British Medical Association (BMA) Guidance

The BMA has produced a suite of information for GP partners, practice managers and doctors to use to ensure their practice is compliant and delivering the best patient care. Topics covered include:

BMA support services for GP practices

Communication with patients

Complaints in primary care

Employment advice

Funding and contracts

GP partners

GP premises

GP service provision

Locum GPs

Managing workload

Managing your practice list

Prescribing

Primary care networks

Primary care support services

The Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Vaccinations

Other BMA guidance the LMC office regularly receives queries about includes:

Access to Health Records (BMA Mar25)

Access to Medical Reports (BMA Nov25)

Accelerated Access to Prospective GP Records (BMA Jan25)

Advice & Guidance Update (BMA May 2024)

Adult Safeguarding Toolkit (BMA Jun24)

CAIP Simpler Online Requests (GPC Mar25)

Children and Young People Ethics Toolkit (BMA Feb25)

Confidentiality and Health Records Toolkit (BMA Mar25)

Consent in paternity testing (BMA Sep20)

COVID & Flu Letter (Nov24)

COVID Therapeutics (BMA Jun23)

Employment Status (BMA Law June24)  

Ethics of Social Media (BMA Aug24)

Focus on Dispensing and Prescribing (Nov24)

Focus on GP Data Sharing and GP Data Controllership (Nov24)

Focus on Limited Liability Partnerships and the GMS Contract (Nov24)

Focus on medical associate professions (BMA Jun24)

Focus on PMS Reviews and Transition to GMS (BMA Apr16)

Focus on Proforma and Referral Forms (May25)

Focus on the 2024-25 DDRB Pay Award (Nov24)

Focus on the 2024 Premises Costs Directions (Nov24)

Focus on the Use of Enhanced Access Appointments (Nov24)

Focus on Spending and the PCN DES Capacity and Access Payment Funding (Nov24)

Focus on Vaccinations and Immunisations (Nov24)

Future Proof Your Partnership (BMA Law Jul23)

Global Sum Allocation Formula (BMA Aug24)

GPs as Data Controller under GDPR (BMA Nov24)

GP Registrars annual leave, sick leave and study leave (BMA Sep24)

GMS contract and PMS agreement differences (BMA June24)

Mental Capacity Act Toolkit (BMA Mar25)

Needle Stick Injuries and Blood Borne Viruses: Testing adults who lack capacity (BMA Apr25) 

Primary and Secondary Care Working Together (BMA Jun24)

Private practice and GP contracts (BMA Oct24)

Refugee and Asylum Seeker Patient Health Toolkit (BMA May25) 

Requests for Medical Information from Insurers (BMA Nov24)

Responding to patient requests for assisted dying (BMA Jun24)

Sessional and Locum GP Contract Guidance (BMA May25)

Sharing Electronic Patient Records for Direct Patient Care (BMA feb25)

Transparency for Doctors with Competing Interests (BMA Jun24)

Other Guidance

The following guidance may also be of interest to practices:

Community Pharmacy: Information for GPs (CPE Mar22)

Confidentiality: Good Practice in Handling Patient Information (GMC Dec24)

Continuing Professional Development (GMC Jun22)

Decision Making and Consent (GMC Dec24)

Good Medical Practice (GMC Dec24)

Good Practice in Prescribing and Managing Medicines and Devices (GMC Mar22)

How CQC Inspects and Regulates NHS GP Practices (Nov23)

Important Information for Health Care Professionals who Request Emergency Ambulances (YAS Jul23)

Key Principles for General Practice (CCG/LMC/PCS Jun17)

Managing Children and Young People’s Identified Health Needs (SCC2012)

Mis-selling Loans & Interest Rate Swaps (GPDF Jul23)

National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (NHSE Jul23)

Onward Referral – A Working Group Report (Academy of Medical Royal Colleges May18)

Protecting Children and Young People (GMC Dec24)

Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice (GMC legal annex updated Dec24)

Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety (GMC Dec24)

Reporting Criminal and Regulatory Proceedings (GMC Jul 23)

Responsibility for Prescribing between Primary & Secondary/Tertiary Care (NHS England Mar18)

Supporting Doctors who Undertake a Low Volume of NHS General Practice Clinical work (NHSE Mar19)

Treatment and Care towards the End of Life: Good Practice in Decision Making (GMC Dec24)

Visual & Audio Recordings (Dec24)

When a Patient Seeks Advice or Information about Assistance to Die (GMC Jul23)

Witness Summons and Court Orders (GPDF Jul23)