Chair’s introduction
We begin a new financial year in the middle of an unresolved national dispute. 98.9% of GPs who participated in the BMA referendum voted to reject the imposed 2026/27 contract changes, and the profession’s message could not be clearer. The core concerns are ones Redbridge colleagues will recognise immediately: mandatory unlimited same day access, an end to capping of consultation requests regardless of capacity, and new rules restricting hospital agreement to GP referrals all imposed without genuine negotiation. GPC England has set a 30 April deadline for the Government to pause the most contentious elements before considering escalation to collective action.
Locally, there is genuinely good news to share. As set out in more detail below, the ICB restructure is bringing with it a significant commitment to levelling up investment in outer North East London and Redbridge is a direct beneficiary. On top of this, we can confirm that Redbridge is set to receive £3.5 million annually invested into the long term conditions framework, starting this year. Critically, this is new money. Our existing baseline funding for local schemes is protected, so this represents a real addition to what general practice in the borough can work with. The details are still being worked through, and we will keep a close eye on how this translates into commissioned activity that reaches practices on the ground. We have asked to be represented in the local implementation group and will report back.
On other local matters: the pathology strike at BHRUT in February and March created real clinical pressure, and we have written formally to both the trust and the ICB to ensure reduced capacity is taken into account for target achievement and that demand held during the strike is processed with a proper recovery plan rather than simply returned.
As ever, we want to hear from you. If you would like an LMC member to visit your practice, contact ian.williamson@lmc.org.uk
Best wishes,
Dr Naj Seedat
Redbridge LMC Chair
Redbridge LMC Memebrship and contact info
Surviving the 2026-27 GP contract – webinars
💻 Via Teams, more content details on Londonwide LMCs website.
📅 12:30-2:00pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026.
📅 7:00-8:30pm, Wednesday 29 April 2026.
Find out about the effect on London, with our unique patient population and commissioning arrangements. The full contract has not yet been published, but Londonwide LMCs’ initial analysis of what has been made available so far is online.
Member spotlight – Dr Chidi Okorie
I am a GP Principal at Ilford Lane Surgery in Redbridge and part of Loxford PCN. I work in a deprived, diverse community where general practice is often the first and most consistent point of contact for patients, many of whom have complex and often chronic medical and social needs. My focus has always been on providing safe, accessible and compassionate care, while ensuring patients are supported to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system.
I became involved with the LMC because I care deeply about the future of general practice and the patients we serve. Over recent years, we have seen a growing shift of workload and clinical responsibility from secondary care into primary care, often without the resources or structures needed to support this safely. This has important implications not just for GPs, but for patient care and system sustainability.
Through my work with the LMC, I intend to continue to advocate for a more balanced and transparent approach to service design and commissioning, one that recognises the realities of frontline practice, protects patient safety, and ensures that changes to care pathways are properly resourced and clinically appropriate.
What has Redbridge LMC been working on recently?
Changes to the Integrated Care Board
NE London ICB’s new, much smaller, structure has been announced. Staff taking voluntary redundancy have now left and recruitment to posts in the new structure is underway. The ICB’s capacity will clearly be reduced, and familiar contacts will be changing.
GPs and practices are advised to use, or at least copy in, the ICB general contact address nelondonicb.nel-primarycare@nhs.net as individuals may have left. Enquiries will be routed from the general address to current responsible staff.
Enhanced services review
We have received confirmation from the ICB that current local schemes for Redbridge will be superseded and incorporated in the new NEL LTC Quality Outcome Framework. These include AF, Adult respiratory, Diabetes (T2), Injectables, EoL and LTC management costs. The Access Commissioning Intention – Appointment numbers will be reinvested.
In terms of the new NEL LTC Quality Outcome Framework, the LMC has asked to join the Redbridge Local Implementation Group (LIG) which is set to be established soon to start the process of engaging local stakeholders in the implementation of the scheme. We will keep practices informed of progress and developments.
Other schemes such as Phlebotomy and Care homes will be recommissioned with updated NEL specifications.
