The Medical Chambers Newsletter: December 2025

Celebrating Your Contributions

This year, locum GPs have again shown immense commitment and flexibility, providing essential continuity of care across our network. Whether you have taken on extra shifts at short notice, supported colleagues during challenging periods, or shared your expertise at meetings and your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your hard work and for the positive difference you make for patients and practices alike.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we look forward to the year ahead, we encourage you to continue keeping the Chambers organisation in the loop about your plans, availability, and any changes to your circumstances. Open communication helps us to support you effectively, match you with suitable opportunities, and ensure the smooth running of services for everyone involved.

• Update us regularly – Please remember to inform us of your upcoming availability, preferred working patterns, and any anticipated changes as early as possible.
• Share your feedback – Your insights help shape our policies and improve the Chambers experience for all members.
• Stay connected – Attend our meetings, participate in discussions, and make use of our support resources throughout the year.
   

Thank You and Merry Christmas!

Once again, thank you for your ongoing commitment and for being a valued member of our Chambers. We hope you have a restful festive season, and we look forward to working together throughout 2026. If you have any questions or need support over the holidays or into the New Year, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

With warm regards,

The Chambers Team

The Medical Chambers Members Handbook

We are pleased to share the newly updated Chambers Members Handbook with you. Since it’s been a few years since our last version, we wanted to make sure all our current members have the latest copy for their records. This is the same handbook we now provide to welcome our new members, helping everyone stay connected with how we operate.

Stay connected with The Medical Chambers

Communication Channels:

• WhatsApp Groups: We have two active WhatsApp groups (East and West) for instant clinical support, updates, and discussions. Members can choose to join one or both groups. Carolyn and Kirsty manage both groups.
• Not on WhatsApp? Reach out to us, and we'll be happy to welcome you to the group.
• Out of Office Hours: Contact Carole or Sarah via ImpaxHub's Emergency Contact function (sends an email to admin@medical-chambers.com).
• Office Hours (Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM): Call us at 01904 297 995 or send a message via WhatsApp (for work-related enquiries only) at 07842 114473.

Resources for Members:

• NB Medical: Access a wealth of free medical content by creating an account on NB Medical using the code xxxxxxxxxx.
• 14 Fish Discount: Chambers members receive a 15% discount on the 14 Fish Appraisal Toolkit.
• NB Plus Discount: Existing 14 Fish customers can get NB Plus for £295 (usually £345). New Chambers members will receive a free 1-year NB Plus subscription (terms and conditions apply).

Recommend a Practice and Earn £150!

Refer a practice to The Medical Chambers. Once they register, book, and pay for a session, you'll receive a £150 bonus directly deposited into your bank account. Contact admin@medical-chambers.com with the practice's contact information (name, phone number, email) to get started.

Where can you find us:
https://www.medical-chambers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/themedicalchambers
https://www.instagram.com/the_medical_chambers/

Membership plans in 2026

Perhaps you've been meaning to connect with us but haven't had a chance yet. Any update, even a brief one, would be greatly appreciated. It helps us understand your needs and plan accordingly, including whether we need to consider adding new members to areas where we've seen some departures. 

• Are you planning to stay on with Chambers still?
• Have you found alternative work and no longer require Chambers' support? If so, please let us know so we can archive your ImpaxHub profile and remove you from our distribution list. 
• Have there been any changes to your career path (e.g., partnerships, salaried positions) that might have reduced your need for sessions?
• Have you got work that's taken/taking you away from Chambers? We do have members that come back to us after a hiatus so do keep us in the loop if its only temporary, we would rather not lose you completely but at least know you still need us at some point. 

As a reminder, The Medical Chambers offers:

• Sessional booking service: Access to our network of practices requests.
• Full administrative support: Including booking, invoicing, NHS pension, workflow, and IT support.
• Clinical governance and CPD: Education for appraisals and revalidation support through NB Medical and our Clinical Leads.
• An admin team that works Mon to Fri 8-5pm: We can help with as much or as little as you need us, we can be a useful middleman between you and a practice when needed

Your membership fee is 10% + VAT for every month you work through us. We actively promote your availability (if its listed) twice a week and provide you with a system that shows you all the sessions our network of practices needs.

We're committed to making freelance work as stress-free as possible and helping you avoid the isolation that can come with locum work.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch and let us know where you stand.

We know many of you are consistently looking for work and actively use our services. However, if your situation has changed, please let us know so we can adjust our records accordingly. We'll be reaching out individually to members who have been inactive over the past year to see if Chambers is still the right fit. 

