Dear colleague,
This is the second Hounslow LMC newsletter, since last year’s LMC election. Your elected LMC members are listed below:
Our committee:
- Dr Alex Gorrie, Chiswick Medical Practice
- Dr Kapil Kotecha, St David’s Practice
- Dr Parmod Luthra, Spring Grove Medical Practice
- Dr Mohammed Muzafer, Hatton Medical Practice
- Dr Gurcharan Salotera, Little Park Surgery
- Dr Raj Singh, Clifford Road Surgery
- Dr Navinchandra Thakrar, Holly Road Medical Centre
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 Hounslow. We are here for partners, salaried GPs, locums and all practice staff. We also have VTS and practice manager reps on the LMC and are supported by staff from Londonwide LMC. If you have a difficult work-related issue then our GP support team may be able to help – they can be contacted at GPSupport@lmc.org.uk.
Hounslow LMC
I am Dr Kapil Kotecha, the Chair of the Hounslow LMC and I work with my LMC colleagues, including the Vice Chair Dr Gurcharan Salotera, to ensure that the voice of General Practice and GPs are heard. Since the first round of funding cuts to ICBs, the Hounslow ICB Borough Team has continued to meet with us regularly, this has not been the case in all areas. This has been an opportunity for us to raise issues and concerns directly with ICB staff.
As the Borough Teams are no longer continuing in the new ICB structure, I want to take this chance to thank Dr Amit Gupta, Mark Jarvis and Palak Joshi for continuing to meet with the Hounslow LMC up to April and their engagement and professionalism in those meetings.
What has Hounslow 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.
- The new GP contract for 26/27. The government is imposing next year’s GP contract on the profession. It was presented after broader consultation beyond the traditional representative body of the General Practitioners Committee for England (GPCE). This was the first time that the DHSC openly called it a consultation rather than a negotiation. The funding includes an estimated 2.5% pay assumption, which may be insufficient following the pay review body reports/ recommendations later in the year. There is no evidence of a shift of funding from secondary care and other parts of the system into general practice. General practice funding is likely to shrink further as a percentage of total NHS spend. Londonwide LMC will be providing further analysis as more information is published by the government.
The new West and North London (WNL) ICB. As of April, the new WNL ICB will commence operation, replacing the NWL and NCL ICBs. The new ICB will cover 13 London Boroughs, with a population about the same as New Zealand. This new body will have 50% less funding, per head, than before. This means that one of the priorities of Ealing LMC will be to ensure that GPs are able to make their voice heard and have mechanisms to escalate issues and/or concerns.
LMC Engagement – What’s the best way to contact you?
Hounslow 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.
- GP and Practice staff training.
- Advertise practice vacancies for free.
- Safety First – Safety Resource Pack.
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 and he will take up your issue.
Thank you for those of you who contact Hounslow 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 Kapil Kotecha
Chair
Hounslow LMC
Londonwide LMCs’ 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