ADHD Medication Prescriptions – Important Update
We have seen a big rise in ADHD diagnoses from private clinics, with many asking us to take over prescribing medication through the NHS. However, some of these clinics are not held to the same standards as NHS services, and this can raise concerns about safety, follow-up, and consistency of care.
From 1 May 2026, we will follow new NHS rules around who we can prescribe ADHD medication for, based on guidance from NHS Kent and Medway.
More information can be found from Right to choose | ICS
What’s Changing?
From 1 May 2026:
- We may accept ADHD medication requests from Right to Choose (RTC) providers approved on the Kent & Medway list (see link above). These are the providers approved by the NHS to offer this care. This is a voluntary agreement and GP practices have the right to decline.
- There must be a Shared Care Agreement in place between your provider and our GP practice. This agreement outlines who is responsible for your care and ensures we work safely together.
- You must attend regular check-ups as part of this agreement. This includes:
- Weight, height, blood pressure, and pulse checks at least every 6 months and you will be invited by the surgery for this
- Over 18 years - a yearly medication review with one of our GP’s
- Under 18 years - a yearly medication review must be arranged with your ADHD specialist
If these checks aren’t completed, we may have to stop prescribing and return responsibility to the provider.
ADHD and autism assessments and treatments are specialist services. GP’s don’t always have the training to safely manage this care without input from specialists.
Our policy is to only accept SCAs with NHS organisations or approved RTC providers. This is because NHS organisations are accountable, they are well monitored, and we know that they will still be around in the future should any problems arise (or at the very least there will be a clear transfer of responsibility). By contrast, private clinics can come and go with little warning. This means that we would have no guarantee that we would have a specialist to talk to if problems arose with the prescription. We do not as a GP practice have any way of holding a private clinic accountable in the same way we can for NHS clinics. They can also be variable in quality, which is why NHS ADHD services may reassess people diagnosed privately.
All of this means that even if a private clinic wanted to engage in an SCA with us, we have no way of guaranteeing that they will actually follow the required steps to keep you or your family safe. Unfortunately, ‘right to choose’ clinics are still private clinics, not NHS ones, so the same applies to them.
The right to choose clinics are still able to provide the patient their medication on an on-going basis. Our decision to not accept shared care agreements with the Right to Choose clinic (not on the list above) does not restrict the patient from receiving their medication from this service.