Alumni Members

Understanding Alumni Members

Some members of our network may be referred to as "Alumni."

•  Who are Alumni? Alumni are former Chambers members who have stepped back from regular locum work but wish to maintain their connection with the Chambers community. Their ImpaxHub profile is archived to prevent them from receiving daily "Find Work" emails.

Benefits of Alumni Membership:

• Support and Guidance: Alumni often provide valuable support, knowledge, and wisdom to current members through channels like WhatsApp groups and meetings.
• Networking Opportunities: Maintaining an Alumni connection allows you to stay connected with the Chambers network and potentially benefit from valuable contacts within the community. They continue to be invited to monthly meetings and social gatherings

Feedback from members on practices you have worked at?

We'd love to hear about your recent experiences at the practices you've worked with. Your insights are invaluable and can greatly benefit other members of our community!

Please share any feedback via email or WhatsApp, especially concerning:

Template layouts, car parking, useful practice contacts you discovered. Any "locum hacks" that made your shifts smoother or more efficient.

Don't Forget Practice Alerts! 🚨

Before your next shift, remember to check the practice alerts in ImpaxHub. This is where we add important, up-to-date information that could be relevant to your work. Staying informed helps everyone!

Upcoming meetings or social gatherings

We have changed this round for 2026, were going to try our now bi-monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM, excluding school holidays. These meetings are bookable through Eventbrite. We highly value the expertise within our membership and warmly welcome event proposals from both current members and our esteemed alumni. All upcoming meetings are listed on our Eventbrite page. Please register your interest to ensure you don't miss out!

Meeting links will be sent via Eventbrite to book a place but do save the dates!

Useful Updates

We will continue to circulate slides and relevant links following chambers monthly meetings.

The following are regular update general newsletters you can subscribe to:

https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
https://www.leedslmc.org/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/

Amy Small shares the following:

🩺 Calling all Sessional GPs! 🩺Join us for a FREE virtual event designed just for you 💪
📅 Tuesday 3rd February 2026
⏰ 7:00pm - 8:30pm
📍 Online event

Power in Numbers: Uniting Sessional GPs for Change ✨This is YOUR space to:

✅ Connect with sessional GPs across the UK
✅ Have your voice heard
✅ Get expert advice on your rights
✅ Shape the future of sessional work

We're tackling the issues that matter most to you:

💰 Low pay rates
📉 Underemployment & lack of work
📋 Contracts not being honoured

Plus - Get answers from BMA's member relations team on:
DDRB uplifts
Changes to working hours
Your employment rights

🎯 Pre-submit your questions when you register!
👉 Register FREE now: https://www.bma.org.uk/events/power-in-numbers-uniting-sessional-gps-for-change

Let's unite for change! Together we're stronger 💙#SessionalGP #BMA #PowerInNumbers

Congratulations!

East Chambers:

Following the introduction of an Ambient Voice Scribe to the Frailty Team in Hull, Andy picked up an award for Innovation on behalf of CHCP at the Social Enterprise Awards, Festival of Hope in London in November. 

https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/news-and-views/the-winners-of-the-uk-social-enterprise-awards-2025/

We are thrilled to share our very own Alena Billingsley successfully completed her MA in Integrative Counselling this September! While Alena is a little modest about her achievement, this was no small feat—it marks the culmination of two years of intensive, full-time study, following two years of foundational training. We know just how demanding and "hellish" that journey could be at times, which makes her success all the more impressive. Please join us in sending a huge "well done" to Alena on this incredible milestone; we are so proud of you!

We would also like to give a massive shout-out to Sarah Gardiner, who organised the Leeds 1995 Medical School 30-year reunion! It was a spectacular success with over 100 guests in attendance, including five dedicated alumni who travelled all the way from Australia and New Zealand. Not only did the event provide a wonderful trip down memory lane, but it also raised a fantastic £2,500 for Cancer Research UK. Sarah shared that she loved every minute of the planning process and the evening itself—thank you, Sarah, for your hard work in bringing everyone together for such a great cause!

West Chambers:

Ciao! Sheena Martinisi officially passed her C1 Italian exam this June! Reaching the C1 level is an incredible milestone, as it represents a degree-level proficiency and a deep mastery of the language. We are all so impressed by her dedication and hard work in achieving this advanced qualification. Please join us in saying a huge congratulazioni to Sheena on this brilliant success!