To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps being taken to ensure that consistent shared care arrangements for ADHD are implemented.

Shared care arrangements for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication are typically dependent on the involvement of a specialist service responsible for diagnosis, treatment initiation, dose titration and ongoing clinical oversight. Regional shared care arrangements are ordinarily underpinned by specialist HSC services responsible for treatment initiation, monitoring and ongoing clinical review.

The legacy Health and Social Care Board issued correspondence on a number of occasions to private providers and general practice, most recently in June 2021, regarding requests for HSC prescriptions following private consultation. The purpose of this correspondence was to remind both sectors of their clinical responsibilities in relation to prescribing of medications, including Red-Amber list drugs, to patients under their care.

In particular, the limitations with regards to requests to GPs for transfer of ongoing prescribing of medication which for the patient’s GP may not be clinically acceptable. This guidance has not changed.

To further facilitate appropriate shared care arrangements, my Department issued ‘Private (non-HSC) Prescribing Requests Guidance for Primary Care in September 2024. This guidance (Microsoft Word - SPPG guidance - Request to prescribe following private consultations September 2024 FV) provides a reminder that the legal responsibility for prescribing lies with the prescriber who signs the prescription, and it is the responsibility of the individual prescriber to prescribe within their own level of competence and scope of practice.

This guidance reminds prescribers that the legal responsibility for prescribing rests with the clinician who signs the prescription and that individual prescribers should prescribe only within their own level of competence and scope of practice.

The decision to enter into a shared care arrangement, or otherwise, is therefore a clinical decision for the individual GP and must be based on their professional judgement and assessment of the individual clinical circumstances.

At this time, my Department does not intend to issue new or amended guidance, clinical decisions remain that of medical professionals.