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WELCOME TO OUR APRIL 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.
Save The Date For Our 2026 Conference
There are now only a handful of places remaining for this year’s Essex Practice Manager Conference which will take place on Tuesday 19th May 2026 at The Lion House, Boreham.
Bookings are via Eventbrite where you will find further details and the link to register is here:- Essex LMC Practice Manager Conference 2026 Registration The Conference is open to Practice Managers, Deputy/Assistant Practice Managers and any other practice staff that you think will benefit from attending.
If you have any questions regarding the event please do not hesitate to contact the LMC office via events@essexlmc.org.uk
We look forward to welcoming you back in May.
LMC Portal Update
Thank you to all who have registered so far. We currently have approximately 850 users registered signed up. If you have not yet registered, you will find the links below. We kindly ask that you also share these with colleagues and encourage them to register.
Practice/PCN Manager Registration
A brief overview of the portal can be found in this short video: www.Essexlmc.org.uk/online-portal
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.
Neurology GPwER or GP with Extended Experience Sought
Dr Sarah Crane is looking for your support. She is looking to begin a programme of audits to support evidence for the development of left shift pathways/community services to include GPwER and nurse specialist in community models. Several programmes are being developed.
Dr Crane is now seeking a GP with an extended role in neurology and would be grateful if either, you are this person or know of a GP with this expertise and would like to contact her. The initial programme is for a GP to support with contracted sessions to support the finalisation of the audit tools and then perform the audit activity.
To contact Dr Crane for more information please e-mail her here.
Digital Patient Documents Service Upgrade
The Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service has been upgraded! From the 1 April 2026, there are now new features to help your practice:
- Reassign pages in a patient’s scanned paper notes where the wrong patient's information has been included (not my record)
- View the 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 The Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service means for you:
- No more printing electronic records to paper
- Spend less 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 it is recommended you build the Access and Store Digital Patient Documents Service into your records management processes and check it at least once every two weeks.
Webinars have recently been held regarding the upgrade and NHSE's intention is to run at least one of these sessions each month for the rest of 2026.
GP Practice Appointments Data - January 2026
Our briefing document synthesises the operational data and patient engagement metrics for General Practice (GP) services across Essex for the period of January 2026.
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.
Despite this high throughput, efficiency is impacted by over 31,000 "Did Not Attend" (DNA) appointments, resulting in thousands of wasted clinical hours. Access remains a priority, with nearly half of patients contacting practices receiving same-day appointments, and a substantial portion of the patient population continuing to be seen in person.
GP Practice Workforce Data - January 2026
The Essex LMC workforce data as of January 2026 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 - approaching 2.02 million patients by late 2025 - the primary care workforce is currently experiencing a decline.
Between December 2025 and January 2026, every key workforce metric for permanent GPs (both Partners and Salaried) saw a reduction in both headcount and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) capacity.
This reduction indicates a tightening of primary care resources at a time when the regional population requirements are at an all-time high.
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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