Lancashire & Cumbria Sessional GP Forum
We are a supportive and welcoming group, offering an opportunity for sessional GPs to connect, share experiences and stay updated with relevant clinical and non-clinical issues. Whether you are salaried, retainer, retired, first 5 or a final year GP trainee, all are welcome.
The Lancashire & Cumbria Sessional GP Forum meets bi-monthly online via Microsoft Teams from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Meetings are usually a Wednesday or Thursday evening. This group is free of charge.
What We Offer:
- CPD Sessions: Each meeting begins with 60 minutes of CPD, featuring guest speakers who are specialist group members, local GPs or hospital consultants.
- Essential Training: We provide annual CPD sessions on Safeguarding and organise annual Basic life support training.
- Forum Discussion: After CPD, we hold a short business meeting to discuss sessional-specific issues such as appraisal, revalidation, pension and working conditions. We also have an open forum where members can raise anything they like.
- WhatsApp group where local updates or issues concerning sessional GPs can be raised.
As we are hosted by the Local Medical Committee (LMC), we have a direct line to raise your concerns. The LMC has consistently supported our work and is responsive in helping address local issues. All group members will have access to the LMC brieflet and Medicines Matters prescribing updates.
Get Involved
The Forum is only as strong as its members—your input helps shape our focus and effectiveness. We currently have over 50 members who bring rich diversity and experience to the group: We are privileged to have members who are safeguarding leads, appraisers, GPs with specialist interests and medical educators, indeed many have given excellent talks for us.
I cannot emphasise enough what an asset this group is to our area and I personally wish I had joined earlier on in my career!
I encourage you all Sessional to join us and I look forward to welcoming you to one of our upcoming sessions.
To join or learn more simply send an email to Rebecca Noblett.
Warm regards,
Dr Suzanne Gaskell
Chair, Lancashire & Cumbria Forum of Sessional GPs
Sessional GPs and LMCs
LMCs are the statutory bodies that represent the interests of all GPs at a local level, and as membership organisations their strength lies in their ability to represent the entirety of the profession.
For sessional GPs, by not engaging with their local LMC, they are missing out on a range of support and opportunities. Sessional GPs also have a great deal to offer LMCs; they often have experience of working in many different practices and so can offer advice/opinion on issues that face many GPs across their area. They may work part time or hours different to practice hours, and/or because of a particular special interest may be best placed to attend meetings on behalf of the LMC.
For more information on Sessional GPs and LMCs guidance visit the BMA page
LMC Representatives
Many local and national issues have particular relevance to sessional and locum GPs. If you have a burning issue you would like to investigate or discuss, please consider coming to one of our LMC meetings as an observer. If you would like to become an LMC Committee member elections are held every two years under the terms of the LMC constitution, and all GPs are eligible for nomination and election. Please send your details to the office should you wish to be considered for election. To see who your LMC representatives are please see the following page: