Chair’s introduction
As Chair of Lewisham LMC, I am delighted to provide a brief introduction to this newsletter.
Over the years, we have seen changes and upheaval in the local healthcare landscape, but nothing like the funding and workload pressure over the last couple of years. It does feel that positive change needs to come, and it cannot come soon enough.
Lewisham LMC is taking every opportunity to help commissioners and other local health, and social care partners understand the immense pressure general practice is under.
LMC members are eager to hear from you and the challenges you are facing. This will provide evidence that General Practice needs more financial and organisational support, if it is to deliver type quality of care that it desperately wants to, and what our patients truly deserve. 
The LMC is here to represent your views and ensure that the voice of General Practice is heard loudly and clearly. Please feel free to approach any one of the LMC members or if you have any queries or questions, please contact the LMC via Committee Liaison Executive, Aisha, at Aisha.riaz@lmc.org.uk.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Simon Parton
Lewisham LMC committee members 2025-28 term
- Dr Paul Adams- PMS Principal, Lee Road Surgery
- Dr Adejoke Adeyeye- PMS Principal, The Lewisham Care Partnership
- Dr Grace Bottoni- PMS Salaried, Modality Lewisham
- Dr Chinyere Ezewuzie – GMS Salaried, Kingfisher Medical Practice
- Dr Chrisanthan Ferdinand- PMS Principal, The Lewisham Care Partnership
- Dr James O’Toole – PMS Salaried, The Lewisham Care Partnership
- Dr Rachel Forgan – PMC Principal, Grove Medical Centre
- Dr Simon Parton – PMS Principal, Modality Lewisham, LMC Chair
- Dr Margaret Senbanjo- PMS Salaried, The Vale Medical Centre
- Dr Aaminah Verity – PMS Salaried, Deptford Surgery
- Jane Dolega-Ossowski – Practice Nurse Representative, Novum Health Partnership
- Ed Hillan – Practice Manager Representative, Sydenham Green Group Practice
- Sandra Younsi – Practice Manager Representative, The Vale Medical Centre
GP Support Team
Lewisham practices can also access confidential support and advice about practice specific issues via Londonwide LMCs GP Support Team GPSupport@lmc.org.uk. The team operates at different levels providing confidential, tailor made, expert advice and assistance to individual doctors, practices and PCNs in difficulty; Contractual support to our primary care teams; Feedback/responses to PCCC papers & briefings to LMC reps; Policy influence at London level e.g. NHSE/ICBs, CQC; Attendance at PSGs and PLDPs. For further information upon what the GP Support Team can help you with, please see this link.
What has Lewisham LMC been working on recently?
Updates from the Lewisham LMC August Meeting
Dr Anna Robinson, GP Clinical Lead in Mental Health Transformation at SEL ICB, provided an update on mental health services in Lewisham, including referral pathways, the community mental health services redesign, the primary/secondary care interface and ADHD shared care. Lewisham LMC raised ongoing concerns with mental health referral pathways, particularly patients being repeatedly redirected between PCMHT, CADAT, IAPT and other SLAM services.
The LMC discussed that services should take responsibility for onward referrals and not return patients to GPs. The LMC also raised concerns about access to same-day specialist advice during mental health crises, the need for a stronger primary/secondary care interface, and the proposed community mental health redesign.
Regarding ADHD shared care, the LMC discussed concerns that the Oxleas triage form asks practices whether they would theoretically accept shared care with independent providers without providing the relevant agreements. Dr Robinson has agreed to escalate LMC concerns and will meet with LMC to discuss solutions to the Oxleas triage form.
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
Work continues on developing the Neighbourhood hubs and integrated delivery plans within Lewisham. Plans for delegated functions from the ICB to place (Lewisham) are also moving forward. The LMC is actively engaged with system partners at the appropriate meetings to ensure General Practice remains front and centre of the developing new health models.
We have working closely with colleagues in the process of developing the new OHL and would like specifically to thank the energy brought to this process by Dr Jetha and Dr Tattersfield and the members of OHL and recognise the support of our partners within Lewisham who have ensured there has been allocated resources to develop the project. I am looking forward to the next primary-secondary care interface meeting in September. 
This group has developed and has demonstrated a keenness to engage and make meaningful difference. LMC would like to thank Dr John O’Donoghue for his energy and commitment and welcome Dr Belinda McCall, who has replaced John.
Seasonal flu campaign 26/27
We are aware that practices have been contacted regarding cancellation of orders of the Supemtek vaccine from Sanofi due to a batch failure. Practices have been advised to order alternative vaccine stock from CSL Seqirus who have confirmed they currently have sufficient supplies. The national team are in discussion with providers and will keep practices updated. Please see here for the guidance from Londonwide LMCs.
Constituent engagement
During the next 9 months, we will be embarking on a period of engagement. We are hoping to arrange visits to all practices within Lewisham to hear from all of you directly – as well as updating colleagues with the resources and support available both locally and at Londonwide. We are keen to listen and learn to ensure that we are to provide the support you need and communicate in a way that works for you.
