Please note, GP’s are under no professional or contractual obligation to enter into shared care arrangements with any provider, NHS, private or otherwise. Shared care is voluntary for GP’s and therefore we reserve the right to decline any request for shared care, without reason.
We will not consider shared care arrangements if any of the following conditions apply (most of these describe situations that are, by definition, not shared care):
- There is no written shared care agreement
- There is a shared care agreement, but it does not match the equivalent Sussex or NHS shared care agreement for the same situation
- The private provider is an assessment or diagnosis only service (that is it does not prescribe medication at all)
- The private provider has not completed an appropriate assessment of patient’s suitability for the medication, performed baseline investigations (e.g. blood tests/ECG) or provided counselling for the medication (for example, information on side effects, interactions)
- The private provider has not initiated the patient on medication and/or has not adjusted dosage accordingly and/or has not stabilised the patient on the medication
- The private provider has discharged or will discharge the patient back to sole GP care
- The medication being recommended is one that falls outside the GP’s knowledge, experience or competence to prescribe
- The private provider is recommending use of medication that falls outside its licensed indications (for instance, it is being used for a different age group or different reason from the manufacturer’s recommendations)
The reason why we do not consider prescribing medication in any of the above situations is that there is no specialist oversight and consequently patient safety is potentially at risk. Whilst it may seem convenient (and cheaper) to get a prescription from the GP, we will not accept any arrangement that has the potential to put a patient at risk.
If none of the above apply, we may consider the request for shared care from a private provider on an individual basis, but please note that such consideration does not guarantee that a prescription will be provided. In addition we can terminate the Shared Care agreement at any time and cease prescribing if the Consultant or the patient fails to keep up with reviews/blood test/providing observations.
YOUR PRIVATE PROVIDER NEEDS TO PROVIDE ALL THE CARE
If you are concerned you might not get the investigations and medications you need as part of the care from your private provider, you are advised to purchase or negotiate a package with your private provider that includes all of this. If your private provider says, don’t worry, your GP will just do it, they are providing you with false assurance and factually incorrect information.
Should patients require any tests or medications as part of the care given by a private provider, the private provider themselves can request tests or supply medication to the patient for the appropriate fee.
We respect the universal right of any patient to choose (and pay for) a private provider, however, it is not an NHS GP’s responsibility to request tests or prescribe medications on behalf of that provider purely for the purposes of reducing the cost burden of private care for the patient* or for the purposes of reducing waiting times to assessment and/or treatment, and due consideration must always be given towards proper clinical oversight and patient safety.
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*NHS guidance states that private and NHS care should be kept as clearly separate as possible, so that funding, legal status, liability and accountability are appropriately defined, that the patient should bear the full costs of any private services, and that NHS resources should never be used to subsidise the use of private care.
General practice responsibility in responding to private healthcare (BMA guidance)