Londonwide LMCs

Dear Colleagues,

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

Your feedback and concerns are invaluable to us; please tell us about any issues or queries, whether local or national, by emailing Londonwide’s SEL Committee Liaison Executive, Aisha at aisha.riaz@lmc.org.uk.

Bromley LMC Membership and Contact info

What has Bromley LMC been working on recently?

New LMC Practice Manager Rep
We are pleased to announce that Katie Mitchell, Practice Manager at Eden Park Surgery, has joined the LMC as the Practice Manager rep.

We welcome Katie and the wealth of knowledge and dedication that she brings to Bromley general practice. Katie will be feeding information into, and asking for feedback from, local meetings and PM Forums to raise issues important to practice managers and bring them to LMC meetings.

Academic Half Day
Bromley LMC hosted a stall at the Academic Half Day on 8 May to connect with general practice colleagues across the borough. It was great to see colleagues and talk about how the LMC supports Bromley general practice and, we hope, encouraged Bromley GPs to stand for the LMC in the spring elections.

Meeting with Liam Conlon, MP for Beckenham and Penge,
Bromley LMC, Londonwide and PCN CD colleagues met with Liam Conlon, MP for Beckenham and Penge, in May. We spoke about:

- Safe working.

The importance of the general practice model.
Unemployment of sessional GPs.
National insurance payment impact for GP partnerships.
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.
Practice sustainability and financial vulnerability.
Mental health services for young people.
Premises and estates.
Availability of diagnostics.
Well-Being cafe.

The meeting was positive, and we will be following up with Mr Conlon via a letter to summarise our discussions.

Update from the Bromley LMC May Meeting
Colleagues from Oxleas attended the Bromley May LMC meeting where we raised the following challenges that GPs are experiencing with CAMHS:

The significant waiting times for appointments.
Clarity on the way referrals are managed and triaged given the large volume of referrals.
Lack of clarity of the process for CAMHS to communicate with GPs as to the status of cases and important updates during management.
The reported challenges of the transfer of and support for CAMHS patients to adult Mental Health Services.

These concerns have been left with Oxleas to report back, and we will follow this up with the newly elected Bromley LMC from September.

Public Health Specification Reviews
LMC colleagues have been engaged in discussions regarding the re-procurement of the GPSLA for NHS Health Checks and Sexual Health. Along with the SEL Londonwide team, we met with Public Health colleagues to discuss the services looking at key highlights, changes to the specifications, funding related to this, and the upcoming service priorities. We will keep constituents updated on the review.

St Mary Cray development
We are aware of anxieties regarding developments in St Mary Cray. Londonwide colleagues have met with the ICB who report that there has been engagement from the Developer with the ICB and Council. The LMC has been informed by the ICB that the LMC and practices will be involved in early engagement should development plans go ahead.

Bromley Child Health Integrated Partnership negotiations
Bromley LMC, Londonwide and PCN CD colleagues are progressing BCHIP negotiations with the ICB. We are working with PCN CD colleagues and the BCHIP team to complete these negotiations as soon as possible. We will update colleagues with the outcomes of the negotiations.

UK LMC Conference
Londonwide and SEL LMC borough representatives attended the UK Conference of LMCs on 8 and 9 May. The full agenda for the day and which motions were passed can be read here.

Londonwide SEL Updates

Engagement with local council
Bromley LMC has raised concerns with the Londonwide SEL team about accommodation/supported housing that fall into an area of exempt regulation and licensing. The Government is currently consulting on in terms of bringing in a new licensing regime. Londonwide LMCs is supporting discussions in Bromley practices affected by this related to a specific issue and engagement with the local council is ongoing.

Weight Management Programme in SEL
From (23 June 2025) NHS England guidance on Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) stipulates that it must be implemented in primary care. That implementation can be via general practice, federations, or community specialist clinics. This is a nationally agreed service, with local ICB commissioners. Tirzepatide represents a new therapy for weight management, but requires structured implementation, appropriate monitoring, and clarity around responsibilities.

Responsibility for commissioning local service/ access has been delegated to ICBs. The funding for this is based on population obesity levels and is separated into drug costs and primary care management costs.

This work is above core work and so non contractual other than where ICBs have commissioned delivery by GPs at practice, PCN, Federation level or a single point of access. GPs could engage in prescribing where they feel clinically safe and it is appropriate to do so without funding if they wish. Details on the commissioned service in SEL ICB is linked below.

Tirzepatide prescribing must be accompanied by wrap around support consisting of psychological, nutritional and exercise advice, and this will be delivered separately through a centrally funded digital package in the first year.

The target population for Tirzepatide will be risk stratified into cohorts and the first year will focus on the highest end; those with a BMI ≥ 40 and at least four comorbidities, including:

A BMI of 40+ (dyslipidaemia/ abnormal fat levels in the blood)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep)
Cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease)
Type 2 diabetes mellitus

SEL ICB have issued comms via SELnet: IMPORTANT: Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Service Model Update.

GPC England has produced a Focus on Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management in General Practice document, which explains how Tirzepatide is used, commissioning arrangements (responsibility for funding lies with ICBs), and responding to information requests from private providers.

The GPC guidance also includes a template letter for practices to respond to requests for medical information following a private consultation.

The BMA have also produced guidance on Mounjaro.

Synnovis
On Thursday 26 June SEL GP representatives and SEL Londonwide met face to face with members of the Synnovis clinical and management which included the CEO of Synlab and the COO of GSST.

The aim of the meeting was to the highest level:

Enable the Trusts, Synnovis and PBU colleagues to understand the issues and experiences of primary care with the current service and the impact this is having on patient care, experience and outcomes.
Provide an opportunity for Synnovis and the trusts to share the challenges they have and the work they are doing to transform and improve the service.
Share and discuss the governance and contracting arrangements.
Address the areas that have been raised as concerns by GP practices.
Agree on priority areas and future engagement and communication with primary care clinicians.

Attendees felt that it was a productive meeting. There are many actions to follow up on and Londonwide will continue to communicate directly with Synnovis on all levels to secure a way forward for an effective and reliable SEL pathology service for constituents.

Londonwide LMCs new CEO

Dr Lisa Harrod-Rothwell officially became CEO of Londonwide LMCs on Tuesday 27 May, replacing Dr Michelle Drage who has retired after many decades representing London’s GP practices. Lisa is joined by Dr Elliott Singer who has stepped into the Deputy CEO role, which Lisa held for nearly 10 years.

Lisa’s message on taking up her new role can be read here, she is also on social media (LinkedIn and BlueSky) and aiming to share updates on these more frequently.

LMC election nominations

Thank you to everyone who nominated themselves for their LMC and those who encouraged colleagues to do so. LMC election nominations closed at 5:00pm on Tuesday 3 June. The new committees will have their first meetings starting from October, following the completion of the full elections process across London. Until then your existing LMC representatives will continue to support you as usual.

Resources

Events and training

Londonwide LMCs’ Workforce Training and Innovation Team (WTI Team)

The WTI Team provides essential training for general practice nurses (GPNs), health care support workers (HCSWs) and practice managers (PMs) working in London general practice. The Team also runs events for practice staff throughout the year. A list of current training is available on the Londonwide LMCs website . For more information on any of the Team’s services, please email wti@lmc.org.uk.

We want to hear from you

Thank you for those of you who contact Bromley LMC committee members about issues as they arise. We rely on you to know where support is needed and are grateful for your queries. We are keen to hear from our local GPs and practice teams about any issues you are facing, so please reach out and tell us about any issues or queries.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Ruth Tinson, Chair, Bromley LMC
Dr Hannah Josty, Vice Chair, Bromley LMC

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