Patient information

GP practices work together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas in groups of practices known as Primary Care Networks (PCNs).

Gordon Medical Centre works collaboratively within the Ashton PCN. You may be treated and cared for by PCN staff either at the practice or at central locations in Ashton. All of the staff work closely with our GPs and staff at Gordon Medical Centre.

PCNs build on existing primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, co-ordinated and more integrated health and social care for people close to home.

To find out more about the PCN, please visit www.facebook.com/ashtonhealtcareteam/

Shared care prescribing involves healthcare specialists asking general practitioners (GPs) if they agree to sharing the responsibility for prescribing and monitoring specialist medication for patients.

NHS shared care

GPs can only enter into shared care prescribing agreements with NHS services.

• These agreements are supported by local policies, which ensure that:
• Patients are started and stabilised on their medication by the specialist, before asking the GP to take over prescribing responsibility.
• Ongoing specialist reviews are conducted at the hospital.
• GPs can seek advice and support from specialists, as required.

Common health conditions where shared care prescribing is used with NHS services include rheumatoid arthritis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), inflammatory eye disease, gender dysphoria, Parkinson’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Private providers

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients accessing private treatment. This has led to patients asking their GP to prescribe specialist medication on behalf of the private provider. This is not the same as NHS shared care agreements.

Patient safety

Patient safety is our priority and we need to be certain that we are prescribing safely. Problems can arise when patients are no longer seeing the private specialist, leaving the GP to prescribe the medication without access to any specialist input. This is risky for patients, and GPs are not insured for these scenarios.

Due to these concerns, gtd healthcare GP practices will not issue prescriptions for new specialist medications initiated by private providers. Patients must obtain prescriptions for these medications directly from their private specialist.

Commissioning

GPs are not funded to carry out non-NHS work. Therefore, at a time of ever-increasing demands on primary care, supporting private prescriptions would result in significant resources being taken from other NHS patients, and promote health inequality.

Summary

• gtd healthcare GP practices will not prescribe new specialist medication on behalf of private providers. This is also the case for those patients who are accessing an assessment through a private provider via the right to choose pathway. It is important to note, while right to choose is funded by the NHS, some of the services are being delivered by private providers. Therefore, the private clinic will remain responsible for prescribing the medication for patients and making sure it is monitored safely.
• We understand this information may be disappointing, but it ensures safe and sustainable care for all our patients.
• We will continue to prescribe where we have already accepted shared care, providing patients remain under specialist review.
• We will continue to refer patients to NHS services and enter shared care prescribing with them, once an appropriate agreement is in place.

Our management of shared care prescribing aligns with the British Medical Association’s guidance, which prioritises patient safety and fair allocation of resources. Further information is available here.

To view November's patient newsletter, please click here. The newsletter includes practice updates, information on staying well this winter with details about Pharmacy First, vaccines and where to get help for your health needs, as well as an overview of the NHS app. Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter. If you have any feedback or queries, please get in touch with us.

We are an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice.

This means that, as part of the Armed Forces Covenant's health commitments, we have a dedicated clinician who has specialist knowledge of military-related health conditions and veteran-specific health services. This is important in helping ex-forces get the best care and treatment.

Further information is available here.

If you are ex-forces, please let your GP know to help ensure you are getting the best possible care.

Healthy Minds is accessible for people over the age of 16 and who are registered with a GP in Tameside or Glossop. The service offers support and treatment for those experiencing difficulty sleeping, low mood, depression, stress, worry, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and/or panic attacks.

Healthy Minds can also help those dealing with the effects of a long-term health problem or chronic pain, postnatal depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, or phobias.

For further information or to self-refer please visit www.penninecare.nhs.uk/healthymindstameside or phone 0161 716 4242.