Wessex LMCS in the Media and Press Releases
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Press Releases and News Articles
Should you have a press or media enquiry and would like to speak to a member of the Wessex LMCs team, please contact us with details of your request.
Television Interviews
A hammer blow to already fragile practice finances – 20.11.24
“We would describe general practice as being on the precipice and, for a significant number of practices, this could push them over the edge,” Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint CEO, Wessex LMCs talks to BBC South Today about the impact to General Practice of the National Insurance contribution rises. Watch the full interview here
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) causing significant knock on consequences for GPs – 26.07.24
Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Laura Edwards talks to BBC South Today about the huge disruption Wessex practices are experiencing with University Hospital Southampton (UHS) trusts new pathology IT System – Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
A Warning from GPs – 05.07.23
GPs in the south are warning that unless the government start investing in General Practice now, the community doctor will become a thing of the past. In this ITV Meridian interview, Wessex LMCs Joint CEO, Dr Laura Edwards, and Medical Director, Dr Will Howard, explain the current situation.
A plea to the government to be honest about what the public can expect from the GP Service – 09.05.24
Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO at Wessex LMCs pleas for the government to be honest with the public about what they can expect from a GP service with so few GPs. Watch the full BBC News Interview here
It feels like a Tsunami of need – 09.05.24
Dr Chris Castle, GP Partner at Westlands Medical Centre and Vice Chair of Hampshire & IOW Local Medical Committee, talks to BBC News about how demoralising it is for GPs not to be able to meet current need.
The workload crisis leaves GPs feeling sad and frustrated – 05.01.23
Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint CEO of Wessex LMCs, explains how the workload crisis leaves GPs feeling sad and frustrated in his BBC South Today interview.
The stark ‘state of overwhelm’ – 11.01.23
The stark ‘state of overwhelm’ is outlined on ITV Meridian News by Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO of Wessex LMCs.
Why patients are struggling to get through to their GP – 19.12.22
Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO of Wessex LMCs talks to ITV Meridian about why patients are struggling to get through to their GP.
Radio Interviews
Talking General Practice: Dr Andy Purbrick on GP Pressures and a Live Question to Wes Streeting – 22.01.26
Dr Andy Purbrick, Wessex LMCs Joint CEO, had the opportunity to talk to BBC Radio Wiltshire about the challenges facing General Practice and posed a question live to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.
Listen to the full interview here.
The Financial Burden on GP Practices – 20.11.24
Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Laura Edwards talks to BBC Radio Solent about the significant threat to GP Practices with the rise in National Insurance contributions. Laura also highlights the existing financial pressures General Practice is already facing. You can read the accompanying online article featuring Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Andy Purbrick ‘Surgeries on ‘precipice’ ahead of tax hike, says GP’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdrdem1mr16o
Listen to the full interview here.
A Huge Potential Threat to General Practice – 20.11.24
Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Andy Purbrick talks to BBC Radio Solent (Dorset) about the huge potential threat the increase in National Insurance contributions will have to General Practice. Andy also highlights the other pressures facing General Practice including the workload crisis. You can read the accompanying online article ‘Surgeries on ‘precipice’ ahead of tax hike, says GP’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdrdem1mr16o
Listen to the full interview here.
Chancellors recent Budget announcement – 07.11.24
BSW Committee Member and Swindon GP, Dr Febin Basheer spoke to BBC Radio Wiltshire. Febin highlighted concerns about the potential impact on General Practice and patients resulting from the Chancellors recent Budget announcement. Listen to the full interview here.
Patient behaviour is evolving fast – where do you turn for help? – 04.08324
Figures from consumer research group 2San show that 1 in 3 people in Southampton initially look for medical advice on socials instead of from a GP.
In this radio interview, Wessex LMCs Joint CEO, Dr Laura Edwards, talks to Global News about how this affects the NHS.
2.6 Million Patients vs 1400 GPs – 10.03.23
Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO of Wessex LMCs was recently interviewed by Global News to highlight the pressures in general practice. Take a listen to the interview which was featured on Heart Hampshire Radio.
The Pressure Never Stops – 07.03.23
Joint CEO’s Dr Laura Edwards and Dr Andy Purbrick spoke on BBC Radio Solent’s Breakfast shows. Following a segment on the day in the life of a GP, featuring Dr Lisa Nayler from the Parkstone Tower Practice in Poole (part of Shore Medical), Andy and Laura spoke on why the system is broken.
In this interview broadcast to the Hampshire and IOW region, Laura discusses why there aren’t enough GPs to meet an increasing medically complex population.
In this interview broadcast across the Dorset region, Andy explains why the workload crisis is not just a result of the pandemic.
