Shared care with your GP
After three titration appointments, with your dose stable, you can ask us to request a shared care agreement with your GP. It is a one-off request, not an appointment: we review your records and send your GP a full request pack. GP acceptance is never guaranteed, and many decline for private patients. If yours does, you can carry on with private repeat prescriptions.
| Fee | £200 one-off, for the request |
| When you can ask | After three completed titration appointments, with your dose stable and your monitoring up to date |
| What we send | A full GP request pack: diagnosis, dose history, monitoring plan and prescribing guidance |
| Your GP | Decides whether to accept. If they do, they prescribe on the NHS and do routine health checks |
| If your GP says no | You can request private repeat prescriptions, £60 each |
Can you ask for shared care yet?
You can request shared care when all of these apply:
- You have completed three titration appointments with us, in line with NICE-guided monitoring
- Your dose is stable, side effects are well managed, and your clinician agrees you are ready for routine prescribing
- Your monitoring is up to date: recent blood pressure, pulse and weight readings (and height for children)
- You’re registered with a UK GP practice that can receive the request and prescribe under an agreement
Not there yet? Read how titration works. Living in Northern Ireland? Please contact us first, so we can confirm we can prescribe for you.
What you’ll need to give us
The secure request form asks for:
- Your date of birth
- Your NHS number, if you know it (CHI number in Scotland, H&C number in Northern Ireland)
- Your current medication, dose and when you take it
- Your GP’s name, practice address and email address
- The date of your third titration appointment
By making the request, you agree to us sharing your treatment details with your GP so they can consider it.
How your request works
NICE recommends that, once the dose is stable, prescribing and monitoring move to primary care under shared care arrangements. For the background, read ADHD shared care agreements, explained.
- You make the request Use the secure online form to give us your details and your GP’s, and pay the £200 fee.
- We review your records A prescriber checks your titration records, dose history and monitoring readings, and confirms you are ready for shared care.
- We send the GP pack We prepare your pack and send it to your GP practice, usually within a few working days of our review.
- Your GP decides They may agree, ask us questions, or decline. If they agree, your prescriptions move to the NHS. If not, you can carry on with private repeat prescriptions, so there is no gap in treatment.
What’s in the GP request pack
We write the pack for a busy GP, so it covers what they need to decide and to prescribe safely:
- A summary of your diagnosis and how it was made
- Your medication and dose history, including how your dose was settled
- Your recent blood pressure, pulse and weight readings (and height for children)
- A proposed monitoring plan, showing who checks what and when
- Prescribing guidance, including what to do if things change
- A named contact at the clinic for questions
GPs can read more on our information for GPs page.
The fee covers our work, not your GP’s answer
The £200 fee pays for our clinical review and for preparing and sending the pack. Once our review has started, or the pack has been sent, it can’t be refunded, even if your GP declines.
Until your GP takes over prescribing, you pay the pharmacy’s private price for your medicine.
Who does what under shared care
Your GP agrees to
- Prescribe your medicine at the agreed dose
- Do the routine health checks in the local protocol, such as blood pressure, pulse and weight (and height for children)
- Contact us if they have concerns, or if things change
We keep doing
- Giving your GP advice when they need it
- Reviewing you at a medication review if you book one, for example after a dose change or if something changes (£199 per appointment)
- Taking prescribing back, as private repeat prescriptions, if the agreement ends
You agree to
- Go to your health checks with your GP practice
- Tell us or your GP about side effects or changes in your health
- Book a medication review with us if your GP or clinician asks for one
Will my GP agree? An honest answer
We can’t promise that your GP will agree. The BMA’s guidance for GP practices in England describes shared care as “non-core voluntary activity that can be declined by the GP practice for any reason”. Many practices decline shared care with private providers: the 2025 UK conference of local medical committees called these arrangements unsafe, and in Northern Ireland the Department of Health reports that people diagnosed privately are often unable to get GP prescriptions under shared care.
Some areas also have local policies. For example, guidance in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire says it isn’t meant to tell GPs they must accept shared care, even if every condition is met. Your GP must also be satisfied that prescribing is safe and within their competence.
Tip from our clinicians
If NHS prescribing matters to you, ask your GP practice before you start treatment whether they share care with private ADHD providers. Then you can plan for the cost either way.
Shared care or private repeat prescriptions?
Both keep your treatment going. Shared care moves routine prescribing to the NHS if your GP agrees. Private repeat prescriptions stay with us, and are the route to take if your GP declines or you would rather not involve them.
| Compare | Shared care, if your GP agrees | Private repeat prescriptions |
|---|---|---|
| Who prescribes | Your NHS GP | A clinician at ADHD Health, who reviews every request |
| What you pay us | £200 once, for the request | £60 per prescription. Each covers up to 30 days, so about 12 a year |
| Prescription charge | NHS charge: £9.90 per item in England in 2026/27 unless you are exempt. Free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland | No NHS charge. The fee above covers our review and prescription |
| The medicine | Covered by the NHS prescription charge | Paid at the pharmacy, at its private price |
| Health checks | Usually done by your GP practice | Shown at a medication review with us, at least once a year (£199 per appointment) |
| Our role | Advice for your GP, and a medication review if you book one | You request each repeat, and we keep your records and notes up to date |
| Certainty | Your GP can decline for any reason | A clinician decides after reviewing each request, and may ask for a medication review first if a check is due or something has changed |
NHS prescription charges don’t apply to private prescriptions: you pay the pharmacy’s price for the medicine instead, wherever you live. Read how repeat prescriptions work, or see all our fees.
