Private Care and Shared Care Arrangements
We recognise that some patients choose to access private healthcare services. While we are happy to support your care where appropriate, it is important to understand the following:
- Independent Clinical Decision-Making
Any recommendations made by private providers (including prescriptions, referrals, or investigations) will be reviewed by our clinical team. We will only prescribe or action these recommendations if we are satisfied they are safe, appropriate, and in line with NHS guidance. We are not obliged to follow private provider advice.
- Prescriptions Following Private Care
If a private clinician recommends medication, this does not guarantee that the practice will issue an NHS prescription. Where it is not appropriate for us to prescribe, you may need to continue obtaining prescriptions directly from your private provider.
- Responsibility for Private Investigations
If you choose to arrange private tests or scans, the responsibility for requesting, reviewing, and acting on the results lies with the clinician or organisation that arranged them. We are not responsible for interpreting privately arranged investigations or for initiating follow-up based on those results unless we agree it is clinically appropriate to do so.
- Assessment of Clinical Urgency
We understand that private providers may advise that certain issues require urgent follow-up. However, all clinical urgency is assessed independently by our team in line with NHS priorities and clinical need. We will determine the appropriate timeframe for any further care.
- Our Role
We are an NHS practice and are not bound by private providers or their recommendations. Our first responsibility is to ensure safe, equitable, and evidence-based care for all our patients.
If you are considering or currently receiving private care, we encourage you to discuss this with us so we can help clarify how your care will be managed.
