27 February 2023
Dear Colleague,
Four things for you today.
- GPC England and the GP Contract 2023/24
- Industrial action
- Londonwide LMCs’ GP Professional Support Network
- Want to get involved?
- GPC England and the GP Contract 2023/24
London’s practices have higher costs than most of the rest of the country, whether it’s staff, premises or operating costs, and we have the toughest NHSE/ICB commissioners. We also have the most deprived, complex and mobile of all populations. And yet we are stuck with a national core funding envelope which has become ever more devalued, while the core and additional workload has become ever more complex and unsafe. Without a doubt the government’s refusal to increase the national core funding envelope has a disproportionate impact on OUR practices, and on our ability to retain GPs, whether partners, employed GPs, locum GPs, and all other practice staff.Our latest workforce survey continues to paint a bleak picture of low morale and retention and high workload and vacancies across London general practice. Scrabbling about for multiple pots of inadequate funding for work the ICB demand for political or financial reasons, or that its Trusts dump, is counterproductive to the provision of safe holistic general practice care.During last summer I shared this update on the GP Contract. And so, as GPC national negotiations with NHSE continue, about which we have been given little information other than what we read in Pulse and GPOnline, it is more critical than ever that London has the strongest representation not only in terms of NHSE, but also within our own national representative body, the GPC, fighting for OUR GPs and practices across the Capital. This year sees two of the London GPC regional constituencies up for election. You can find out more here.
- Industrial action
Just before Christmas I shared the GPCUK resolution in support of the industrial action planned by healthcare staff across the UK. With a massive vote in favour of industrial action announced by Junior Doctors earlier this week, on 13th-16th March JDs will hold a 72 hour strike. As with colleagues in other parts of government-funded healthcare, it is a cipher for the increasingly unbearable pressure under which we are all working. As I said in July, Join The Dots… With junior doctors joining nurses, teachers, paramedics, underground and train staff in strike action it looks like a difficult month ahead for us, our teams and our patients. So ….
- Londonwide LMCs’ GP Professional Support Network
… please remember, our GP Professional Support Network is there if you are struggling personally.
- Want to get involved?
Across London, Londonwide LMCs and Local Medical Committees continue to work with commissioners, provider collaboratives, PCNs, Members of Parliament, and others to make the case for general practice. If you want to get involved, all of our London LMCs are holding elections in June/July. Drop us a line if you want to know more.
Please do share this MWord with your practice colleagues. As ever, I welcome your feedback at mword@lmc.org.uk. And do know that the team of experts and leaders here at Londonwide LMCs are here for you and by your side.
With best wishes
Dr Michelle Drage MBBS FRCGP
CEO, Londonwide LMCs