Information for Patients Seeking Private Treatment (including ADHD and transgender services)
We acknowledge that due to the long waiting lists within the NHS, some patients may wish to have some or all of their care needs provided by a private provider.
NHS guidance states
- It should always be clear whether an individual procedure or treatment is privately funded or NHS funded.
- Private and NHS care should be kept as clearly separate as possible.
- The patient should bear the full costs of any private services. NHS resources should never be used to subsidise the use of private care.
- The arrangements put in place to deliver additional private care should be designed to ensure as clear a separation as possible of funding, legal status, liability and accountability between NHS care and any private care that a patient receives.
Private Provider Test Results
If general practices receive tests results which have originated from the private provider, the private clinician remains responsible for reviewing and acting on any investigations they arrange, and that patients should obtain their results directly from that provider. If results are received into the practice, they will not be looked at or actioned by our clinicians.
Similarly, if general practices receive requests from private providers to arrange tests or investigations, is outside the scope of NHS primary medical services. These test requests should be done by the private provider.
Private Prescriptions
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
Private Prescribing and Shared Care Agreements for ADHD care.
Shared Care Arrangements at QSMP
At our practice, we are committed to safe and convenient ADHD care, therefore from March 16, 2026, we have agreed to:
- Accept referrals from Right to Choose (RTC) providers for ADHD care.
- Accept referrals from private providers, but only if the specialist consultant also works within the NHS and follows NHS governance.
Private prescribing and Shared Care Agreements for transgender care.
As of April 8, 2025, Queen Square Medical Practice will no longer accept new Private Shared Care Agreement requests for prescribing this type of 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.
For more information on our Transgender Prescribing policies, please visit the Transgender Patients page
