Shared care agreements with private providers
As of 1st of November 2024 Green Valleys Health will not be entering into any new shared care agreements with private providers. Shared care is a process whereby responsibility for a patient’s medication is shared between a GP and consultant. In such a situation, the consultant will assess a patient’s suitability for the medication, perform any necessary baseline investigations and counsel the patient fully on the medication, before prescribing the medication and adjusting the dose until the patient is stable.
Often the medications we are asked to prescribe are potentially harmful and need ongoing long term review. If a patient is unwilling or unable to continue to pay for private reviews the specialist oversight is lost. This creates an unacceptable clinical risk.
We are happy to refer a patient to an appropriate NHS service where shared care can be commenced but in the interim the patient will need to acquire prescriptions from their chosen private provider. Please be aware of this when seeking a private review where medication may be needed long term. Please note any current shared care agreements we have with private providers are not affected.