Changes to Shared Care Prescribing Arrangements

After careful consideration, the Partners at the Practice have taken the decision that we will no longer accept new shared care prescribing requests from hospital specialists.

Shared care arrangements involve GPs taking on responsibility for prescribing and monitoring medications that have been initiated by specialist hospital teams. Historically, these arrangements have enabled care to be delivered closer to home for many patients.

However, over recent years there has been a substantial increase in the volume and complexity of shared care requests being transferred to general practice. This transfer of work has occurred at a time when GP services are facing increasing clinical demand, workforce pressures, and limited resources.

While we remain committed to providing high-quality care for our patients, we have a responsibility to ensure that any service we provide can be delivered safely and sustainably. We do not believe it is appropriate for tasks commissioned and resourced within specialist services to be routinely transferred to primary care without the necessary funding, staffing, and infrastructure to support them.

Patients requiring specialist medications should therefore continue to receive prescribing and monitoring from the specialist team overseeing their treatment, unless alternative local arrangements have been formally commissioned.

This decision applies to new shared care requests only. Existing arrangements will continue to be reviewed in accordance with clinical guidance and contractual requirements.

We recognise that some patients may be disappointed by this change. The decision has not been made lightly and reflects the increasing pressure on general practice and our commitment to maintaining safe and sustainable services for all patients.