About Us
The Local Medical Committee (LMC) is a statutory body and is recognised as a local representative committee under the NHS Act, able to represent GPs in an area covered by a particular Primary Care Trust (PCT). Its constitution is approved by the PCT, which must be satisfied that the LMC is properly representative of and accountable to its constituent GPs. Once recognised, it is empowered with certain functions and has the statutory right to be consulted by the PCT on many matters.
Within Lincolnshire, the LMC has been recognised as such by NHS Lincolnshire.
Statutory Functions
As the Local Representative Committee for independent medical practitioners, the LMC must be consulted about the administration of GP contracts and the local interpretation of their Terms of Service under the following enactments:
- The General Medical Services Regulations 2004 (e.g. admissions to medical lists, fitness to practice, etc)
- The Pharmaceutical Services Regulations (e.g. applications to dispense or provide pharmaceutical services).
- The Statement of Financial Entitlements (the principle regulations that cover the new GMS contract payments).
Representative Functions
The LMC represents the view of GPs to a variety of bodies, not only PCTs but also Local Authorities, NHS Trusts, and other contractor professions. It also consults with the patient representative groups and MPs. It corresponds with the GP national negotiators (GPC/BMA), and deals with local and national media.
Pastoral Responsibilities
In addition to the wider body of General Practice, the LMC traditionally has provided an individual service for GPs. This involves many different aspects including assisting GPs with complaints and appeals, helping “sick” doctors, intervening and making representations between individual GPs and the secondary care services, and finally in conciliating in intra and inter practice disputes.
In order to undertake the above roles, the LMC needs to know GPs views. We gather these views via information that GPs pass to their local LMC representatives and other meetings such as meetings with practice manager groups which are extremely informative. Routine correspondence, emails and phone calls all help to form the LMC position.
We currently meet NHS Lincolnshire bi-monthly at a liaison meeting which includes the PCT Chief Executive and Directors; and at a monthly Practice/PCT Liaison Meeting where Practice Manager Chairs meet with PCT officers. We also attend other PCT sub groups associated with primary care such as The Medical Strategy Group, Information Governance Group, Safeguarding etc.
Most of the LMC work goes on unnoticed in the background and falls into 2 main categories:
- Implementing national agreements, e.g. discussions on enhanced services, open/closed lists, annual budget uplifts, payments, etc.
- Discussions on local issues, e.g. Patient Allocations, Complaints, Locum Payments, Business Continuity, Medical Performers Lists, GP Performance.
However these are the “easy” areas, as in general there are precedents to work to and although compromise in some areas is often necessary to achieve gains, locally we are working to guidance from the GPC (BMA) on what GPs should be expecting.
The more difficult areas concern the individual groups of GPs where precedent may not be of help and interpretation of the regulations is down to local agreement. It is here that the LMC can be of help to most GPs, especially those unfamiliar with the areas in question.
