Avon LMCs Newsletter on 23-07-25

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The ALMC Newsletter

Welcome to our weekly newsletter, sharing the latest news and topics of interest for practices.

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– LATEST NEWS –

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It’s been an eventful week, which is why this newsletter is arriving just one week after the last. We’ll return to our usual fortnightly schedule after today.

Although only a small number of BNSSG practices currently employ Physician Associates, those that do will be working to interpret the conclusions of the recent Leng review and NHS England’s follow-up circular. In response, the LMC has updated its guidance on the role of Physician Associates in General Practice. The revised guidance is included in this newsletter and is also available on the LMC website link.

Last week, I attended a GPC England committee meeting in London, where Stephen Kinnock, the Minister for Care, was also present. I took the opportunity to raise concerns about the upcoming contractual requirement for practices to maintain online access throughout core hours from October. He acknowledged that safeguards around safety and workload limits must be built into this. The LMC will be working closely with One Care and the ICB over the coming months to ensure there is a clear workload escalation plan that allows practices to cap online access where necessary – helping to prevent the unintended consequence of overwhelming urgent care services.

After the inevitable flurry of WhatsApp messages following the release of the NHS Ten Year Plan, I’m very much looking forward to a holiday this weekend. I plan to switch on my email out-of-office, archive all my WhatsApp groups, and stay away from GP social media—a proper digital detox in the sun. I’d encourage all of you to do the same when you’re on leave. We can’t pour from an empty cup—and mine has been running rather dry lately.

“When you rest, you catch your breath and it holds you up, like water wings” – Anne Lamott

Shaba Nabi 
Chair: Avon LMC

Avon LMC has previously published guidance on the role of Physician Associates within general practice in the newsletters dated 12 June 2024 and 16 Oct 2024. In view of the Leng Review (16 July 2025) we are now updating this guidance.

We acknowledge the uncertainty that PAs are currently facing following the publication of this review, and we recognise the emotional toll this may be having on individuals. NHS England has made wellbeing resources available for all NHS staff, including a 24/7 text support scheme.

As a Local Medical Committee, we do not have the authority to make decisions on behalf of practices regarding the employment or utilisation of PAs. However, we are able to share guidance from various professional bodies to help practices make informed decisions.

The full guidance can be found here.

Question: Coroner reports can take hours to complete. Is it a contractual obligation or can we charge a fee?

Answer: This was covered in the newsletter of 24/07/24.

The BMA web page outlines the allowances with respect to court and coroner’s fees. In summary, you could raise an invoice for a coroner’s report, but if it is rejected and you decline to complete the report, you may receive a court summons.

Wessex LMC has also produced good advice, signposting to our duties under GMP with regards to the coroner.

Last month GPC England launched the GP Premises Survey 2025. We’re calling on all practice managers and partners across England to take part. Please help us advocate for better premises and stronger support for general practice. If you have not already completed the survey please do so now and make your voice count: take the survey today.

Watch this short video  with GPCE Premises Policy Lead Gaurav Gupta speaking on the importance of supporting this survey:

“Your insights are vital. By completing the survey, you’ll help us gather essential data on the condition of GP buildings. This evidence will directly shape our strategy and negotiations with Government – supporting our case for getting the urgent investment and support your practices need. Even if you’re unsure about some details, please don’t hesitate to complete the survey. Simply select ‘don’t know’ where needed – every response, even partial ones, contributes to building a clearer national picture.”

We are expecting the Data Provision Notice (DPN) for OpenSAFELY to allow expansion to non-COVID-19 analyses to arrive this week.

OpenSAFELY has the full support of GPC England and the Joint GP IT Committee.

Please note practices have to comply with the Data Provision Notice by law, however the data will not be able to be accessed until the data controller has signalled approval.

Avon LMC advises you to proceed with this.

NHS England is aware of an issue regarding reimbursement for Inclisiran, whereby payments have been delayed. They are working with NHSBSA to implement a system change to ensure Inclisiran is reimbursed correctly going forward. In the meantime, NHSBSA are in the process of calculating retrospective adjustments from October 2024 to ensure that any missed payments will be made to contractors via PCSE. The long-term solution will be implemented in Spring 2026.

You can read the BBO LMCs statement to the NHS then year plan here. Their members are extremely concerned about the threat to the GP partnership model.

• 2nd September 2025: Virtual LMC drop in, 13.00 – 14.00
• 4th November 2025: Virtual LMC drop in, 13.00 – 14.00

A training catalogue for non-clinical staff has now been developed as part of the General Practice Non-Clinical Development Project. The catalogue provides a single point of access to core training courses that are available free of charge to practices across BNSSG, to support the development of their non-clinical workforce. To access the catalogue, please visit https://www.bnssgtraininghub.com/primary-care-roles/non-clinical-roles/. A poster is also attached if managers would like to promote the training catalogue to their non-clinical teams. Hard copy laminated posters will also be made available over the coming weeks.

For further information, please contact Louise Carthy, Project Lead, at L.Carthy@nhs.net.

Please find out more from Catalogue flyer.

• Tuesday 22 July General practice bulletin

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