Birmingham Local Medical Committee represents and supports general practice to ensure that GPs are properly valued and their skills properly utilised in serving the public.
The BLMC is…
- DEMOCRATIC – comprising elected local GPs
- REPRESENTATIVE – regularly canvassing the views of local GPs and representing General Practice to CCGs, NHS England the local authority and secondary care providers; representing local GPs nationally through the GPC.
- STATUTORY – with rights and responsibilities defined by Act of Parliament
- PROFESSIONAL – concerned with promoting quality in patient care and upholding standards of professional practice
- INDEPENDENT – funded by GPs to support GPs and practices
- SUPPORTIVE – offering advice and support on all matters affecting professional activities
Industrial Action Position of LMCs
Local Medical Committees (LMCs) can speak on behalf of GPs, practices, and patients. LMCs are democratically elected, representing all GPs at all levels. But LMCs are not trade unions and do not have the protections of industrial relations legislation (this is the remit of the BMA and other unions). BMA has provided legal advice that LMCs are entitled to help the BMA prepare for IA and can express their support for IA to help general practice achieve positive contract and policy reform, but LMCs should not help to organise, and will not be asked to call for, IA beyond the scope of that specifically called for by the BMA.
At BLMC we recognise the significant pressures on both the health system, and the increasingly unbearable pressure on the staff within it. For further information regarding industrial action please see:
BMA Collective actions to choose from
- Limit daily patient consultations
- Serve notice on voluntary services
- Withdraw permission for data sharing agreements
- Freeze sign-up to any new data sharing agreements or local system data sharing platforms
- Stop engaging with the e-Referral Advice & Guidance pathway
- Stop rationing referrals, investigations, and admissions
- Switch off GPConnect Update Record functionality
- Switch off Medicines Optimisation Software
- Defer signing declarations of completion for “simpler online requests”
Useful links
- BMA GP information and resources about collective action
- BMA GP communications for practices and patients
- Industrial action information from NHS England