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About us

Major functions:

• Provide personal and professional support to individual GPs.
• Represent GPs and their interests in all relevant political/managerial settings.
• Perform the functions of an employers' association on matters relating to primary care staff.

The LMC is funded entirely by the GPs in North and South Essex and receives no NHS or public funding.  The work of the Committee increasingly involves closer collaboration with all other health organisations and it is our belief that genuine advancement for GPs will inevitably lead to benefits to patients.

Legislation enables the LMC to be representative of all GPs – principals, non principals, salaried GPs, inclusive of those working in GMS and PMS.  In representing the core values of the profession the LMC strives to promote the values of:

• Equity and fairness
• Openness
• Equal opportunity
• Strength in unity

We work to ensure that all help and advice provided is representative of the GPs in the area, whether they are in contract with a PCO, working in PMS, or are non-principals who wish to be represented.  We realise all GPs are now 'performers'.

The development of 13 Primary Care Organisations (PCOs) in Essex and one Strategic Health Authority has increased the work of the LMC, more so since the devolvement of responsibility for all primary care functions to PCOs as a consequence of 'Shifting the Balance of Power'.

Interaction and support to PCOs and the Strategic Health Authority includes the following areas:

• Quality and Outcomes Framework
• Out of Hours services
• Under performance in general practice
• Workforce planning
• Prescribing
• Clinical Governance
• Resource Allocation
• Salaried GPs
• Primary Care Investment
• New contract implementation

Essex has approximately 1000 GPs, 1 in 3 are working in PMS and 1 in 5 is a non-principal.


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