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WELCOME TO OUR AUGUST 2026 NEWSLETTER
This publication is sent to all Essex GP Practices via their Practice Managers. However, we encourage anyone who would like to receive this communication directly, to subscribe below.
LMC Digital Portal Update
Functionality is being introduced in phases and in the near future we will begin to send LMC communications via the portal. Additional functions will include 24/7 access to LMC resources and an AI knowledge bot.
If you have not yet registered, please do so using the following links:
Practice/PCN Managers: Practice/PCN Registration
GPs: GP Registration
GP Registrars: Kindly note that the process for GP Registrars is currently slightly different. If you are a GP Registrar, please e-mail your name and GMC number to events@essexlmc.org.uk as your details currently have to be added by the LMC office manually prior to registration.
Once registered, you can log in using this link: Login - Essex LMC
If you have any questions or issues with registration, please contact Annette or Sarah via the LMC office
An Overview and Implications for Policy
The challenges facing general practice are complex, but funding lies at the core. A report produced by The Health Foundation brings together multiple national data to provide a comprehensive overview of general practice funding in England.
Rapid Evaluation of NHS Advice and Guidance Services Needed to Protect Patients
NHS advice and guidance services can benefit patients but must be better implemented and more rigorously evaluated to support safe expansion, an interim report by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body has found.
The report published on 18 August, identified patient safety risks linked to how advice and guidance (A&G) services have been implemented across England. A&G services allow clinicians in general practice to seek specialist advice from secondary care, either before or instead of referring a patient to hospital.
The investigation heard strong support for A&G services where they are working well. But it also found evidence that poorly designed or inadequately monitored pathways have contributed to physical harm, delayed and missed diagnoses, and in some cases to delays in cancer care.
Neighbourhood Provider Consultation
To support neighbourhood delivery models, the 10 Year Health Plan committed to developing new contracts based on population size.
This consultation seeks views on two proposed contracting models: a Multi-Neighbourhood Provider (MNP) Contract and a Single Neighbourhood Provider (SNP) Contract.
It explains the proposals and asks questions to help us understand the likely benefits, risks and practical implications, including how the contracts would interact with existing arrangements.
The consultation closes on 10 September 2026.
BMA Guidance on Neighbourhood Provider Consultation
The BMA had produced its own guidance on NHS England's consultation on the two proposed contracting models intended to support the development of neighbourhood health services: a Multi-Neighbourhood Provider (MNP) Contract and a Single Neighbourhood Provider (SNP) Contract.
The proposals sit alongside wider ambitions to shift care closer to home, improve prevention and support more integrated working across primary, community, mental health, acute, social care and voluntary sector services.
Practice Manager Supporter Scheme
Support for Practice & PCN Managers in Essex: You’re Not Alone!
The Practice Manager Supporter Scheme (PMSS)
Offering free, confidential support for:
- Practice Managers
- PCN Managers
- Deputy & Assistant Managers
What You’ll Get:
- One-to-one support from experienced managers
- Peer-to-peer Personal Development Reviews (PDRs)
- Guidance tailored to your role
- A safe, confidential space to share
- Advice from people who understand your challenges
Your Supporters
A team of 5 Practice Managers and 1 PCN Manager, actively working across Essex, ready to support you wherever you’re based.
100% Confidential | 100% Free
Everything you share stays between you and your chosen supporter. No judgement. No pressure. Just practical support and encouragement when you need it most.
National Document Repository: Webinar Dates and Links
The Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service is free to use and has features to help your practice remove the need to manage paper records at registration and deduction.
· Receive and view records sent from another practice
· Zoom into, rotate and free text search records stored in the service
· Store scanned paper Lloyd George records
· Upload electronic health records where GP2GP fails or in scenarios it can't work
· Upload records for patients that have left your practice and need to be made available to a new practice
· Reassign pages in a patient’s scanned paper notes where the wrong patient's information has been included
· View version history of scanned Lloyd George records
· Add and manage staff access restrictions for specific patient records
Full guidance is available here: Help and guidance - NHS England Digital
What this means for you:
· No more printing electronic records to paper
· Spend less time and money on printing
· Faster access to the patient records you need
This is a big step towards simpler, smarter, paperless record management.
Action: As you will start to receive less paper records and more records for review within the service from other practices we recommend you build the Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service into your records management processes and check it at least once every two weeks.
Join NHS England's Patient Record Management team in September for one of their webinars where they will explain all the features and how to use them:
12pm - 1pm 8th September: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/175f8e42-f2f9-4eab-bd5d-bff1575ccdbc@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3
12pm - 1pm 24th September: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/34c833fa-d037-4614-801c-15e1d054d938@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3
Looking for help and guidance on the Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service? https://digital.nhs.uk/services/access-and-store-digital-patient-documents/help-and-guidance
GP Practice Appointments Data
Our briefing document synthesises the operational data and patient engagement metrics for General Practice (GP) services across Essex.
The data reveals a high-volume healthcare environment, with total appointments exceeding one million for the month. Key trends include a significant month-on-month increase in both total and GP-specific appointments, as well as a sharp rise in online consultations, which reached an all-time high for the year-long tracking period.
GP Practice Workforce Data
Our workforce data regularly reveals a critical divergence between patient demand and General Practitioner (GP) availability.
While the registered patient list size has seen consistent, significant growth since October 2022 - the primary care workforce is currently experiencing a decline.
Do you need help with PCSE cases?
Have you waited for more than 40 days for a response from PCSE for a case raised with them? Are you experiencing financial hardship as a result? Or, is there a risk to patient safety? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then the LMC can help you.
Essex LMCs on Social Media
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