Brent LMC newsletter – April 2025

  • Local LMC newsletters

Covering: ADHD services, referrals, enhanced services, LMC elections, available support and more.

Dear colleague,

We are pleased to present our latest newsletter, which highlights the recent work and collaborative efforts between Brent LMC and Londonwide LMCs along with other local stakeholders. We understand the pressures under which you and your team are working.

Brent LMC Membership and Contact info


What has Brent LMC been working on recently?

ADHD Services
The LMC has raised concerns over shared care pathways and new ADHD provisions. NWL LMCs were not involved in the process for Harrow Health to provide Adult ADHD services. We understand the pathway is for general practice to take on Shared Care and Annual Reviews. Both elements create clinical safety concerns and clinical liability risks for GPs. The four main concerns we concluded as: patient safety; Shared Care; Annual Reviews, and remuneration needed for prescribing.

We are aware of examples where there is no Shared Care agreement, or where Shared Care is not Shared Care due to patients being discharged, with the ask for GPs to prescribe medication. Please be aware of this pattern, and exercise judgement when deciding whether recommendations from other providers fall within your remit and within your competence. This work is NOT mandatory. More guidance on Shared Care pathways can be found here.

Please also be aware that CNWL have the ability to use Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) so they should not be requesting GPs to prescribe on their behalf. Primary/Secondary Care Interface Work continues to push back on all the inappropriate workload dumping which is taking place. Representatives attend several interface meetings including ones with interfacing trusts and NWL ICB.

Rejected referrals
The LMC continue to raise concerns with the number of inappropriate rejected referrals which appears to be increasing and includes suspected cancer pathways and radiology. We are aware of a number of patients who have come to harm due to these rejects. We have written to the NWL Cancer leads about our concerns with the current sarcoma pathway and chased for a response. If you have any examples, you are able to share of these please do share them with a committee member or [email protected] ensuring all patient identifiable information is redacted.

Enhanced Services
The North West London team shared information regarding the Enhanced Services contract variation for 2025/26 which can be found in our last pan-North West London update.

NWL ICB Access 2024/25 Specification – The LMC understands that all PCNs should have received the Phase 1 50p/head payments now totalling £1.3million across NWL. Phase 2 has seen 6 out of 7 PCNs in Brent supported, with Phase 2 funding totalling £4.7million across NWL. Although 2024/25 has been extremely challenging, PCNs have cumulatively achieved the highest amount ever of patient engagement in NWL and just over 80% of funds have been used to improve patient access to General Practice services.

NWL ICB Access 2025/26 Specification – Lots of work has gone into developing the Access 2025/26 specification and has been a collaborative approach with responsiveness to LMC suggestions and contributions. The KPI’s seem achievable and discussions are ongoing to ensure the process is not onerous with meaningful data created to improve patient care.

Late March NWL update


2025 LMC elections

This spring is your opportunity to stand for Brent LMC. Please watch our short animation explaining why should you stand for your local medical committee, which is part of our regularly updated elections page. You can also share the animation and a short message via WhatsApp.

If you would like to find out more about being a member we are running two lunchtime awareness sessions on either Wednesday 7 or 21 May 2025 you can register for these via [email protected].

Nomination packs will be sent out via email at the end of April. If you do not receive regular emails from us, think your details need updating, or you know of any GPs who may not be receiving our updates, whether they are a partner, employed, locum, new entrant or a trainee GP, contact us on [email protected]. The minimum data we require for each GP is the area/borough of London you work in, the name of the practice(s) you are currently working at, your GMC number and a current email address. For more information on how we handle your data, please see our privacy notice.


Resources

Events and training

GP Support Team

The GP Support team provides expert, confidential and bespoke advice and support to individual constituent GPs and practices in difficulties. – Contact: [email protected]


Get in touch

All constituents can raise any issues of concern with the LMC at any time and thank you to those that have been in touch since the last newsletter. We rely on you to know where support is needed and are grateful for your queries. Please do reach out to an LMC member or Amy. We are keen to hear from our local GPs and practice teams about any issues you are facing. We are here to represent your views.

Your Londonwide LMCs’ North West London team are as follows, all contactable via Amy Honor.

  • Amy Honor – Committee Liaison Executive
  • Dr Asiya Yunus – LMC Secretary/Medical Director
  • Jamie Wright – Director of Primary Care
  • Lesley Williams – Assistant Director of Primary Care

Yours Faithfully,

Dr Prakash Chatlani

Interim Chair
Brent LMC