Information for Patients
What is Shared Care?
Shared Care is an agreement between a specialist ADHD service, a GP practice, and a patient to share responsibility for ongoing care.
In simple terms:
- A specialist service (like Sort) diagnoses ADHD and starts treatment
- Once medication is stable, your GP may take over prescribing
- The specialist remains involved for advice, reviews, and support if needed
This approach is recommended in national clinical guidance and is commonly used across NHS and private pathways.
Will my GP accept Shared Care?
In many cases, yes — but it depends on your GP practice and local NHS guidance.
GPs are not required to enter into Shared Care agreements. Each practice makes its own decision based on:
- Local policy and ICB guidance
- Clinical information provided
- Their confidence in the specialist service
- Capacity and prescribing governance
Because of this, Shared Care cannot be guaranteed.
If Shared Care isn’t agreed, you can continue treatment safely with Sort, including ongoing prescribing and monitoring.
How Shared Care works for patients
If you choose treatment with Sort and medication is part of your plan and you’d like to send a ‘Shared Care’ request to your GP, we’ll work with you through this process:
Step 1: Completing your assessment and starting your treatment
Once we’ve completed an assessment and confirmed your diagnosis, we’ll begin medication (if appropriate), adjusting the dose carefully to find out what works best for you.
Step 2: Stabilisation
We’ll monitor your response, check for side effects and ensure everything is working safely and effectively.
Step 3: Shared Care request
Once you are stable, we send a clear, detailed request to your GP asking them to take over prescribing.
Step 4: Ongoing Care
Depending on the outcome of this request you’ll then move forward down one of two routes:
- If your GP agrees, we’ll handover prescribing medication to them and the NHS. In this instance we’ll remain involved for reviews and specialist oversight.
- If your GP declines, we’ll continue prescribing and supporting you.
Throughout this process, we’ll explain each step clearly and support to make the best decision for you.
What Sort provides to support Shared Care
We know that GP practices need clear, high-quality clinical information to feel confident in Shared Care. We support this by:
- Providing a full diagnostic assessment and report, based on recognised criteria
- Clearly setting out medication, dose, and clinical rationale
- Completing baseline checks (e.g. blood pressure, pulse, weight/BMI)
- Sharing a structured Shared Care request with defined responsibilities
- Offering ongoing specialist advice and support to GP practices
- Carrying out regular reviews and taking back prescribing if needed
Our aim is to make Shared Care safe, clear, and as straightforward as possible for both patients and GPs.
Information for GP Practices
About Sort
Sort is part of Bevan, an outstanding CQC‑rated, Community Benefit Society delivering NHS services across West Yorkshire. We are a CQC‑registered provider, working to national clinical standards and NICE guidance, with a strong focus on safe prescribing, clear communication, and collaborative working with primary care.
What is Shared Care?
- Shared Care is a formal agreement between the specialist service, GP practice, and patient
- It allows prescribing and monitoring of ADHD medication to transfer to primary care once treatment is stabilised
- It is supported by NICE guidance and widely used across NHS ADHD pathways
Role of Sort (Specialist Service)
Sort will:
- Confirm ADHD diagnosis using recognised criteria (e.g. DSM-5 / ICD-11)
- Initiate and titrate medication safely
- Complete baseline physical and clinical assessments
- Monitor response during stabilisation
We will provide the GP with:
- A comprehensive clinical report (diagnosis and assessment summary)
- Current medication details, including dose and formulation
- Baseline observations and monitoring recommendations
- A clear Shared Care request outlining responsibilities
We will also:
- Offer ongoing specialist reviews (at least annually, or as clinically needed)
- Remain available for advice on side effects, dose changes, or complexity
- Take back prescribing if the patient becomes unstable or Shared Care ends
Role of the GP Practice
If Shared Care is accepted, the GP practice would:
- Confirm acceptance (or decline) in line with local policy
- Prescribe ADHD medication on the NHS, using clinical judgement
- Arrange and/or support routine monitoring (e.g. blood pressure, pulse, weight/BMI)
- Act on any abnormal results or emerging concerns
- Liaise with Sort if issues arise (e.g. side effects, adherence, safeguarding)
GP practices may decide to stop Shared Care if it is no longer safe or appropriate, returning prescribing responsibility to Sort.
Role of the Patient
Within Shared Care, patients are expected to:
- Take medication as prescribed
- Attend monitoring appointments with both GP and specialist
- Report any side effects or changes in health
- Allow communication between Sort and their GP
GP discretion and local policy
As we run two GP practices we fully recognise that:
- GP practices are not obliged to enter into Shared Care with private providers
- Decisions are made locally, based on policy, guidance, and capacity
- Some practices accept Shared Care routinely, while others review requests case by case
If Shared Care is not possible, patients remain under specialist care and continue to receive safe prescribing and monitoring from Sort.
How Sort supports safe Shared Care
We work to make Shared Care as safe and supportive as possible by:
- Following NICE ADHD guidance and evidence-based practice
- Operating within CQC-regulated clinical governance frameworks
- Providing clear, structured documentation aligned to NHS expectations
- Understanding the realities of general practice and local prescribing systems
- Offering accessible clinical advice when needed
Contact
If you would like further information about our Shared Care pathway, reports, or clinical processes, please contact us using the details provided in the patient’s clinic letter.
Not sure how this applies to you?
If you’re thinking about assessment or treatment and want to understand how Shared Care might work in your situation, you can book a short call with our team. We’ll talk it through clearly so you can decide what feels right for you.
