Right to Choose ADHD Prescribing at Wargrave Surgery

ADHD medications are specialist drugs that need to be initiated by a specialist. Only once a stable dosing has been achieved a GP may take over prescribing under a Shared Care Protocol (SCP). ADHD medications have clear monitoring requirements to be prescribed safely, and it is the responsibility of the GP, the Specialist, and the Patient, to adhere to these requirements. Typically, the patient would need to be seen at least annually by a Specialist, and have an interim 6 monthly weight, height, BP and HR check overseen in General Practice. The GP should be a point of contact if any issues arose on the medication, and the Specialist should be available for advice and input as required.

As a practice we routinely enter shared care with NHS Providers, and with providers commissioned by the NHS through NHS Right to Choose. In recent years we have experienced a growth in private sector providers. It is not appropriate, fair, or possible for us at practice level to undertake a quality judgement on the multiple private ADHD services that request shared care with us, and there is currently no national guidance on this issue. Therefore, we do not routinely enter Shared Care with private ADHD providers. However, should a patient receive ADHD care as a private patient from an organisation that is also an NHS Right to Choose provider, we would consider entering a comparable SCP. Adherence to the terms of the SCP, including continuing to have at least annual review in the private sector where applicable, is conditional to the practice continuing to prescribe the ADHD medication, and essential for safe prescribing. We will also consider entering shared care with local trusted private providers The Cardinal Clinic, Wokingham Priory, and The Oxford ADHD and Autism Centre. We are under no obligation to enter shared care with any of these organisations and may decline to do so should we have any concerns about the ADHD assessment process, or SCP provided.

Current NHS Right to Choose Providers are PSYCHIATRY-UK , Clinical Partners , Oakdale , CARE ADHD and Dr J & Colleagues. We are aware that the contractual arrangements between the NHS and these providers are not open ended, and we reserve the right to discontinue either private or NHS shared care with these organisations should they fall out of the NHS Right to Choose System. This is in the interests of safe prescribing and the need for NHS quality assurance. The practice secretary is responsible for currently monitoring the list of Right to Choose providers and is signed up to a monthly update email.

New requests for Shared Care will be processed by the pharmacy team, and if they meet the above criteria passed to a GP for consideration. Once signed a letter will be sent to the patient reminding them of their own Shared Care responsibility to arrange appropriate follow-up. When patients submit readings or attend in person for monitoring the surgery team should use the ADHD Ardens template. The pharmacy team will be responsible for searches to ensure that all ADHD patients have had appropriate follow-up and monitoring, and the practice will discontinue prescribing to any patient who has not.

You can find the Right to Choose options following the link below. Please look through the information on their websites and gather any documents that are required for your referral before you make a GP appointment. Our Right to Choose options (as above) are Oakdale Centre, Psychiatry-UK, Clinical Partners, Care ADHD, and Dr J & Colleagues.

Right to Choose - ADHD UK - Your NHS options

Published: Feb 26, 2026