While mental health training is not required to practise as a GP, accredited Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) remains essential to access Medicare Better Access items, including preparing and reviewing mental health treatment plans.

The updated standards provide greater clarity by outlining:

• Training and education requirements to access general practice mental health MBS items
• Recommended Continuing Professional Development (CPD) pathways to ensure mental health knowledge remains current and comprehensive
• Guidance to support GPs in selecting high-quality mental health training programs.

Additionally, the updated guidelines link to a range of evidence-based resources relevant to primary care focusing on suicide prevention, suicide first aid and supporting individuals, families and communities following a suicide.

The release of the updated standards come as a timely opportunity to acknowledge that as frequent first points of contact for people in distress, GPs play a vital role in suicide prevention.

Through the Targeted Regional Initiatives for Suicide Prevention (TRISP) program and SEMPHN’s broader suicide prevention work, SEMPHN supports general practice by promoting:

• Evidence-informed suicide prevention training
• Suicide first aid and safety planning resources
• Postvention guidance to support individuals and families following suicide
• Local referral pathways and service navigation support
• Workforce development opportunities for general practice teams.

These resources aim to strengthen the confidence of primary care teams responding to suicide risk, while ensuring patients can access prompt and coordinated support across the mental health system.

A reminder that responding to patients in crisis can be demanding, and resources such as Drs4Drs offer free, confidential support for doctors and medical students nationally.