What is a Shared Care Agreement?
A Shared Care Agreement is when your hospital specialist and your GP work together to look after your treatment.
Some medicines need to be started and monitored by a specialist before they can safely be prescribed by your GP. Once your treatment is working well and your condition is stable, your specialist may ask your GP to take over prescribing your medication.
This means you can usually collect your prescriptions from your GP surgery instead of the hospital, while your specialist continues to oversee your care.
Before shared care can begin:
- Your specialist will diagnose your condition and start your treatment.
- They will make sure the medication is working and the dose is stable.
- They will explain the treatment, any possible side effects, and any monitoring you need.
- They will ask your GP if they are happy to take on the prescribing.
Your GP will review the request and decide whether it is safe and appropriate to accept responsibility.
No.
Shared care is voluntary. Your GP can only accept responsibility if they have all the information they need and are confident they can safely prescribe and monitor your medication.
The doctor who signs a prescription is legally responsible for it, so patient safety must always come first.
Your GP will:
- Issue your repeat prescriptions.
- Arrange any monitoring tests that are part of the shared care agreement.
- Keep in touch with your specialist if there are any concerns.
Your specialist will continue to:
- Review your condition regularly.
- Provide expert advice.
- Change your treatment if needed.
If your GP is unable to take on shared care, this does not mean your treatment will stop.
Your specialist will remain responsible for prescribing and monitoring your medication until another suitable arrangement is in place.
If your medication has been started by a private specialist, your GP will consider any request for shared care in the same way as any other request. This includes checking that there is appropriate specialist support, clear communication, and suitable arrangements for ongoing monitoring.
If shared care is not appropriate, your private specialist will usually remain responsible for prescribing your medication. If you wish to receive ongoing care through the NHS, your GP can discuss referral to the appropriate NHS specialist service.
To help keep your treatment safe, please:
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed.
- Attend all appointments with your GP and specialist.
- Have any blood tests or monitoring requested.
- Tell us about any side effects or concerns.
- Request repeat prescriptions in good time before you run out.
If you are unsure how your medication will be prescribed or who is responsible for your care, please speak to a member of our team. We will be happy to explain your individual treatment plan.