In this edition
Welcome to our Wandsworth LMC newsletter. We aim to inform you about the role of the LMC and how the LMC can support you in your practice. As you will see we have news sections and standing information sections. Details of your local LMC representatives are outlined at the end of this newsletter, and they are keen to hear from you on issues that are impacting you/your practice on a day-to-day basis.
Jeremy Gray, Chair Wandsworth LMC
What is the LMC and what do we do?
We:
- Are the representative body for General Practice that is recognised in statute
- Consult with NHS bodies, integrated care boards (ICBs) and local councils, negotiating local contract terms for general practice
- Work for and support individual GPs and practices and are the professional voice of general practice at a local level.
- Support GPs via knowledge of contracts, systems, stakeholders at all levels, including borough, ICB, regional and national.
- Inform and engage with workforce development, planning, education and training for all roles within general practice.
Upcoming events:
Special LMC conference (19 March) – Friends House, London
There will be Wandsworth LMC representation at the LMC special conference, which will discuss and determine the next steps in light of the recent announcement regarding the negotiations on the GP contract.
The LMC working on your behalf:
Since the last newsletter, the LMC has considered the following issues:
MICAS Clinics writing FIT notes
Concerns were raised by LMC members regarding the additional workload generated as a result of MICAS physios requesting GPs to write FIT notes for their patients. The LMC raised the issue via the GP Federation, and we have now received confirmation that the MICAS clinics will now be issuing FIT notes to patients, thus saving valuable GP time.
The LMC have also discussed the following public health contract:
Psychosexual Services at Falcon Road
Following notification that CLCH would no longer be providing the psychosexual counselling services at Falcon Road the LMC invited Public Health colleagues to attend the LMC meeting in December 2024, to provide an update on CLCH’s replacement.
They explained that it was proposed that CLCH would advise those patients on its waiting list to contact their GP to ask them to refer them to the new provider. The LMC expressed concern that this would create unnecessary workload for GPs and suggested instead that CLCH write to patients asking for their permission to share their data with the new provider.
This suggestion was taken on board and CLCH has now written to every patient on its waiting list asking them to email Spectra, the new provider, should they still feel in need of counselling. If they are still in need, they will ask Spectra to contact them using CLCH’s email as proof of GP referral. GPs should also have also received a letter from CLCH informing them of this process.
LMC comments on referral forms, pathways and guidelines
Over the last 6 months Wandsworth LMC has provided comments in relation to the following:
- SWL Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic Referral form
- SWL Early Arthritis Clinic Referral form
- SWL Heart Failure Diagnostic pathways
- SWL Gastroenterology pathway changes
- SWL Teledermatology pathways
- SWL Gastro pre-referral guidance
- SWL Dizziness guidelines
Request from online providers of weight loss medication
Following concerns raised by GPs regarding increasing requests from online providers of weight loss medication, asking practices to confirm that patients do not suffer contraindications to the medication to be prescribed, we drafted a template letter for GPs to utilise when responding to the providers (template below).
Dear xxx
Re (Name of patient to be inserted)
Many thanks for your email/letter of (insert date) asking if the above patient suffers from any contraindication to the medication you propose to prescribe.
Unfortunately, the practice is not in a position to respond to all requests of this nature, hence I suggest that you review with the patient their medical records, which the patient should be able to access online, to enable you to determine if the medication is indeed appropriate for you to prescribe.
Yours etc
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs)
The LMC is aware that the wider provider community are prioritising the move to integrated neighbourhood teams, and we are watching this space closely for any changes that might be proposed to our working conditions and terms of service. We already liaise with the PCN leads through the PCBM forum, chaired by Rob Seal, which meets monthly.
Engagement with community providers
We intend to hold some on-line mini presentations with our community providers to get to know them better. This is particularly relevant in this climate of economic hardship being experienced in community services. We hope you may be able to make space in your diaries to attend and we will advertise their dates/times as they come up.
External provider slot: A focus on the work of Healthwatch in Wandsworth
Our local Healthwatch group explain their work:
Who are we:
- Health and Social Care Act 2012 established Healthwatch in English local authority areas and Healthwatch England to bring us together.
- We are the Independent champion for people using health and social care in Wandsworth – we aren’t part of the NHS or the Council.
- We want to make sure the voice and feedback of people using health and care are used in decisions about local services by working with decision makers across the system.
What do we do?
- The Health and Social Care Act gave us powers to “Enter and View” places where health and social care is being provided to hear the experiences of the service users and report on what is working well and what could be improved. This is not like a CQC inspection, it is a lay view reflecting the experiences and knowledge of patients receiving the services.
- Through Enter and View work, community outreach and surveys we listen to peoples’ experiences of services and offer insight about their real experiences and what they want and need to the people who can make changes.
- We have events, newsletters and a website to keep share important health and care information and to tell them about opportunities across the system for their experience and voice to help people design and deliver services.
- We also have a phone number and email address people can use to ask us for help finding the services they need or advising them on how they might raise issues if they are having them.
- Our approach is to work with health and care providers and commissioners across the system to understand the needs of local people and how services do or can meet their needs. Where issues are affected by national policy we can raise these via Healthwatch England who work with central health and care government departments and national bodies.
