate Cogan, our dedicated Mental Health Nurse, takes referrer queries on (03) 8822 8444. A two-minute call before sending saves everyone time if the patient sits outside our scope.
Do you accept telehealth referrals from regional Victoria?
First appointments are preferably in person at our Melbourne clinic. Once we've assessed the patient, reviews can be telehealth, which makes ongoing shared care viable for regional patients.
How to refer
Send it the way that's quickest for you
No online form required. Send your standard referral by whichever channel suits your practice. We acknowledge in writing within 48 hours with confirmed timing.
Please address all referrals to ‘The Psychiatrist at Outcome Health’.
Full details are on how to refer, and there's a printable letter template with our HealthLink ID and fax already filled in.
For referrers
Worth a read before you refer helps you decide.
All resources 
How we work · June 2026
Shared care explained: how your GP, psychiatrist and you work together
Shared care is how most ongoing mental health treatment actually works in Australia. Here is what it means in practice, who does what, and how it makes specialist care sustainable.
For patients · June 2026
Wait times for adult psychiatry in Victoria: what to do while you wait
Adult psychiatry waitlists in Victoria can be long. Here is what is realistic to expect, what you can do in the meantime, and how to make the most of your first appointment when it arrives.