What you can do if your GP says no
- Ask for the reasons. If your GP has questions about your diagnosis or our monitoring, we’ll answer them. GMC guidance says decisions about who prescribes should be based on your best interests, rather than convenience or the cost of the medicine and monitoring.
- Check the local protocol. Ask whether your practice, local integrated care board (England) or health board (Scotland and Wales) has a shared care protocol for ADHD, and what it requires.
- Ask about NHS routes. Your GP can refer you to your local NHS ADHD service, although waits are often long and some services will want to review a private diagnosis first.
- Keep your treatment going. Request private repeat prescriptions from us, £60 each, with a medication review at least once a year.
Our guide my GP won’t agree to ADHD shared care: what now? goes through each option in more detail.
Shared care in each UK nation
| Nation | What to know |
|---|---|
| England | Shared care is voluntary for GP practices (BMA). Integrated care boards and local medical committees may have their own policies on requests from private providers. NHS prescriptions cost £9.90 per item in 2026/27 unless you’re exempt. |
| Scotland | Health boards set their own arrangements. NHS Lothian, for example, says practices may share care with private providers but there’s no requirement to, and expects a specialist re-evaluation at 12 months. Prescriptions are free. |
| Wales | Arrangements vary by health board. Cwm Taf Morgannwg, for example, adds GP referrals with a private diagnosis to its ADHD waiting list for specialist review. Prescriptions are free. |
| Northern Ireland | The Department of Health reports that people diagnosed privately are often unable to get shared care. Please contact us before starting treatment so we can confirm we can prescribe for you. Prescriptions are free. |
Are you a GP? See our information for GPs, including what our shared care requests contain and how to reach a clinician.
Shared care questions
More answers on our FAQs page.
What does the shared care fee cover?
It covers a clinical review of your titration and monitoring records, preparing a full GP request pack (diagnosis, dose history, monitoring plan and prescribing guidance) and sending it to your GP practice. It does not cover your medicine, or any NHS prescription charge once your GP takes over.
When can I ask for shared care?
Once you have completed three titration appointments, your dose is stable and your monitoring readings are up to date. If you need more than three appointments to settle, you can ask once you are stable.
Is my GP obliged to accept?
No. Shared care is voluntary for GP practices, and they can decline for any reason. Some practices and health boards also have policies that limit private shared care requests.
Do I get a refund if my GP declines?
No. Once our review has started, or the pack has been sent, the fee can’t be refunded, because it pays for our clinical work. If your GP declines, you can carry on with private repeat prescriptions.
Will I run out of medication while my GP decides?
Not if you plan ahead. While your GP considers the request, you can keep requesting repeat prescriptions from us. Ask at least 5 working days before your supply runs out.
Can I still see your clinicians after moving to shared care?
Yes. Shared care covers routine prescribing only. You can book a medication review with us whenever you want specialist input, such as after a dose change, and you can use CBT for ADHD too.
Can I ask for shared care if I was diagnosed elsewhere?
You can once you have completed three titration appointments with us and your dose is stable. Start with a medication review so we can check your diagnosis and treatment.
Guides on shared care
NHS and shared care
ADHD shared care agreements, explained
What an ADHD shared care agreement is, who does what, when it can start, what it costs and what happens to your prescriptions if your GP…
My GP won’t agree to ADHD shared care. What now?
Why GPs decline ADHD shared care and seven practical steps to take next, from asking for the reason to keeping your treatment going and your NHS…
Treatment and titration
How private ADHD prescriptions work in the UK
How private ADHD prescriptions work in the UK: paper controlled drug forms by nation, 30-day supply, 28-day validity, tracked post, pharmacies and costs.
Sources
- NICE. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87). Last updated 2025.
- British Medical Association. Prescribing in general practice. Updated 28 April 2025.
- General Medical Council. Good practice in prescribing: shared care. 2021.
- North West LMCs. Guidance for practices: Right to Choose and shared care. 2026.
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Medicines Optimisation Steering Group. Guidance on the management of shared care prescribing requests following a self-funded assessment and diagnosis of ADHD by a private clinician. Version 2, July 2026.
- NHS Lothian. Freedom of information response 11738. 2026.
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. Freedom of information response. 26 May 2026.
- Department of Health (Northern Ireland). ADHD needs assessment. February 2026.
- Community Pharmacy England. NHS prescription charges frozen for the second year running. 21 November 2025.
Questions about shared care?
Ask a question first, by phone, email or the contact form. Our patient care team can explain how shared care works with us and what it could cost you, with no pressure to book.
Or call us on 0306 999 0123, 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week.