Dear colleagues,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, as Chair of the Hillingdon LMC, alongside our Vice Chair Dr Sujata Chadha. This is the first of what will be a regular series of newsletters. Everyone on the LMC recognises the increasing pressures that general practice is under and are committed to try and address some of the pressures by helping practices and PCNs reduce the unfunded work they are doing, maximizing the uptake of schemes and innovations to free up appointments and reduce health inequalities, along with working with partners in the ICS to improve relationships and reduce inappropriate workload shift which is unsafe for both patients and practice staff.
Your current LMC members are (contact can be made via the Londonwide LMC team details at the end of this letter):
Hillingdon LMC
- Dr Venothan Suri, Chair, Glendale Medical Centre/ HH Collaborative PCN
- Dr Sujata Chadha, Vice Chair, Wallasey Medical Centre/ Celandine Health and Metro Care PCN
- Dr Ronald Arulnesan, The Medical Centre (Wood Lane)/ Celandine Health and Metro Care PCN
- Dr Bushra Khawaja, The Medical Centre (Wood Lane)/ Celandine Health and Metro Care PCN
- Dr Mahendra Mashru, King Edwards Medical Centre/ Celandine Health and Metro Care PCN
- Dr Khatanji Odedra, Carepoint Practice/ North Connect PCN
- Dr Manish Patel, Carepoint Practice/ North Connect PCN
- Dr Satesh Sehdev, The Pine Medical Centre/ Long Lane First Care Group PCN
- Dr Jaipal Singh Sira, Cedar Brook Practice/ HH Collaborative PCN
- Dr Minal Jain, Sessional GP/VTS Representative
- Dr Divya Varsani, Sessional GP/VTS Representative, The Mountwood Surgery/ North Connect
- Ms Delia Stearnes, Practice Nurse representative, Oakland Medical Centre/ Colne Union PCN
- Mr Wissam Darouiche, Practice Manager representative, Oakland Medical Centre/ Colne Union PCN
Local priorities
Hillingdon LMC’s local priorities include the need for services requiring input from general practice to be co-designed by GPs and practice teams. Services need to be funded and resourced appropriately for clinical and patient safety and equality of access. LMC members will continue to engage with stakeholders to campaign for this. General practice needs to speak with a unified voice to ensure that GPs’ (all NHS GPs and trainees), practices’, PCNs’ and patients’ needs are considered in planning services at a borough and North West London level.
Recent and current areas where LMC committee members are engaged
At a borough level:
- Enhanced Access DES: the Hillingdon LMC meets bi-monthly with the Borough Team. The LMC has supported PCNs/practices and worked positively with the ICS at an overarching task and finish group to manage initial expectations that London ICSs would provide services over and above DES requirements. The LMC position is that any services in addition to the national DES should be contractualised and resourced separately. The Borough Team confirmed that any services above the national specification were an aspiration on their behalf and PCNs would not be obliged to provide them. They also confirmed that the national template for PCN DES plans -distributed by Londonwide- would be accepted.
- Autumn vaccination programme.
- Winter access proposals.
- We will be seeking to engage with Hillingdon’s Director of Public Health, to work together on public health issues relating to primary care.
At a North West London level
We also collaborate with our LMC colleagues across north west London to address issues including:
- The North West London Estates Review, seeking to ensure the needs of GPs and their practices are taken into account and ensure fit for purpose premises will be available in the future.
- North West London Enhanced Services Review: the LMC is working with the ICS team to equalize the provision of services across the 8 boroughs to reduce health inequalities.
- Hillingdon LMC members attend a monthly meeting with the NWL PCN-CD Group, to interact on issues of mutual concern.
- Workforce Returns: it is part of the national contract that practices make monthly workforce returns, even when there have been no staff changes. This has been raised by NWL ICS and ultimately breach notices may be issued. Therefore we would remind all members to log in monthly and make a return. This will improve the system understanding of the General Practice workforce and workload crisis.
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. LMC members are keen to hear from our local GPs and practice teams about any issues you are facing.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Venothan Suri, Chair – Hillingdon LMC
Amy Honor, Committee Liaison Executive, amy.honor@lmc.org.uk
Dr Asiya Yunus, LMC Secretary/Medical Director
Jamie Wright, Director of Primary Care
Lesley Williams, Assistant Director of Primary Care