GP Referral Update: Issue 02

October is Mental Health Month, and World Mental Health Day falls on Saturday 10 October. For many people the first conversation about their mental health happens with their GP, so this issue of our GP Referral Update is built around making the next step easy: the national picture, our three referral pathways, and who is accepting new patients this month.

In this issue

• A snapshot from the Australian Bureau of Statistics: 42.9% of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime, and fewer than half of those with a 12-month disorder saw a health professional about it
• Our three referral pathways at a glance: psychology under a Mental Health Care Plan, psychiatry by named referral letter, and dietetics under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan or privately
• Who is accepting new patients in October, including Rajesh Patel, who has joined our psychology team
• Low-cost counselling at $60 per session, and ADHD and autism assessments for ages 12 and over
• A year-end reminder that Better Access sessions are counted per calendar year and reset on 1 January

Referring a patient

Full detail on how to refer, what to include, and each of our referral pathways is on our Referrers page, with item numbers and session limits in our GP referral guide. Referrals can be sent to admin@pre-emptive.com.au or by fax to (03) 9005 2804.

Support is available any time

• Emergency: if someone is in immediate danger, call 000
• Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24 hours)
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (24 hours)
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24 hours)
• Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25): 1800 55 1800 (24 hours)

Clinician availability is current as at 1 October 2026 and changes often: please call us on 03 9989 3380 for the latest. Our clinic is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know needs urgent support, please use the numbers above.

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