Providing psychological treatments in general practice: how will it work?

Provision of "Focussed Psychological Strategies" by general practitioners is one component of the recent Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) initiative. The BOiMHC initiative requires GPs to undertake minimum training requirements before they may provide services under the new Medicare Benefits Schedule item number. We argue that GPs need further training and ongoing clinical interaction with mental health specialists (beyond the minimum training requirements) for refinement of psychological skills. Research focusing on GP training and how GPs interact with specialist services in the provision of psychological treatments is urgently required.