The Committee of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight LMC meets 6 times a year, and its constitution allows for the following members to be elected, nominated, co-opted or invited;
- 21 Geographical GP members, elected from 8 constituencies
- 2 Sessional GP seats (Elected)
- An additional 5 GPs to represent a particular area of expertise not otherwise represented on the Committee (Co-optees – 2 of these are reserved for GPs in First Five Years)
- An additional 5 Invitees who hold particular expertise of relevance to the committee (Invitees)
- 1 Trainee GP (Invitee)
- The Chief Executives of Wessex LMCs (Co-optees)
- 1 Representative from the General Practitioners Committee of England (Invitee)
- 1 additional Sessional GP (Co-optee)
- 1 GP Representative from the Out of Hours Service (Invitee)
- 1 Educational Representative (Invitee)
- 1 Military Invitee (Invitee)
- The Committee can also have 3 Practice Manager Invitees (Invitees)
The Committee can also invite ‘Observers’, who may participate in the debates, but do not have a vote, and in Hampshire & IOW these include all Directors of the Wessex LMCs.
Elections are held every two years under the terms of the LMC constitution, and all GP Members are eligible for nomination and election. Sessional GPs i.e. those who are not Partners, may choose to stand in their geographical area, or for sessional seats.
Chair
Dr Will Denby MBBS MBs (Hons) MRCGP (2016)
Will read medicine at Imperial College London, graduating in 2007 while commissioning into the Royal Navy in 2004. His early career saw him tackling the challenges of overseas deployments as a Ship’s Doctor, honing resilience, teamwork, and communication in high-stakes environments.
After leaving the Navy in 2012, he completed GP training in Portsmouth before venturing to Western Australia for a transformative year of work and family life. On returning in 2018, he took up a partnership on the South Coast of England, bringing his clinical and pastoral experience to the community.
As Chair of Hampshire and IOW LMC, Director at Wessex LMCs, Will has shaped healthcare policy and championed high-quality patient care at a national level.
Holding an MBBS from Imperial College London and a BSc (Hons) in Management, he blends clinical expertise with strategic leadership to drive innovation across the sector.
In 2025, he was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer – Partnerships and Quality at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, spearheading collaboration, reducing clinical variation, and inspiring research and innovation.
With special interests in Dermatology and Cardiovascular prevention, he has successfully led transformative projects across multiple disciplines. A proven leader, he thrives on uniting patients, clinicians and managers to achieve consensus, drive strategic change, and enhance the health and well-being of communities.
Vice Chair
Dr Chris Castle (Chair of Wessex LMCs Board)
Although born in Hampshire Chris completed his medical studies in Leicester, qualifying in 2010. He swiftly moved back south and after completing his GPVTS joined Westlands Medical Centre in Fareham, his training practice, as a partner. Sharing a vision of professional sustainability through innovation and leadership Chris has been involved in the setting up of the Nextgeneration GP Programme in Wessex. Chris is also a locality lead for primary care research and has set up a support network for local surgeries delivered through a research nurse.
Prior to medicine Chris worked at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital as a physiotherapist and has since been passionate about using his unique insight to improve the MSK pathway. This has involved developing a self-management app (GPEP) and teaching on the Portsmouth & IOW VTS.
He balances this with his home life which includes two young children and a healthy dose of running/cycling.
Chris has thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the discussions that becoming a committee member has required. It is therefore a huge privilege to be elected as Vice Chair.