SEL Strategic Leadership Network (SLN) of LMC Chairs and Vice Chairs in SEL update
SEL/SWL integrated Weight Management Pathway
- SEL/SWL ICBs aim to implement a 3 year, neighbourhood based integrated weight management pathway across South London, using general practice for proactive case finding and community pharmacy for delivery, supported by wraparound behavioural services. The target cohort in SEL are patients with BMI ≥35 with early‑onset type 2 diabetes, age 19–49, not on insulin (950 patients in SEL).
- While the programme is funded and targeted at high risk cohorts SEL LMCs and Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth LMCs have raised significant concerns about this proposed Pathway, stating they cannot support the specifications in their current form.
- Their primary concern is that clinical responsibility, governance risk and workload appear likely to fall disproportionately on GPs, despite assurances that prescribing pharmacists retain responsibility for prescribing decisions. Members feel there is insufficient clarity on who is accountable for complications, escalations, abnormal findings, specialist communications, care coordination and unresolved clinical issues, particularly where the pathway refers to “joint responsibility” and “shared provider-led care.”
- Members are working constructively with the ICB to seek clarity on clinical governance and accountability arrangements, operational processes and funding and contracting and commissioning approaches.
Primary Care Strategic Commissioning Framework
- Londonwide LMCs has secured LMC representation on the SEL Primary Care Strategic Commissioning Framework Task and Finish Group which will seek to develop a strategic framework for primary care commissioning across South East London (SEL). It is intended that this will facilitate a more equitable, transparent and strategically aligned approach.
- This includes the levelling up of investment across general practice and addressing unwarranted variation in primary care funding between boroughs. Through LMC leadership it is intended that GPs are actively engaged in co-designing recommendations to the SEL Strategic Commissioning Committee for their consideration and approval which enhances long term practice financial sustainability.
Transfer of ICB Functions – GPIT
- Londonwide LMCs met with SEL ICB senior leaders to discuss plans to transfer several ICB functions to provider organisations, including the GP IT service, which is proposed to be hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). This is part of the wider structural transformation of health systems required as part of national policy which requires ICBs to shift their role towards strategic commissioning and will see a number of their current functions transferred to providers in future.
- The ICB stressed that the programme is still evolving and welcomed feedback from GPs and LMCs. When detailed service specifications are made available further engagement is planned, including discussions with the SEL Strategic Leadership Network (SLN) to identify, address and mitigate risks to practices and the wider system.
SEL Anti psychotic Long Acting Injections pathway review
- For 2026/27 there is a total of £3.5m Mental Health Strategic Investment Fund funding available across SEL to support embedding mental health in neighbourhood health. One of the priorities set out by SEL ICB for 26/27 is the expansion of the multi-morbidity model to include people with SMI, with a proposed first focus on service users on antipsychotic long-acting injections (LAIs).
- Londonwide LMCs are engaged in ongoing discussions with commissioners on a review of the LAI pathway highlighting the present absence of financial modelling and the GP/Pharmacy impact assessment and issues with existing pathways. It is anticipated that pilot programmes for testing options for the LAI pathway will be part of MH SIF plans and Londonwide LMCs has been clear that Borough LMCs must be part of the discussions around development of these pilots which should only commence if identified risks are mitigated and consider a wider range of options.
Well done to the prize draw winners from our Buying Group survey
Thank you to everyone that took part in our Buying Group survey, we plan to run another one in the autumn. The randomly selected winners of the gift vouchers were:
- Trudy Do, Havergal Surgery
- Karen Tobin, The Bromley Common Practice
- Anca Radulescu, St. Margarets Medical Practice
- Marian Negoita, Amersham Vale Practice
- Aparna Pal, Jubilee Garden Medical Centre
Our Buying Group suppliers are:
- Hillcroft Surgery Supplies – Get next day delivery and industry leading stock availability, thanks to their investment in substantial warehouse facilities.
- Practice Index – Pick and choose what you need out of their learning platform, or software to manage HR, finance, compliance and rotas.
- Hippo Labs – Have your call-and-recall work smarter, reach more patients and improve QOF attainment. Hippo Labs automatically customises many types of message.
- Equity Energies – Reduce energy costs, save time, become greener and remove the administrative burden of managing utilities by having experts do it all for you.
- Surgery Connect – Automates more tasks within your phone system, integrates with clinical records and seamlessly bridges in and out-of-hours.
- MIAB – You existing policies may have more gaps than you think, particularly in developing areas like cyber and ARRS employment. Rely on MIAB’s specialist expertise to ensure you are fully covered.
- Restore Information Management – Whether you need a room full of records doing or a steady flow of new registrations, Restore take the hassle out of digitising patient records.
- Tickets for Good – Reward yourself and your colleagues with free and discounted tickets to concerts, theatre shows, sports and more!