Shared Care Policy

Ashington House Surgery – Shared Care Policy

1. Purpose

This policy outlines the process by which Ashington House Surgery reviews, accepts, or declines shared care arrangements as part of the locally commissioned service (LCS). It ensures safe, consistent, and clinically appropriate management of patients requiring shared care between primary and secondary or specialist services. 

2. Scope

This policy applies to all clinicians, administrative staff, and pharmacy team members involved in the receipt, processing, and clinical governance of shared care requests at Ashington House Surgery. 

3. Principles

Shared care will only be entered into where it is clinically appropriate, sufficient specialist information is provided, and the arrangement aligns with the locally commissioned service requirements. 

• Appropriate monitoring, prescribing responsibilities, and clinical follow‑up must be clearly defined by the initiating specialist service.
• Ashington House Surgery retains the right to accept or decline shared care requests based on clinical capacity, competency, and safety considerations. 

4. Process for Shared Care Requests

4.1 Submission of Requests

All shared care requests must be submitted directly to Ashington House Surgery via the recognised referral pathway. Requests should include: 

- A completed shared care protocol 

- Clear diagnostic information 

- Treatment plan including responsibilities of each party 

- Required monitoring parameters and results 

- Contact details for the responsible specialist 

4.2 Pharmacy Team Review

 

Upon receipt, all shared care requests are forwarded to the Pharmacy Team. The Pharmacy Team will assess whether the request adheres to the locally commissioned service specification, includes all necessary clinical information, and falls within primary care competence. If information is missing or incomplete, the request will be returned to the referrer. 

4.3 Shared Care Panel Meeting

Reviewed cases are taken to the Shared Care Panel for individual discussion. The panel will agree, decline, or request further information based on clinical appropriateness, capacity, specialist oversight, and compliance with LCS frameworks. 

5. Current Capacity Limitations

At this time, Ashington House Surgery is not accepting new shared care agreements relating to the treatment of gender incongruence due to lack of capacity and insufficient specialist input. This position will be reviewed regularly and updated when capacity or commissioning circumstances change. 

6. Review Cycle

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if the locally commissioned service changes, clinical guidance changes, or shared care capacity within the practice changes.