Press Releases and News Articles
Just 1 in 4 eligible patients prescribed tirzepatide, GPonline investigation suggests – 10.08.26
Wessex LMC, which covers BSW ICB, told GPonline that the two organisations have worked closely to ensure weight management services are properly resourced and available to eligible patients. Read the article here
Practices will struggle to meet patient demand under new contract, GP leaders warn – 31.03.26
A Wessex LMCs spokesperson warned that unless practices were given more resources, the contract change would affect both urgent and routine appointments. Read the article here
NHS England mandates new referral rules for ten specialties — GPs warn safety questions remain unanswered with implementation from 1st April – 10.03.26
Read the Press Release from Wessex LMCs
Accompanying Media Coverage:
Mandatory advice and guidance adds to patient safety risks, warns LMC | GPonline
GPs urged to challenge ‘mandated’ A&G amid patient safety concerns | Pulse Today
The Integrator Making ‘advice and guidance’ mandatory Expert Briefing | Health Service Journal
Patients at risk from new “advice and guidance” referral rules, GP leaders warn | BMJ / PDF Version
NHS rations hospital referrals to cut waiting list |The Telegraph
The controversial ‘low hanging fruit’ which could cut hospital waits | The Medical Republic
GPs told to review vaccination processes as UKHSA clarifies HCAs can’t take consent – 17.12.25
In an update to practices Wessex LMC said the updated wording has caused concern because many practices have ‘longstanding workflows’ in which HCAs play an important part in delivering vaccination programmes. Read the article here.
The Dorset GP crisis no one wants to talk about – 08.11.25
“It really dismays me. I’ve been a GP for 25 years and I’m also a trainer. I always wanted to be a GP – but we’re seeing more colleagues leave the profession early, often due to burnout” says Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Andy Purbrick. Read the article here.
ICB mergers could slash locally-commissioned GP services, LMCs fear – 01.07.25
“You can see benefits and risks with any sort of merger. I think for us geographically, it’s not going to have a massive impact on us. It’ll mean we’re effectively working with one ICB rather than two.” says Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Andy Purbrick. Read the article here.
Are Local Enhanced Services Unfunded Charity Work? – 30.05.25
“If a management consultancy firm was asked to review a GP surgery, then a fair and expected challenge to many would be “why are you doing so much charity work – can you really afford to?” Any business needs to look at work they do that is unresourced,” says Wessex LMCs Joint CEO Dr Laura Edwards. Read the article here.
Dementia patients and carers ‘abandoned’ after cuts – 27.05.25
Portsmouth is already the area with the second with the lowest number of GPs for their population in the country. Read the article here, or watch the BBC South today film.
GP practices seek advice on redundancies amid fears over rising costs – 19.02.25
A major LMC has held two redundancy webinars to help practices prepare for ‘all eventualities’ amid deep concern over the impact of rising national insurance and pay costs in the coming year. Read the full article here
‘Aggressive marketing’ fuels surge in patients seeking private referrals from GPs – 16.12.24
Wessex Local Medical Committees has issued a lengthy warning letter to the three Integrated Care Boards where it represents GPs: Dorset; Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. Read the full article here
GPs ‘alarmed’ as A&G used to downgrade cancer referrals – 26.11.24
Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO at Wessex LMCs tells Pulse: ‘Wessex LMCs believes that advice and guidance should be part of the options available to support GPs in caring for their patients and we know our GPs value having this available when it is used by both sides in the right way’ Read the full article here
Surgeries on ‘precipice’ ahead of tax hike, says GP – 20.11.24
GP practices could be pushed “over the edge” by a planned rise in the National Insurance (NI) rate for employers, a doctor has said. Read the full article here featuring Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint CEO, Wessex LMCs.
Patients in South of England want their family doctor back – new poll – 27.09.23
New survey finds most people in South of England want to see the same GP each time, in a surgery near where they live. Take a read of Wessex LMCs press release, sent on behalf of the Rebuild General Practice Campaign
GPs across Dorset see 11% rise in number of patients signing up – 16.09.24
Poole GP tells Greatest Hits Radio Dorset demand has reached ‘record highs’ while moral is at an ‘all-time low’. Read the full article here featuring Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint CEO, Wessex LMCs.
Faulty pathology system causes ‘significant’ issues for GPs – 23.07.23
An ongoing fault with an acute trust’s new pathology system has left GPs with ‘significant’ workload issues and ‘anxiety’ for patient safety. Wessex LMCs joint CEO Dr Laura Edwards told Pulse that they are ‘actively engaging’ with UHS and the ICB to find a ‘rapid resolution’ to the weeks-long issue. Read the full article here
We are woefully short of GPs – 09.05.23
Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO of Wessex LMCs, “We need the government to… be honest that there isn’t the service there that we need” Read the fully BBC article here
Partner Focus: Wessex Local Medical Committees – 17.03.23
The Triangle for BSW Together highlights Wessex LMCs are in this article: Partner Focus: Wessex Local Medical Committees
Website & phone message reviews forge best practice guides for GP surgeries – 08.03.23
Websites and automated phone messages of GP practices across Wiltshire have been the focus of a two-part project led by Healthwatch Wiltshire volunteers. Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint Chief Executive of Wessex LMCs comments on the review. Read the full article here