ADHD Shared Care Policy

What is Shared Care?

Shared care means your ADHD treatment is managed jointly by your GP and a specialist (such as a psychiatrist). This involves a formal agreement where responsibilities—like prescribing medication and monitoring—are clearly shared.

How do I arrange an NHS ADHD assessment and treatment?

From 3rd November 2025 all our referrals for NHS ADHD assessment will be to the South East London Adult ADHD Referrals triage service, this has been set up to simplify the process and with the aim to reduce the long waiting times. We are no longer able to refer directly to Right to choose providers.

Please see these links for information. As they are external links please do let us know if they are no longer working and we will update them.

• Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
• South East London ICS

Shared Care with Private Providers

If you are under the care of a fully private provider (not commissioned by the NHS), we are unable to enter into a shared care agreement:

• Your private provider remains responsible for prescribing and monitoring.
• We can refer you to an NHS ADHD service, but you must continue private care while waiting.
• Historically we have some patients who have previously been under this arrangement. We will contact you in due course to discuss NHS referral.
• We will not be accepting any new shared care agreements with private providers

Prescriptions and Clinical Responsibility

Before we can prescribe ADHD medication recommended by another provider, we must ensure:

• The medication is approved for NHS use and listed in our local formulary.
• We are clinically confident in managing the medication and any required monitoring. 
• The recommendation aligns with local NHS pathways and national guidance
• If you do not attend for monitoring as agreed in your shared care agreement we will not be able to issue your prescription

Talk to Us First

If you are not sure if a referral is appropriate for you or you need support with your health please do contact us.