To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the process under the Shared Care programme whereby adults obtain a diagnosis for ADHD which requires regular prescriptions of medication; (ii) whether some or all NHS GPs are (a) currently writing; and (b) allowed to write, prescriptions for the necessary medication following such a diagnosis; and (iii) the conditions under which NHS GPs are able to provide such prescriptions.

In Northern Ireland shared care arrangements may be put in place where a medicine initiated by a hospital doctor is regarded as a ‘specialist medicine’ due to the rare use of the medicine in the community and/or the requirement for complex prescribing not normally undertaken in general practice by a GP. Patients for whom such medicines are prescribed, may also have particular complex monitoring requirements, which require specialist knowledge for the appropriate interpretation of results. There are a number of medications which are prescribed for ADHD which are regarded as specialist medicines.

Shared-care arrangements for specialist medicines enable GPs to prescribe specialist medicines initiated by the hospital specialist. Such arrangements should be made with the agreement of all parties. The GP should have sufficient knowledge, experience and information to support them to undertake the prescribing and the hospital specialist should provide the GP and patient with sufficient information to permit the safe management of the condition. If the GP is not satisfied to take prescribing responsibility this should be explained to the specialist and patient and alternative arrangements provided by the hospital specialist.