Patients will be advised regarding the availability of private prescriptions to be issued on the NHS according to the following policy:
- Any single course of treatment suggested or resulting from a private consultation will need to be sought on a private basis.
- Any long-term treatment suggested or resulting from a private consultation that would normally form part of routine NHS treatment will be issued, on request, on an NHS prescription. In this instance medication will be prescribed in line with the local Morecambe Bay Formulary.
This excludes drugs that would normally be issued under a shared care policy.
- Any long-term treatment suggested or resulting from a private consultation that does not form part of routine NHS treatment will not be issued on an NHS prescription. This may include unlicensed indications, unusual dosing, shared care or medications that would normally be advised to be purchased over the counter as part of the local ICB policy.
Important Update (Effective 08.04.25):
As of April 8, 2025, Queen Square Medical Practice will no longer accept new Private Shared Care Agreement requests for prescribing medication. Shared care agreements aim to safeguard patient safety and ensure that GP involvement does not jeopardise patient safety or legal responsibilities. Many medications involved in shared care are complex and often fall outside the typical scope of GP expertise.
Guidance for Patients and Private Providers:
- For Patients: It’s essential that private providers manage the necessary tests and medications independently. Patients should not rely on NHS GPs to cover the costs of private services.
- For Private Providers: Private providers cannot request GPs to handle referrals to their own NHS clinic. These referrals should be managed directly by the provider.
- NHS and Private Care Separation: The core principle is that NHS and private care should remain distinct. This ensures clarity regarding funding, liability, and accountability.
- Private providers can make referrals to NHS services without involving the GP, as long as the patient qualifies for NHS referral.
- Patients referred to NHS services will be treated based on clinical need.
To ensure clarity, safety, and proper management of patient care, it is essential to maintain the separation between NHS and private care, as well as ensuring that any shared care agreements are entered into with full consideration of the roles and responsibilities of both the GP and the consultant.
QSMP Private Referrals – Patient Guidance – Reviewed April 25
For more information on our Transgender policies, please visit the Transgender Patients page