Dear colleague,
This is our first newsletter since the LMC elections of 2025. Your newly elected LMC representatives are:
Ealing LMC Membership and Contact info
Our committee:
- Dr Mohammad Alzarrad, Lady Margaret Road Surgery
- Dr Jay Patel, Sessional
- Dr Sidhartha Datta (EHH Chair), Churchfield Surgery
- Dr Jaspreet Dhillon, Featherstone Road Health Centre
- Dr Kamini Gautam, KS Medical Centre
- Dr Arim Ismail, Sessional
- Dr Mark Mikhail, Chepstow Garden Medical Centre
- Dr Miraj Patel, Sessional
- Dr Ravi Ramanathan, Gordon House Surgery
- Dr Onkar Sahota, Greenford Avenue
- Dr Vichitar Sanghera, Southall Medical Centre
- Dr Sukhpal Shergill, Sessional
- Dr Ramesh Bhatt, the Grove Medical Practice
- Dr Dina Ashraf, Corfton Road Surgery
What is the LMC and what do we do?
The Local Medical Committee (LMC) works on your behalf to represent the interest of all GPs in Ealing. We are here for partners, salaried GPs, locums and all practice staff. If you have a specific practice-related issue then our GP support team may be able to help – they can be contacted at GPSupport@lmc.org.uk.
Chair and Vice Chair
I am Dr Sukhpal Shergill, the Chair of the Ealing LMC and my colleague Dr Mark Mikhail is the Vice Chair. For the last year Mark has been the Chair of the LMC, while I was on secondment covering for the maternity leave of Dr Hannah Theodorou in the role of Medical Director to EHH and KCW LMCs, including Ealing LMC. Hannah is now back as Medical Director and I have resumed the role of Chair. I would like to thank Mark for all his hard work as Chair and pleased that he is resuming the role of Vice Chair of Ealing LMC. I also continue as the Vice Chair of EHH LMC, with fellow Ealing GP Dr Sid Datta as the EHH LMC Chair. In addition to elected LMC members we have support from Yaksheeta Dave, Kathryn Charles and Julie Belton who provide expertise as Clinical Pharmacist, Practice Manager and Nurse Practitioner, making our committee very informed.
What has Ealing LMC been working on recently?
- Sessional GPs
Sessional GPs are central to the work of the LMC. The LMC recommends that practices pay Sessional GPs that include uplifts, which are recommended and funded, via the DDRB pay review process. As one profession, Sessional GPs form a vital part of the general practice ecosystem and it is only if those GPs receive fair remuneration can a stable Sessional GP workforce exist, which gives vital support and flexibility to partners and salaried GPs. - Constituency engagement
In 2026 the Ealing LMC will be seeking to engage with grass roots GPs in the Borough. The LMC is for all GPs: partners, salaried, locums, part time and full time. We want to know your concerns and issues, so that we can raise them with the right bodies and people.
At NWL ICB and National level:
- NWL/NCL Merger. After the government announced the abolition of NHS England and a further 50% cut to ICB funding, the NWL ICB and NCL ICB decided to merge to form a new 13 Borough ICB, covering 4.5 million residents and called the West and North London ICB. This new ICB will launch in April 2026. The Chair of the ICB will be Mike Bell and the new CEO was supposed to be Francis O’Callaghan, who was the existing CEO of NCL and became joint NWL/NCL CEO in October; however, on the 26th November she announced she was stepping down to take another role and therefore a new CEO will have to be appointed in due course.
- Primary Care Provider Collaborative. With the funding cuts to ICBs a Primary Care Provider Collaborative (PCPC) is being established to give and unified provider voice and manage primary care provision. The PCPC is being set up as Community Interest Company (CIC). The initial funding will be provided by the ICB but longer term the PCPC will have to be self-funding. The LMC continues to seek clarity on the transfer of functions and supporting resources, to ensure that primary care does not lose out.
LMC Engagement – What’s the best way to contact you?
Ealing LMC is currently looking at how it engages with our colleagues in general practice across Newham, and we would be grateful if you would let us know the most efficient way(s) of reaching you. We are open to any method of communication and would appreciate your feedback regarding the methods we could adopt. These could include (but are not limited to):
- Local Newsletters
- Social media
- Local Practice visits
- Attending meetings/events
- Clinical group meetings
- PCN CD meetings
- PM forums
- Email alerts
In addition to the above we would be grateful if you could let us know how regularly you wish to be updated, we are aware that practices receive multiple communications throughout your working week, so we do not wish to over burden you, but are keen to keep you as up to date as possible with the work that the LMC is carrying out on your behalf. If you want to provide feedback regarding the above questions, please contact Ian Oakley.
Resources
Events and training
- Aspiring to Partnership Programme
- Group Coaching Circle 4 running through January into February
- The NHS Pension – End of year processing running in May 2026
Refreshed Londonwide LMCs Buying Group
Our substantially updated Buying Group offer is now live, bringing high quality products, service, opportunities and offers to London general practice at the best prices and with the best possible deals.
The offer now includes a supplier for each of these areas: consumables, insurance, training and practice support and wellbeing (including free and discounted tickets to music, theatre and sports events). In addition, we have four suppliers for digital and tech services covering: cloud telephony, records digitisation and call-and-recall automation.
Get in touch!
All constituents can raise any issues of concern with the LMC at any time. It would be great to hear from constituents on any feedback or issue you may have from operational concerns with NWL Enhanced Services Single Offer. Please feel free to contact ian.oakley@lmc.org.uk and he will take up your issue.
Thank you for those of you who contact LMC committee members about issues as they arise. We rely on you to know where support is needed and are grateful for your queries. Please do reach out to LMC members or Ian. 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.
Yours Faithfully,
Dr Sukhpal Shergill
Chair, Ealing LMC
Londonwide’s NWL LMC Team
Ian Oakley, Committee Liaison Executive, ian.oakley@lmc.org.uk
Dr Hannah Theodorou, LMC Secretary/Medical Director
Jamie Wright, Director of Primary Care
Lesley Williams, Assistant Director of Primary Care