Change to Practice Policy

Shared Care Prescribing with Private Providers

After careful consideration Cropredy Surgery has decided to align with other local practices as well as NHS and BMA guidance and as of 1st September 2024 we will no longer agree to ANY shared care prescribing with private providers. Existing arrangements will be honoured for the foreseeable future but we retain the right to review this policy. This change will apply to both adults and children.

We are sorry to any patients who may be affected by this change in policy. It is required in order to protect our patients from missing out on necessary specialist input that is required when taking certain high risk medications. While highly skilled and experienced, our GPs are not trained in managing particular medications without the expertise of our secondary care colleagues.

We are aware that NHS waiting times at present are longer than would be ideal. We will still be happy to refer to the private sector for diagnosis. However, if any recommended treatment is ‘shared care’ on the Oxfordshire formulary, to which we must adhere, then we will no longer be in a position to prescribe and treatment must be sourced from your private specialist on an ongoing basis, or until care can be transferred to a secondary care NHS service. Should you wish your private specialist to refer you to NHS services they ARE able to do this and you do not need to return to your GP to request a referral. Such requests will be passed back to your specialist. Due to capacity and workload we are also unable to undertake any monitoring requests from private or ‘right to choose’ providers.

Please be aware that at present no referrals are being accepted by Adult ADHD services within Oxfordshire and referrals made under the ‘right to choose’ scheme will be for diagnosis only, in accordance with LMC guidance. For complaints relating specifically to this matter please contact:bobicb-ox-plannedcare@nhs.net or your local MP as this is a commissioning issue and not something that we have any control over.