Shared Care Medications

Shared care involves the collaboration between a GP and a consultant in managing a patient’s medication. The consultant initially assesses the patient’s suitability, conducts necessary baseline investigations, provides thorough counselling on the medication, prescribes, and adjusts the dosage until the patient is stable.

Once stable, the consultant may request the GP to consider shared care. If the GP agrees, they take responsibility for prescribing and monitoring the medication, while the consultant remains involved in the patient’s care. A formal written agreement defining the roles and responsibilities of each party is essential for shared care.

This process ensures appropriate clinical oversight and patient safety, prioritising the patient’s best interests.

It must be noted that shared care is entirely voluntary for GPs, and GPs are NOT obliged to enter into shared care, for whatever reason.

Important Notes on Shared Care:

• Participation in shared care is voluntary for GPs, and they are not obligated to agree.
• Shared care arrangements with private providers are not supported by our practice.

Situations That Do Not Qualify as Shared Care:

We will not accept shared care requests under the following conditions:

• No Written Agreement: A formal shared care agreement is absent.
• Non-Equivalent Agreement: The agreement does not align with equivalent NHS shared care agreements.
• Assessment-Only Providers: The provider offers only assessments or diagnoses but does not prescribe medication.
• Insufficient Assessment: The provider has not performed adequate baseline investigations or patient counselling.
• No Medication Initiation: The provider has not initiated or stabilised the patient on the medication.
• Discharged to GP Care: The patient is discharged solely to GP care.
• Outside GP Expertise: The medication falls outside the GP’s competence to prescribe.
• Unlicensed Medication: The medication is prescribed outside its licensed indications.

Without proper specialist oversight, patient safety could be compromised. For this reason, we do not prescribe under these circumstances.

Consideration for Private Providers

If none of the above conditions apply, we may review shared care requests from private providers on a case-by-case basis. However, approval is not guaranteed.

Responsibilities of Private Providers

If you are under the care of a private provider, they are responsible for:

• Arranging necessary investigations.
• Supplying medications as part of their care package.

Patients should ensure their private care includes all required services and not rely on the GP for cost-saving measures or convenience.

NHS Referrals from Private Providers

If your private provider requests that your GP refers you to their NHS clinic, note that:

• Private consultants can refer directly to their NHS counterparts without involving the GP.
• Requests for GP referrals in these cases are unnecessary and contrary to NHS and BMA guidelines.

We hope this clarifies our policy on shared care and requests from private providers.