Avon LMCs Newsletter 30/09/26
The ALMC Newsletter
Welcome to our weekly newsletter, sharing the latest news and topics of interest for practices
– Latest News –
Chairs Blog
On Monday evening we held our Annual General Meeting and Main Committee meeting, marking the start of a new year for Avon LMC. We were also pleased to welcome two new Board Directors to the LMC this month, adding further experience and representation to our Board.
There is always something about this time of year that feels like a fresh start – perhaps it’s the beginning of the new academic year, with schools and universities getting back into full swing. So, I thought it would be a good opportunity to take a step back and explain how Avon LMC is structured, where decision-making sits, and how our members are represented.
The diagram accompanying this blog illustrates the governance structure of Avon LMC through a series of concentric circles. The outermost circle is our members – this is who we represent and who should ultimately shape the work we do.
The arrows in the diagram are important too. Representation and communication should not simply flow in one direction. The LMC needs to hear the concerns, priorities and experiences of practices and GPs, and our Main Committee provides an important route for those grassroots views to feed into our discussions.
So, if at any point there is an issue that you would like Avon LMC to consider, please contact us directly, or get in touch with your PCN representative on the Avon LMC Main Committee.
LMC Virtual Drop-in 6 October: 1pm
Want to hear what’s happening across general practice?
Curious to meet some of the new faces joining the Avon LMC team? Or perhaps you’d like to hear more about what the new GPC England team has been working on and what’s coming up?
Join us for our regular Avon LMC virtual drop-in session on Monday 6 October at 1pm.
It’s a chance to hear the latest news, get updates on issues affecting general practice, meet members of the team and, importantly, bring along your questions, thoughts and concerns. We’d love to see you there.
Please register your interest here
Avon LMC AGM
Avon LMC held its AGM on 28 September 2026, welcoming new and returning Board members and reflecting on the organisation’s progress over the past year. Members accepted the Annual Report, unanimously approved the 2025–26 accounts and supported the reappointment of our accountants, Lentells.
The Managing Director also provided an update on our financial position, with additional income-generating activity helping to offset pressures on levy-funded services and an overall year-end surplus currently projected. Further work on proposed constitutional changes will take place over the coming months before being brought back to members at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Should you wish to obtain an electronic copy of the annual report, please contact info@almc.co.uk
Conference of England LMCs
Conference of England LMCs 2026 – Expression of Interest
Friday 20 November 2026 | 10:00am–5:00pm
Friends House, 173–177 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ
Avon LMC is inviting GP colleagues to express an interest in attending the 2026 Conference of England LMCs in London.
The conference brings together LMC representatives from across England to debate and shape policy on key issues affecting general practice.
Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed, with overnight accommodation on Thursday 19 November available where travel to London on the morning of the conference is not feasible.
Interested in attending?
Please email Rebecca directly on Rebecca@almc.co.uk by Monday 12 October 2026 to submit your expression of interest.
You asked, we said
Question: The hospital has started a patient on semaglutide for cardiovascular risk reduction and is expecting us to continue dose titration. Do we have to do this?
Answer:
Semaglutide for CVD risk reduction is not currently part of core GMS/PMS work and is not included in the CVD QOF indicators. The BMA’s position is that transferring this work to general practice should be supported by appropriate commissioning and funding.
Dose titration is part of the clinical management of the treatment and should not simply be transferred to general practice because the hospital has initiated the drug or because the patient requests this. This is independent of the traffic light status of the drug.
Our position is therefore that, where there is no commissioned primary-care pathway, the hospital service that initiated treatment should retain responsibility for prescribing and dose titration.
If you are receiving requests from secondary care to take on semaglutide titration for cardiovascular prevention, please let us know. We are keen to understand how this is being implemented locally.
Information Sharing Statutory Guidance
This consultation has now been concluded and guidance on statutory responsibilities for information sharing can be found here.
Practice & PCN Management Development Programme (PPMD) – One year on
The collaborative PPMD programme has brought together practice and PCN management colleagues from across BNSSG to learn, connect and share experience through webinars, workshops and a successful annual conference. Find out what has been achieved so far, explore the growing library of resources and recordings, and see what’s planned next, including ongoing events, new learning opportunities and a clearer route through training and development. Read the stakeholder briefing and help shape the future of the programme.
Please contact Louise Carthy,Project Manager, at L.Carthy@nhs.net for more information.
Read the full report here
GPC England’s update to LMCs 18/09/26
This can be found here
– LATEST TRAINING AND EVENTS –
Dad joke:
Why do melons have weddings? They cantelope!
OneCare’s latest Bulletin
- Tuesday 22nd September General practice bulletin
- Tuesday 24th September General practice bulletin
Oliver McGowan Training
Out of Hours Tier 1 and Tier 2 Oliver McGowan Training Sessions Now Available
Tier 1 Webinar Sessions (Non-Patient Facing Staff)
To book Tier 1 out of hours sessions please use the booking links below:
Saturday 26 September 2026
10:00am – 11:00am
Availability: Good Availability
Booking link: Book 10:00am Session
Saturday 26 September 2026
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Availability: Good Availability
Booking link: Book 12:00pm Session
Saturday 10 October 2026
10:00am – 11:00am
Availability: Good Availability
Booking link: Book 10:00am Session
Saturday 10 October 2026
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Availability: Good Availability
Booking link: Book 12:00pm Session
Tier 2 Face-to-Face Sessions (Patient Facing Staff)
To book Tier 2 sessions please visit: https://buytickets.at/olivermcgowantrainingnhsbristolnorthsomersetsouthglos
Saturday 26 September 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (previously UHBW) Education and Research Centre, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol
Saturday 17 October 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (previously UHBW) Education and Research Centre, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol
Saturday 21 November 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (previously UHBW) Education and Research Centre, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol
Saturday 12 December 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (previously UHBW) Education and Research Centre, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol
Any queries, please contact: bnssg.olivermcgowantraining@nhs.net