At Manor House Surgery, it is our policy that we do not enter into ‘Shared Care’ arrangements with private healthcare providers.
As a practice we follow the appropriate BMA guidance. Presently we are not commissioned for these services and therefore, not required to sign up for private shared care agreements.
This decision reflects our commitment to upholding the principles of equity, accessibility, and high-quality care for all our patients.
We have given careful consideration to requests for shared care with private clinics however, we are unable to support the prescribing or monitoring of medications initiated in the private sector.
Our position is based on the following considerations:
- Capacity Limitations: General practice is currently under significant pressure, and we do not have the capacity to take on the additional clinical workload associated with private sector prescribing and monitoring.
- Quality and Governance Concerns: We are unable to guarantee the quality, clinical governance, or continuity of care provided by private clinics. This creates potential risks and challenges in maintaining safe and consistent care for our patients.
- NHS Principles and Policy: Shared care arrangements are designed to function within the NHS framework. Entering into shared care with private providers goes against the NHS Constitution principle of maintaining a clear boundary between NHS and private care. Doing so may raise issues around governance, accountability, and health inequality.
- Voluntary Nature of Shared Care: Shared care is not mandatory. Even where agreements exist within the NHS, GP practices have the right to decline participation on clinical or capacity grounds. In such cases, responsibility for ongoing prescribing and patient care remains with the private provider.
We understand that this may be disappointing to some patients. However, our decision ensures that we maintain safe, equitable, and sustainable care for all those registered with our practice.