A Local Medical Committee is a statutory body in the UK. LMCs are recognised by successive NHS Acts as the professional organisation representing individual GPs and GP practices as a whole to the Primary Care Organisation. The NHS Act 1999 extended the LMC role to include representation of all GPs whatever their contractual status. This includes sessional GP and GP speciality registrars. The LMC represents the views of GPs to any other appropriate organisation or agency.
Barking & Dagenham and Havering Local Medical Committee was formed in 1973, when it split for the North East London LMC in order to work closely with Barking & Dagenham and Havering Family Practitioner Committee, which was based at St George’s Hospital, Hornchurch.
The LMC is entirely funded by a statutory/administrative levy paid by all GPs, whether GMS, PMS OR APMS. The LMC received no NHS funding or public funding. The cost is dependent upon the number of patients on an individual’s list and LMC budget.
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 nation GMS Defense Fund which support legal cases of significance for all GPs. It also enables the LMC to make regular donations to charities such as the Cameron Fund, Royal Medical Benevolent fund which help GPs and
their families in times of crisis.