How can you find out more and get involved:
- Promote Healthwatch to your patients if we might be able to help them
- Sign up to our newsletter
- Take a look at our reports about what people have been saying about health and care in Wandsworth
- Get in touch if you think we could work together on patient insight or how to involve patients
- If you have some key news about work you are doing with patients e.g. a special health and wellbeing event or a workshop, send it on to us and we might be able to include it in our newsletter or share on social media.
- We could also connect you to local community groups if you want to do some targeted work on health promotion or speaking to the community about their experiences.
- Your insight on the system challenges are really valuable to help us focus our work on specific and practical topics so we are always very happy to speak to you.
Your LMC
The list below is the current membership of Wandsworth LMC, with the current term running until 31 August 2025. All places will be up for election in the Spring/Summer, election timeline below:
- Nomination packs issued w/c 28 April 2025
- Online awareness events covering the role of LMCs and why GPs should consider standing – Weds 7 May and Weds 21 May 1 pm to 2 pm
- Close of nominations Tues 3 June 2025 5pm
- Voting papers issued/Declaration of results from those constituencies elected without a ballot Monday 23 June 2025
- Close of voting: Tuesday 22 July 2025 (12.00 pm)
- Publication of results: Monday 28 July 2025
Nominations can be submitted online on the digital platform provided by Civica Election Services and further information on this will be shared with all GPs over the next few months. Any GP working in the LMC area can self-nominate for election. If they work in more than one LMC area, they should stand in the LMC area where they provide the majority of their primary medical services work.
In the meantime, please contact any of the LMC committee members listed below if you have any issues you wish to raise:
- Dr Soleman Begg, St Johns Hill Surgery – Begg Practice
- Dr Ashleigh Helm, Putneymead
- Dr Savita Ghattaora, Grafton Medical Partners
- Dr Zahid Ghufoor, Streatham Park Surgery
- Dr Jeremy Gray (LMC Chair), Falcon Road Medical Centre
- Dr Farah Jamil, Brocklebank Group Practice
- Dr Nasr Khan, Junction Health Centre
- Dr Penelope Smith, Grafton Medical Partners
- Dr Harriet Wheldon, Battersea Rise Group Practice
- Dr Stephen Woolford (VTS rep), Thurleigh Road Practice
- Anas Tahir (VTS rep)
- Sam Metcalf (PM rep), Elborough Street Surgery
- Natasha Frederick (PN rep), Falcon Road Medical Centre
Focus on your current LMC representatives
Practice manager representative – Sam Metcalf
Sam Metcalf is a Practice Manager (PM) in Wandsworth and is the LMC representative for managers in the Borough. He attends and chairs, on rotation, the PM forums. He liaises with the LMC on behalf of managers and raises issues and concerns pertinent to practice management.
Recent drives have included pushing back on secondary care workload transfer to primary care, especially from private providers and improving clarity for practices on the BMA collective action and helping to support colleagues to make informed decisions.
Londonwide’s LMC Team supporting Wandsworth LMC:
- Dr Asiya Yunus for clinical queries or issues, Medical Director, [email protected]
- Kate Hudson for contractual info/management advice, Director of Primary Care, [email protected]
- Nicola Rice for SWL wide issues Assistant Director of Primary Care, [email protected]
- David Moore for Borough level issues, Committee Liaison Executive, [email protected]
- Kat Lederle info on LMC meetings, Committee Administrator, [email protected]
Other services that Londonwide LMCs provides on behalf of general practice across Wandsworth.
GP Support team
The General Practice Support team comprises 6F/T non-medics (Vicky Ferlia, Jan Swannell, Jacqui Perfect, Amy Elliott, Yvonne Frank, Vanessa Douglas) and 4 P/T Medical Directors (Dr Elliott Singer, Dr Kirsa Morganti, Dr Sara Riley, Dr Lowri Kew).
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 PAGs and PLDPs’. General Practice support includes:
| Individual doctors | Individual practices |
|
|
PCN Support
|
|
For help or support please contact the GP Support team at [email protected] .
Workforce-Training and Innovation (WTI)
A message from Ann Ayamah, Head of Workforce-Training and Innovation, Londonwide LMCs:
The smallest team within Londonwide LMCs, but we pack a mighty punch!
Delivering events and programmes, running the Londonwide LMCs Buying Group and Associates listing and as the project management team for the organisation.
To see what is currently on offer please follow the links below:
- LEAD Events and Blended Learning Programmes
- Londonwide LMCs Buying Group
- The Associates Listing
- Our complete events brochure with details on all we offer.
Highlights are as follows – The Operations Manager Apprenticeship offered in a number of LMC areas, but what makes ours different is that we have added access to our Introduction to Finance Taught Day and all eleven modules from the General Practice Manager Blended Learning Programme. This has made what we are offering across our London practices general practice focussed, rather than a generic offering. There are two information sessions coming up. For more on this follow this link.
Coming soon in April 2025 – Member Pensions training. This blended learning programme is for those that administer the NHS Pension scheme in practices. Watch out for the advertising that will be going out end of February for our pilot cohort.
Please feel free to contact us on [email protected] with any queries or ideas you may have.