Record Turnout For LMCs' Conference ‘The Power of Collaboration and Innovation’ – Securing The Future Of General Practice

Londonwide LMCs hosted a conference yesterday entitled ‘The Power of Collaboration and Innovation’ – Securing The Future Of General Practice aimed at GPs and Practice Managers and was attended by a record number of nearly 200 delegates and has been reported widely in the trade press. The companion document “Securing the Future of General Practice in London: Meeting the Challenge”, our alternative and achievable approach to “transforming” GP provider services in London was launched at the conference, held at Congress House in London.

The conference was held in response to the fast moving NHS Agenda and the success of ‘Securing the Future of General Practice’ – our evidenced based document which has received widespread acceptance from across the country

Londonwide LMC CEO Dr Michelle Drage FRCGP opened the conference and following a recent meeting with an influential health panel held recently at City Hall, made a direct plea to Mayor Boris Johnson to upgrade general practice in London.

Other keynote speakers included Dr Mike Bewick Medical Director NHS North of England and Deputy Medical Director England who gave a presentation on ‘Why GPs have to do something different’ and also Dr Clare Gerada , MBE, FRCP, FRCGP speaking on her new role as Chair of London’s Primary Care Clinical Board.

Following the keynote speakers, delegates were then offered a choice of workshops to attend which debated:

Models of GP Collaborative Working including legal aspects facilitated by Dr Rebecca Rosen (Senior Fellow Nuffield Trust) and Shanee Baker (BMA Law, LLB(Hons), LLM)

The Importance of Workforce Capacity, Planning and Development facilitated by Lizzie Smith (Director of Workforce and Planning HENWL) and Ariadne Siotis (Programme Manager at Health Education South London)

Delivering Integrated Care services facilitated by Jen Leonard (Head of Integrated Care at NHS England)

Finding New Ways to Improve Access and Continuity facilitated by Professor George Freeman (Emeritus Professor of General Practice) Imperial College London

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chairman of the GPC delivered a powerful afternoon speech about ‘Developing General Practice: Surviving Transformation’ which was extremely well received by all attendees.

Conference Chair Dr Michelle Drage said “Never before have there been so many threats and opportunities for GPs and their teams. This conference is an opportunity to bring GPs and Practice Managers up to speed with the threats as well as highlight some of the potential solutions and opportunities for general practice in the new landscape of the NHS. This conference has been carefully designed with practices and patient care in mind, giving the NHS national picture as well as the London landscape and how these may affect practices”.

 

Notes to editors:

• For media enquiries contact: Elliott Spiteri, Londonwide LMCs, 0207 387 2034 ext 239, email espiteri@lmc.org.uk
• Londonwide LMCs is the only independent body in London representing 6000 GPs and over 1300 Practice Managers and the wider practice team
• Local medical committees are the statutory body representing GPs and practices; every London borough has a local medical committee and supported by Medical Directors working for the umbrella organisation (Londonwide LMCs)  covering NW, NCE and South London