Jacksdale Medical Centre Policy on Shared Care Agreements with Private Providers
Our Approach to Shared Care
At Jacksdale Medical Centre, we aim to provide safe and effective care within the NHS. This includes decisions about shared care agreements, where responsibility for a patient’s treatment is shared between their GP and a specialist. For treatments started by private providers, we have decided not to enter into shared care agreements.
Why We Don’t Enter into Shared Care with Private Providers
This decision wasn’t taken lightly, and we understand it may be disappointing. However, there are several important reasons for this policy:
- Safety First
- Private providers may not follow NHS guidelines or offer the same level of monitoring as NHS specialists. This can affect the safety of your treatment.
- If private care stops (e.g., if payment isn’t made), we may not have the information or expertise needed to safely continue your treatment.
- Specialist Monitoring
- Some treatments, like ADHD medication or gender-affirming treatments, need regular checks (e.g., blood tests or heart checks). These are the responsibility of the specialist who started the treatment, and we aren’t trained to take this on for private prescriptions.
- Fairness and Resources
- We are funded to provide NHS services, not to support private treatments. Accepting private shared care requests would take resources away from other NHS patients.
If You Are Receiving Private Treatment
If you’re getting treatment from a private provider and need ongoing care, we recommend:
- Asking your private provider about their long-term care plans.
- Discussing referral to an NHS specialist, if appropriate. Once your care is transferred to the NHS, we can often take over prescribing under an NHS shared care agreement.
What This Means for You
- If you choose private treatment, you’ll need to continue getting prescriptions and monitoring from your private provider.
- For medications commonly available on the NHS, we may ask you to get the first prescription privately before we review whether it’s appropriate to switch to NHS prescribing.
Supporting Your Care We’re here to help you navigate your options and ensure your care is safe. If you have any questions, please speak to one of our team, and we can guide you on the next steps.