Following the Working Group on the Representation of Sessional GPs' first meeting last week, chairman Dr Mark Selman said he will be identifying LMCs with the best examples of fair representation of sessional GPs.

'There are some LMCs who are really doing a good job but unfortunately, there are quite a few that aren't.

'Sometimes it's because GPs are just not engaged but also some GPs find their LMCs irrelevant,' he said.

Dr Selman will attempt to spread best practice. Sessional LMC sub-committees are particularly useful for engaging with non-principals, he said.

Of 14 LMCs that replied to a query from GP about representation of salaried GPs, most agreed their leadership was dominated by partners. Just one said it had more than one or two sessionals as elected representatives.

Dr Selman said there were 'big problems' with the representation of salaried GPs at BMA and GPC level, but that it was 'early days' in terms of a solution.

In June a GP survey found that nearly 78 per cent of salaried doctors believe there is 'a clear split' in the profession, and that the 2009 LMCs conference was wrong to reject a motion deploring it.

Dr Selman however believes there is no emerging 'split,' but simply 'problems that have always been there'.

He added that the establishment of the working group was the result of several years' deliberation by the GPC over how to revamp sessional GP representation in the BMA.