Shared Care with Right to Choose and Private Providers Policy

  1. Purpose

This policy sets out EPCC’s position on shared care arrangements for patients who have accessed assessment or treatment through Right to Choose (RTC) or private healthcare providers. It aims to ensure safe, evidence-based, and sustainable prescribing and follow-up arrangements within primary care.

  1. Background

Patients may access assessment and diagnosis for certain conditions (such as ADHD, Autism, or other mental health conditions) through external providers under NHS Right to Choose or privately funded services.
While the practice supports patient choice, shared care prescribing can only occur when:

  • Clear shared care protocols are in place,
  • The prescribing responsibilities and clinical monitoring are appropriate for primary care, and
  • The initiating clinician provides comprehensive documentation and remains responsible for ongoing specialist input.

In the absence of these criteria, it is not safe or appropriate for the practice to assume shared care responsibilities.

The local Nottinghamshire NHS Neurodevelopmental Specialist Service (NeSS) meets EPCC’s requirements for shared care prescribing for ADHD.

  1. Policy Statement

Eastwood Primary Care Centre does not enter into shared care arrangements with any external provider, including those accessed under Right to Choose or private services.

  1. Prescribing and Monitoring
  • Patients who are assessed or diagnosed by a Right to Choose or private provider will remain under that provider’s care for prescribing and monitoring.
  • The provider is responsible for issuing all prescriptions, arranging necessary physical health checks, and reviewing treatment efficacy and safety.
  • The practice will continue to provide general medical care and support for other health needs, but will not prescribe or monitor medication initiated externally without an agreed NHS shared care protocol from NeSS.
  • For patients who have been initiated on treatment by their Right to Choose (RTC) provider and then request transfer to local NHS services (NeSS), prescriptions will need to be continue to be provided by the RTC provider until they are seen by NeSS.  EPCC will NOT accept prescribing responsibility pending NeSS assessment.
  1. Communication with Patients

Patients will be informed of this policy when discussing referral options. The following key points will be explained:

  • The practice supports the right to access assessments via Right to Choose or privately but cannot guarantee shared care prescribing afterward.
  • Any medication initiated privately or through non-commissioned services must be managed entirely by that provider.
  • Patients can request NHS-based assessment and treatment pathways (NeSS) if they wish prescribing and monitoring to be managed by the practice under local shared care.

The Shared Care with Right to Choose Policy  provides the full information.