Private Sector and Shared Care Agreements

Shared Care Arrangements

“Shared care” agreements formally define responsibilities shared between your GP and the specialist who is monitoring your condition.

GPs can decline entering into new shared care arrangements with private providers. 

There are usually shared-care agreements already in place for commissioned NHS services. 

Your GP has a responsibility to ensure they can safely manage any medications they prescribe. So, while shared care can be convenient, it is not automatic. Your GP will make this decision carefully based on their competence, your specific case, and their current workload capacity. If shared care is not possible, your medication prescribing and related monitoring will remain under the care of your specialist and their team.

In general, a clear separation is maintained between private care you pay for and the NHS services provided by your GP. Your GP will determine what falls under their NHS responsibilities for your care.

Please note it is not a contractual obligation for GP's to accept any shared agreement and these refer to medications that can only be initiated or altered by a specialist doctor for clinical safety reasons.

Please see below communication from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS trust Commnunity Paediatrics with regards to Shared care agreements from the private sector

ADHD and private sector shared care agreement

Based on this communication and the increased risk of undertaking shared care agreements from the private sector. We as a practice have decided not to accept any ADHD shared care agreements from private clinics or specialists. This is not a decision that was taken lightly and was reached after multiple multidisciplinary consultations within the practice.

If a patient is diagnosed with ADHD in the private sector we can facilitate referrals to the NHS service where possible or inform the NHS clinic if they are on a waiting list. In the meantime any prescribing or reviews will need to be undertaken by the diagnosing specialist.