Secondary Care Interface update
Quality Alerts are an important part of monitoring workload transfer and other secondary care issues, so please do ensure you fill them out as often as appropriate. Both BHRUT and Barts Health encourage GPs to use the Quality Alerts channel and make use of the feedback they gain this way as a tool for hospital leadership to improve the quality of work by their teams.
Pathology strike at BHRUT
In February and March there were strikes by pathology staff at BHRUT, leading to reduced capacity in that service and the trust asking GPs to reduce demand. We wrote to the trust asking for more risk-stratified and clinically-appropriate demand reduction, and for requests to be held and processed as capacity returns, rather than returned without a recovery plan.
We also spoke to the ICB asking for the reduced pathology delivery to be taken into account for target achievement – we will write to them to formally register this issue.
Public health update
Redbridge public health are monitoring the measles outbreak in north London – when we spoke to them there had not been any confirmed cases in Redbridge.
Other discussions still ongoing with public health and the ICB include funding for latent TB work, NHS Health Check tariffs, and potentially using general practice to encourage HPV vaccination uptake, framing it as protecting against cancer more than STIs.
B12 injections for housebound patients
Redbridge LMC has raised concerns about access to B12 injections for housebound patients following confirmation from the ICB that District Nursing services are currently operating under business continuity arrangements and are therefore not routinely providing B12 injections. The ICB has advised that patients with pernicious anaemia or malabsorption should still be considered for injectable B12 on a case-by-case basis, in line with NICE guidance, and that this position has been confirmed with District Nursing teams.
However, no response has yet been received from NELFT. The LMC has asked the ICB to clarify when and why the service moved to business continuity arrangements, how long this will remain in place (the original communication in August 2025 suggested 8 weeks), whether an impact assessment and mitigation plan have been completed, and whether this continued arrangement has been formally communicated to system partners, including GP practices.
Neighbourhood development
We heard from Jeremy Kidd from the ICB of the progress being made with neighbourhoods, which have started to meet with PCN Chairs. There are some new ways of working to get used to, including engaging a wider range of partners and observing a different governance framework. LMC members felt that it was important for each neighbourhood to focus on local priorities. Engagement with the ICB on this will continue and we will keep practices updated on any development.
London GP awards
These were awarded on 5 February at the Houses of Parliament. There was a lot of highly positive work to celebrate and we congratulate all the winners, especially some of our neighbours in NE London. As an LMC we would like to encourage more GPs and practice teams to nominate work in the borough for the 2027 awards, when nominations open towards the end of the year.
North East London sector issues
Many issues affecting Redbridge also affect other boroughs in NEL and we work closely with our counterparts to address and resolve them at sector level. As well as this borough newsletter, there is a NEL newsletter to communicate our sector work. The most recent issue featured the neighbourhood health framework, a NEL weight management update, PLT funding and more. You can read it here NEL Newsletters.
Engaging with Redbridge LMC
We are keen to listen to practices, to understand the issues they are worried about and the challenges they are currently facing – let us know if you would like a call or for an LMC member to visit your practice for a conversation. Please email ian.williamson@lmc.org.uk
Please also visit the Londonwide LMC website for a one-stop shop on our support for practices—details of our services, practical resources (including template letters and guidance), and details of your Redbridge LMC committee, including meeting dates and previous local and NEL newsletters.
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.
- Hillcroft Surgery Supplies – Get excellent prices and next day delivery on consumables, with a supplier who can respond quickly to your practice needs.
- Practice Index – Access a comprehensive online learning platform, plus packages to manage HR, finance, compliance and rotas.
- 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.
- MIAB – 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.
- Restore Information Management – Our records digitisation partners can help free up premises space and recent changes with the National Document Repository have improved practices’ options.
- Hippo Labs – Intelligent, end-to-end call-and-recall automation does more than simply send reminders, it tailors messages and helps to improve QOF.
- Surgery Connect – The latest in cloud telephony integrates with clinical systems, provides stats on patient contacts and automates many tasks.
- Tickets for Good – Reward yourself and your colleagues with free and discounted tickets to concerts, theatre shows, sports and more!