South Staffordshire Local Medical Committee

WHAT IS A LOCAL MEDICAL COMMITTEE?
The Local Medical Committee is the statutory body, recognised by successive NHS Acts
as the professional organisation representing individual GPs and GPs as whole to Primary
Care Trusts (PCTs) and Strategic Health Authorities (StHAs)

The 1999 NHS Act extended the LMC role to include representation of all GPs whatever
their contractual status. This includes PMS GPs in Primary Care Act Pilots, GP
non-principals and GP registrars.

The LMC also represents the views of GPs to all other statutory and voluntary
organisations or agencies.

INDEPENDENCE
The LMC is an independent self-financing body with statutory functions. It is not a trade
union. LMCs have been in existence since 1911, and constantly modernise to work
effectively with the changing NHS.

FUNDING
The LMC is funded by a statutory/administrative levy paid by all GPs, whether GMS or
PMS. The levy is dependant upon the number of patients on an individual list and is
covered by the expense component of the national pay award. Non-principals are covered
by their employing practice but if free-lance they are asked to pay an administrative levy.

In addition to the statutory levy, GPs are asked to contribute to a voluntary levy, which
is used to finance the LMCs contribution to the national GMS Defence Fund which
supports legal cases which are of significance for all GPs.