Dear colleague,
Chair’s introduction
Welcome to our second newsletter, your elected LMC representatives (2025-2028) are:
- Dr Mohammad Alzarrad, Lady Margaret Road Surgery
- Dr Dina Ashraf, Corfton Road Surgery
- Dr Sidhartha Datta (EHH Chair), Churchfield Surgery
- Dr Jaz Dhillon, Sessional
- Dr Kamini Gautam, KS Medical Centre
- Dr Arim Ismail, Sessional
- Dr Mark Mikhail, Chepstow Garden Medical Centre
- Dr Jay Patel, Crown Street Surgery
- Dr Miraj Patel, Sessional
- Dr Ravi Ramanathan, Gordon House Surgery
- Dr Onkar Sahota, Greenford Avenue Family Health Practice
- Dr Vichitar Sanghera, Southall Medical Centre
- Dr Sukhpal Shergill, Sessional
Co-opted:
- Dr Ramesh Bhatt, Grove Medical Practice
- Julie Belton, Cuckoo Lane Surgery
- Kathryn Charles, Grove Medical Practice
- Yaksheeta Dave, Hillview 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 their practice staff. If you have a specific practice-related issue then our GP support team can help via GPSupport@lmc.org.uk.
Chair and Vice Chair
I am Dr Sukhpal Shergill, Chair of the Ealing LMC, and I am delighted to share that my colleague, Dr Mark Mikhail, Vice Chair of the Ealing LMC, has been recognised at the recent LLMC London Practice Awards. The event, sponsored by MIAB through the Londonwide LMCs Buying Group, celebrated excellence and dedication across London general practice.
Dr Mikhail was awarded the London LMC Member Award for North West London in recognition of his outstanding commitment to delivering safe, sustainable care and his leadership in shaping the future of general practice.
On behalf of the entire Ealing LMC, I extend our warmest congratulations to Mark on this well‑deserved achievement.
What has Ealing LMC been working on recently?
Supporting sessional GPs
Sessional GPs remain central to the work of the LMC. We continue to advocate that practices apply the recommended and funded uplifts for sessional GPs as set out through the DDRB pay review process. As one profession, sessional GPs form a vital pillar of the general practice workforce. Ensuring fair remuneration is essential to maintaining a stable and sustainable sessional GP workforce, which in turn provides crucial support and flexibility to both partners and salaried GPs.
Responding to the new 2026/27 GP contract
The government has announced that next year’s GP contract will be imposed on the profession. Unlike previous years, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) undertook a broader consultation process rather than engaging in formal negotiation with the General Practitioners Committee for England (GPCE). The funding package includes an assumed uplift of around 2.5%, which may fall short once the DDRB and other pay review bodies issue recommendations later this year.
There has also been no indication of any shift of funding from secondary care or other system areas into general practice. As a result, general practice funding is expected to continue shrinking as a proportion of overall NHS expenditure. Londonwide LMCs’ initial analysis is here and they will provide further information as additional detail is released by government.
The formation of the new West and North London (WNL) ICB
From April, the new WNL ICB will become operational, replacing the former NWL and NCL ICBs. This new structure will span 13 London boroughs and serve a population roughly equivalent to that of New Zealand. However, it will operate with approximately 50% less funding per head than its predecessors.
Given these significant changes, ensuring that GPs have clear routes to escalate issues and influence decision‑making within the new ICB will be a key priority for Ealing LMC.
Responding to enhanced service specifications for 26/27
We have provided input into access, cardiorenalmetabolic, respiratory enhanced service specifications for the new financial year at North West London Single Offer level. We are yet to see Ealing Single Offer specifications. We have made representations on safety, delivery and value for money for each of these workstreams and wlil continue to provide recommendations to ensure patients and practices benefit from delivery of good clinical care.
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 the Borough 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):
- 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 keen to keep you as up to date as possible with the work that the LMC is carrying out on your behalf, but not overburden you. If you want to provide feedback regarding the above questions, please contact Ian Oakley.
Resources available
- Patient information videos available at Londonwide LMCs
- GP and Practice staff training available at Londonwide LMCs
- Advertise practice vacancies for free on Londonwide LMCs
- Safety First – Safety Resource Pack available at Londonwide LMCs
Exclusive deals for practices
Our substantially updated Buying Group offer provides a range of opportunities to save money and improve the quality of products and services you use.
- Get excellent prices and next day delivery on consumables, with a supplier who can respond quickly to your practice needs.
- Access a comprehensive online learning platform, plus packages to manage HR, finance, compliance and rotas.
- Let a specialist GP insurer make sure you have the right cover, with knowledge on developing areas like cyber security, AI scribes and contract holding at PCN level.
- Our records digitisation partners can help free up premises space and recent changes with the National Document Repository have improved practices’ options.
- Intelligent, end-to-end call-and-recall automation does more than simply send reminders, it tailors messages and helps to improve QOF.
- The latest in cloud telephony integrates with clinical systems, provides stats on patient contacts and automates many tasks.
- Reward yourself and your colleagues with free and discounted tickets to concerts, theatre shows, sports and more!
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
Thank you for those of you who contact LMC committee members about issues as they arise. 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