Local Medical Committee

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In the UK since 1911 Local Medical Committees have been the local GP committees. They are part of the British Medical Association or BMA but must represent all General Practitioners in their geographical area which is historically coterminous with the successive Primary Care Organisations or other healthcare administrative areas.

As the organisation and complexity of primary care has increased and along with the call for increased priofessionalism and specialisation of for instance negotiators, LMCs' administrative structures have developed from a pile of papers on the kitchen table of the LMC medical secretary to permanent staff and offices with substantial assets. This has allowed the LMCs to develop relationships ranging over time, topic and space between mutual suspicion and antagonism to useful cooperation for common benefit with NHS administrative organisations.

The LMCs interact and work with and through the GPC and with other craft committees and local specialist medical committtees in various ways.

They are funded by a statutory levy, of so many pence per patient on GP Principals and Practices, and generally receive contributions from non-principal GPs on various local bases.