Shared Care Agreements

Our Policy on Shared Care Agreements with Private Specialists

At Midway Surgery, we understand that some patients choose to see private specialists. Sometimes these specialists ask us to enter into a shared care agreement – this is when they ask your NHS GP to take over prescribing and monitoring of medicines they have started.

After careful consideration, we have decided that we do not enter into shared care agreements with private specialists.

This decision was not taken lightly, and we appreciate that it may be disappointing. However, shared care requires clear protocols, regular communication, and robust clinical governance. These cannot always be guaranteed with private providers, and we must make sure all prescribing is safe, consistent, and in line with NHS guidance.

What this means for you:

• If your private specialist recommends a treatment, we will review it against NHS guidance (for example, NICE or our local NHS formulary).
• If the medicine is suitable for NHS prescribing, your GP may prescribe it independently, without a formal shared care agreement.
• If the treatment is not in line with NHS guidance, or requires a shared care agreement, you will need to continue getting your prescriptions privately from your specialist.
• We may be able to refer on to the NHS specialists to enable a shared care agreement to be set up in line with our policy.

This policy most commonly applies to ADHD medication, gender-affirming medication, and DMARDs (used for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis), but it could apply to other medicines in the future.

Our priority is to keep your care safe and consistent, and to make sure NHS services are delivered fairly for all patients

Published on 30th Sep 2025