What is the Local Medical Committee?

The Local Medical Committee is the body statutorily recognised by successive NHS Acts as the professional organisation representing individual GPs and GP Practices as a whole to the Health Authority, including Primary Care Trusts. The 1999 NHS Act extended the LMC role to include representation of all GPs whatever their contractual status. This includes GPs in Primary Care Act Pilots, GP non-principals and GP registrars. The LMC represents the views of GPs to any other appropriate organisation or agency.

Independence

The LMC is an independent self-financing body with statutory functions. It is not a trade union. This is the role of the BMA. The LMC does function as a trade association.

Funding

The LMC is funded by contributions from GP Practices in a contract with the NHS to provide General or Personal Medical Services, In addition, GPs are asked to contribute to a national levy, which is used to finance the LMC’s contribution to the national GMS Defence Fund, which pays for the General Practitioners Committee (GPC), administered by the BMA.

 

Elections

Elections take place regularly under terms stipulated in the LMC constitution which is approved by the PCTs to which the committee relates. Any GP may be nominated for election.

 

Core Values

The LMC shares the desire of any body that wishes to ensure a high quality service is delivered to patients within the resources available. The LMC is committed to the values of:

• Equity and fairness
• Openness
• Equal opportunities
• Representation – working to ensure that all advice provided is representative of all GPs.

Representation

Wherever possible, the LMC works co-operatively with the Health Authority, Primary Care Trusts and other organisations to ensure patients receive services and care in accordance with the profession’s local and national priorities. Wherever necessary, the LMC robustly defends the profession’s views when those of others conflict with what, we believe is in our patients’ best interests. The LMC represents and advises on all matters concerning:

GP Practices as providers of NHS services including:

• GP contracts, both independent and salaried
• The NHS Directions, regulations, the GPs’ Terms of Service statements of financial eligibility,the PMS (Personal Medical Services) equivalent
• Strategic Health Authority and Primary Care Trust (PCT) policy and plans.
• The NHS complaints process and disciplinary procedures
• Liaison with other agencies, NHS Trusts , local authority Social Services and voluntary services.

GP Practices as commissioners of services including:

• Primary Care Trusts
• Relationships with Community and Acute Trusts
• The LMC has the right to be consulted about the use of GMS resources by Health Authorities and PCG/Ts

GPs as professionals:

• Education and training – undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational training, continuing professional development
• Professionally-led regulation and professional standards – ethical, conduct and performance, including clinical governance
• Workforce planning
• Liaison with consultant and hospital colleagues
• Collaboration with the General Medical Council and NCAA
• Collaboration with national professional bodies – British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners
• Occupational health issues, e.g. sick doctors
• Liaison with other professions allied to medicine
• Development of Practice staff and partnership.

National Representation and Negotiation

The LMC represents local GP practice views nationally through the professional representative mechanisms outlined below:

Local voices:

GPs can submit proposals to the LMC at any time through their local LMC representative. In addition, proposals are distilled from debate at the LMC over the course of the year for submission to the Annual Conference of LMCs.

National voices:

The ‘parliament’ for GPs is the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) which meets monthly throughout the year. The GPC is the standing committee of the British Medical Association with full authority to deal with all matters affecting NHS GPs, whether or not they are BMA members. It is recognised by the Department of Health as NHS GPs’ sole negotiating body. Every part of the country has at least one spokesperson on the GPC to present its views and debate key issues. Throughout the year, papers are produced for discussion at LMCs and from time to time the GPC consults all GPs directly through surveys and questionnaires.

National debate and policy setting:

GPC representatives and LMC representatives meet annually at the National Conference of LMCs. Proposals from individual LMCs across the country are debated alongside those from the GPC. The outcome of the debate determines the framework for the profession’s negotiations at both national and local levels.

National negotiation:

This takes place continually between the Secretary of State and his/her team of negotiators and the profession’s national negotiating team. The Secretary of State’s team is supported by the senior civil service, the NHSE and the resources of the NHS. The profession’s national negotiating team is elected annually by members of the GPC, and is supported by other professionals including public affairs and relations staff. The issues negotiated nationally mirror those at local level, but also include the submission of evidence to the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body for pay purposes.

 

Local Representation

The LMC consists of GPs elected on a constituency basis, and includes representation from GMS and PMS GPs, non-principal GPs and GP registrars. In addition, members are co-opted when appropriate; The LMC meets every two months in full session and between meetings in PCT groups at liaison meetings. Representatives attend other meetings where appropriate. The LMC works closely with Dorset LMC, to ensure effective representation across the Strategic Health Authority.

 

Helping Individual GPs and Practices

The LMC provides help and advice to assist GPs and practice managers steer through the NHS. Such help is available on all matters relevant to general practice including:

• GPs’ remuneration
• GPs’ terms and conditions of service
• Complaints
• Premises
• Partnership affairs
• Employment matters
• Any disputes which may occur between GPs and the PCTs of which they are part

Communication

The LMC regards communication between representatives, constituent GPs and practices as essential, and is ever striving to improve this. The LMC communicates with GPs and practices in many ways including:

• Monthly Newsletters; distributed to all GPs and practices
• Professional meetings/seminars/Conferences
• Information bulletins on major issues and summaries of national guidance
• The medical press
• Open meetings; surveys
• Consultation with specific GPs
• Telephone, email, fax and mail
• Annual report Local LMC representative

Modified from the original version by Middlesex LMCs, with many thanks