Avon LMCs Newsletter on 02-09-26
The ALMC Newsletter
Welcome to our weekly newsletter, sharing the latest news and topics of interest for practices
– Latest News –
Chair’s Blog
As we continue to face the pressures of an inadequate national GP contract, collective action remains one of the important tools available to general practice. However, collective action can only be effective if it has the support, understanding and commitment of practices across the our area and the wider country.
One of the current areas of focus is shared care prescribing. The concerns around shared care are well known: practices are increasingly being asked to take on prescribing and monitoring responsibilities that can involve significant clinical workload and risk, without appropriate resources or funding.
But before any action is taken, we need practices to complete the GP collective action survey.
If you support the action, completing the survey allows us to demonstrate the strength of feeling and the level of commitment across general practice.
If you do not support the action, please still complete the survey. A response indicating that your practice does not wish to participate is just as valuable in helping us understand the position of general practice in BNSSG.
Collective action only works when practices act collectively. An action supported by a relatively small number of practices is unlikely to have the impact required. Conversely, an action with the clear backing and participation of the majority of practices sends a much stronger message to commissioners and government.
So please take the time to complete the survey.
Whether your practice intends to participate or not, your response matters.
The more complete the response from BNSSG practices, the better equipped your LMC will be to understand the profession’s position and determine what action is achievable.
Our collective strength comes from knowing where general practice stands—and that starts with every practice having its say.
Scroll to the bottom to find this week’s dad joke.
Lee Salkeld
Chair: Avon LMC
Avon LMC Legacy Nurses
Avon LMC previously hosted two nurses (Jenny Bowen and Helen Russell) who led the Newly Qualified Nurse Fellowship/Preceptorship and New to Practice programmes on behalf of the BNSSG Training Hub. As Avon LMC will no longer be hosting these roles, any queries relating to these programmes, nursing apprenticeships, student nurse placements, or support for newly qualified and new-to-practice nurses should be directed to the BNSSG Training Hub: : bnssg.training.hub@nhs.net
Avon LMC’s Director of Nursing remains in post and is available to support practices with clinical and contractual matters related to nursing practice, scope of practice, clinical governance, professional issues (including fitness to practise concerns), and pastoral support for nursing teams.
Shared Care Prescribing Action Survey
We are seeking practice views on potential approaches to collective action for shared care prescribing. Please review the attached SBAR, which outlines the background, current funding position, and the available options for consideration.
Following your review of the attached SBAR, please use the link to record your practice’s preferred approach: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mhedtMjcHe
Responses will be collated to determine whether there is sufficient support for any coordinated action across BNSSG.
You asked, we said
Question: Our practice list size is falling, and we wondered what we could contractually do to advertise our services to patients. We have seen this helpful guidance from Surry and Sussex LMCs but wish to seek advice from Avon LMC.
Answer:
A GP practice can advertise its practice, and the NHS services it provides, including locally where it is looking to increase its patient list.
However, there are important parameters for how this is done. Any advertising should be factual, accurate and not misleading.
A practice should avoid advertising which:
- suggests it is the GP practice for a particular area where patients have a choice of practices;
- describes itself as the “best”, “leading” or otherwise superior practice in the area;
- implies that patients living within a particular development or geographical area should register with that practice rather than another;
- makes negative or unsupported comparisons with neighbouring practices;
- could otherwise give patients a misleading impression about their right to choose which GP practice they register with; or
- offers incentives or inducements to encourage patients to register.
However, factual advertising such as “We are accepting new NHS patient registrations”, together with information about the practice, its location, registration arrangements, boundary, and the NHS services/facilities it provides, would be fine.
This may be particularly relevant following recent ICB list cleansing if the practice is looking to rebuild its list size. The distinction is that the practice can make residents aware of the option to register but should not market itself in a way which suggests it is the designated practice for that community, or which could restrict or distort patient choice.
Where advertising is likely to reach people outside the practice boundary, we would also recommend making registration eligibility clear to avoid confusion.
Obesity QOF
The BMA has updated its QOF guidance to include the new obesity QOF indicators.
Calderdale LMC has kindly shared their analysis: “QOF indicator OB005, Tirzepatide and the commissioning question” which you can read here
Advice and Guidance
The Health Services Safety Investigations Body has published an interim report examining the patient safety risks associated with advice and guidance (A&G) services between general practice and secondary specialist care. There is an executive summary at the start.
Screening and Vaccinations Trust Framework
NHS England has recently published a Screening and Vaccinations Trust Framework for NHS Employees. Although written for NHS trusts, the principles are highly relevant to general practice, promoting a risk-based approach to staff screening and immunisation based on job role, patient contact, and exposure risk. The framework emphasises pre-employment health assessments, maintaining accurate vaccination records, and using local risk assessments where vaccinations are declined or not indicated.
The full guidance is available here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/screening-and-vaccinations-trust-framework-for-nhs-employees/#recommended-screening-and-vaccinations-by-staff-groups
Seasonal Vaccination Programmes – Additional Guidance 2026/27
Please see attached updated GP Guidance for the Seasonal Vaccination Programmes. This guidance provides additional information on recording of seasonal vaccination events and payments including in collaborative arrangements.
This can be found here
GPC England Update to LMC’s
6th August update – here
21st August Update – here
IPGM Survey
Is patient abuse still a major problem in general practice?
5 years ago, the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM) ran its first major campaign to highlight the horrendous levels of abuse GP staff were being forced to put up with. This powerful video said it all.
Now IGPM, together with Practice Index, wants to know how things have changed – if at all.
This excellent blog by Kay Keane (IGPM chair) expresses it far better than I.
If you could please ask any of your relevant staff to complete this survey, we would be very grateful.
Thank you.
For more information, please contact Peter Maynard peter.maynard1@nhs.net or Catherine Farrington (catherine.farrington@nhs.net) the BNSSG IGPM regional representatives.
– LATEST TRAINING AND EVENTS –
BNSSG Respiratory Education Day
Please see details below for the BNSSG Respiratory Education Day
8 October 2026
BAWA Centre, Southmead Road, Bristol BS34 7RG
For NHS Healthcare professionals based in BNSSG only
Agenda can be found here
Dad joke:
What do teenagers and autumn weather have in common?
They’re unpredictable and often give you the cold shoulder.
OneCare’s latest bulletin
- Thursday 27th August General practice bulletin
- Tuesday 1st September General practice bulletin
Vacancies
Click here to see all the latest vacancies in the BNSSG area.
Tell us
Have you got something you’d like to share? To let us know your news and add to the weekly newsletter please email info@almc.co.uk