NHS Shared Care Agreements and The Right to Choose

Hello friends,

Time for one of my classic rants, one I have made before but this time it’s personal! The NHS Right to Choose - and how it’s being quietly dismantled by the refusal of some GPs to honour shared care agreements. Since moving to a new location, I am struggling to find a GP who can provide me with the care that I need.

For those who don’t know, Right to Choose is meant to give people access to specialist treatment by allowing us to go private for assessments (ADHD, mental health, whatever) and then get our medication through the NHS. It’s a lifeline for so many who can’t afford private healthcare full-time, but still need help faster than the NHS waiting list allows, which by the way is currently up to 8 years in some areas. Eight. Years. Imagine waiting almost a decade just to be assessed. It’s beyond ridiculous.

But here’s the problem: an increasing number of GPs are straight-up refusing to take on shared care agreements. Why? Often it's because they don’t want to deal with the paperwork. That’s right, paperwork is stopping people from getting life-saving treatments. If a GP won’t agree to shared care, people are left with two horrible choices: pay thousands for ongoing private care, or go back to that eight-year NHS waiting list.

And I can’t stress this enough - this is not just an inconvenience. ADHD, mental health issues, and other conditions need consistent management and medication, not just one-off assessments. Without access to treatment, people are left to struggle with day-to-day life, unable to work, study, or just get by. I’ve spoken to so many who feel completely abandoned by the system. It’s heartbreaking.

Here’s what needs to happen:

1. GPs need to stop refusing shared care agreements. It’s part of their job to support patients. Right to Choose was brought in to ease pressure on the NHS by allowing private assessments with NHS medication. It should work.
2. The NHS needs proper funding. It’s obvious that long waiting lists are a symptom of the wider crisis the NHS is in. Better funding means faster assessments, shorter waiting lists, and more support for GPs to honour shared care agreements without them feeling overwhelmed.
3. People need to be aware that they are entitled to request a shared care agreement and shouldn’t be fobbed off by their GP. If your GP says no, push back. Make them explain why in writing.

If things stay as they are, people are going to fall through the cracks. The waiting lists for ADHD assessments, mental health support, and other treatments will keep growing. And those who can’t afford private care will be left without the help they need.

So, that’s where we’re at. If you’re feeling the impact of this broken system, know you’re not alone - and it’s not okay. We need to keep calling this out until things change.

Let me know your experiences in the comments!

Thanks for reading, Andrew

#RightToChoose #NHS #MentalHealthCrisis #SharedCare