Transfers, shared care and Right to Choose

A handover is only complete when the receiving prescriber has accepted it. Until then, ask who prescribes.

1 · Quick understanding

Three handovers commonly break: specialist → GP (shared care), one specialist → another (including Right to Choose providers), and service → nobody (discharge without a receiving prescriber). In each case the safe default is the same: the current prescriber stays responsible until the next one has accepted.

Ministers have said GP practices may decline ADHD shared care, and that responsibility then stays with the specialist.

2 · Possible explanations

GP practices may decline shared care for capacity or confidence reasons, especially with independent providers.
Local commissioning policies change, and old rules can be quoted after they have been replaced.

In Coventry and Warwickshire, the commissioner's 2025 ADHD referral policy (COM/46) stated that patients already on the waiting list or under follow-up would be funded; project records indicate it was replaced by an all-age policy from 14 May 2026, whose text should be obtained before relying on either.

3 · Useful next action

Ask any new provider, in writing:

Will you prescribe directly until a shared-care agreement is accepted?
What records do you need from the previous service, and will you request them?
What is your restart plan and review schedule?
Who do I contact between appointments?

6 · Useful resources

Find purpose-labelled external reading, videos, support groups and tools in ADHD resources: find what you need.

Uncertainty

Commissioning rules vary by area and change over time. Check the operative version and its date.

Unresolved sources

The replacement all-age Coventry and Warwickshire policy (from 14 May 2026) has not yet been obtained.

Sources cited

P5 Pulse. Care minister defends GP practices' right to decline ADHD shared care arrangements. 2025. link (Report read via earlier research; primary parliamentary answer not obtained)
P3 NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB. Policy for referral and assessment for ADHD for people under 25 (COM/46), V3, approved 2 April 2025. (Supplied copy read)