A Shared Care Agreement (SCA) is a formal arrangement between an NHS hospital specialist and a GP, allowing care to be safely shared. It is used when a specialist starts a medicine or treatment in hospital that may require ongoing prescribing or monitoring by the GP.
Shared Care supports safe, joined-up care. The hospital or specialist remains involved and provides clear guidance and support. SCAs are usually used for specialist medicines that need regular monitoring, such as ADHD medications, specialist arthritis or skin treatments, and other drugs with known side effects.
All shared care requests are reviewed by our Shared Care Panel, and this process usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Please note, it is not appropriate to book appointments to expedite the review process.
Shared Care is not automatic. GPs can only accept shared care if they feel it is safe and appropriate. Within the NHS, shared care arrangements are voluntary – GPs can decline requests if they do not feel it is safe or manageable. The specialist team must continue prescribing until the GP formally agrees to take over.