When Professional Support can help
Our professional support service offers confidential, trusted support for GPs, Practice Managers, Lead Practice Nurses and other members of the practice leadership team working in Devon.
It’s there for moments when things feel complicated, heavy or hard to carry alone; whether that’s pressure within a partnership, concerns about workload or wellbeing, or navigating a challenging professional situation. The service provides timely, sensitive guidance, tailored to your individual circumstances, with the aim of helping you feel supported, listened to, and clearer about your next steps.
Support can be offered across a wide range of situations, including (but not limited to):
- partnership or team difficulties
- workload pressure, burnout and work-life balance
- bereavement or significant personal change
- disciplinary, grievance or performance concerns
- PAG or GMC referrals
- regulatory or compliance matters
- inquest support
- professional performance or career transitions
- retirement planning
- personal or business financial concerns
- mental health and wellbeing
- other complex or sensitive issues affecting your professional or personal life
You don’t need to be in crises to access support. Many members contact the service simply to talk things through, sense-check a situation, or gain perspective in a confidential, supportive environment.
The Professional Support Team
Our Professional Support Service is delivered by a highly experienced team with a deep understanding of the realities of working in General Practice.
The team brings together clinical insight, system knowledge, and practical experience, allowing them to support members across a wide range of professional, and organisational challenges. They work closely with the wider LMC Executive, while maintaining the confidentiality, independence and discretion that sits at the heart of this service.
Support is approached with care and professionalism, grounded in listening first and responding thoughtfully. The focus is always on understanding the context, offering proportionate guidance, and helping members navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.
This is a service built on trust, experience and integrity, providing support that is sensitive, timely and shaped around the needs of the individual.
While our Professional Support Team is not indemnified to provide formal legal, financial, or HR advice, they can play an important role in helping members navigate these situations. Where specialist input is needed, the team will support you to access appropriate, trusted external advice and services, and will continue to provide holistic support alongside this. Our aim is to ensure you feel supported, informed, and not left to manage complex situations on your own.
Clinical and lived experience – a message from our Clinical Lead
I’m a local GP, having completed my training through the Exeter VTS in 1994. Over the years, I’ve worked as a GP locum, a salaried GP, and for 25 years I was a GP Partner at Westbank Practice. Alongside this, I now hold a portfolio of clinical roles across the NHS.Dr Rachel Mann – Clinical Lead of Devon LMC Professional Support Service
I understand how demanding life in General Practice can be — and how pressures can sometimes feel insurmountable. Balancing professional responsibility with family life, relationships, financial pressures and the ongoing challenge of maintaining some sense of work–life balance can be difficult, even at the best of times.
Whether things feel overwhelming or simply mildly stressful, the Professional Support Service offers a confidential space to talk things through. We are a small team who care deeply about supporting the GP community in Devon, particularly at times when situations feel complicated and it’s hard to see a way forward.
While we are not counsellors, psychotherapists or psychiatrists, we can offer something different — a professional friend to walk alongside you, help unpack what’s on your mind, and support you in making sense of your situation and identifying next steps.
How to access Professional Support
If you are a General Practitioner, Practice Manager, Lead Practice Nurse or part of a practice leadership team working in Devon and would like to access our Professional Support Service, please make sure you are logged in as a Devon LMC member and use the link at the bottom of the page. This will take you to the Professional Support Service page in our Members Area, where you’ll find the Service Enquiry Form.
Once your enquiry is received, a member of the LMC team will be in touch within five working days. If you indicate on the form that you request is urgent, we will aim to contact you within 48 hours.
We will usually make contact by email to arrange a brief introductory conversation, giving you the opportunity to talk things through and confirm that Professional Support is the right form of support for you at this time.
What happens next
If Professional Support is appropriate, we will take the next steps carefully and confidentially.
At this stage, we share a fully anonymised overview of your situation with our Professional Support Team. No identifying details are included – including who you are or where you are based. We recognise that General Practice can be a small world, and this step is an important safeguard.
Once availability is confirmed, we will contact you to let you know the name of the Professional Support Officer we propose to connect you with. This gives you the opportunity to check that you do not know them personally or professionally.
Once you confirm that you are happy to proceed, you will receive an automated introduction email, copying in your allocated Professional Support Officer. They will then be in touch within 48 hours (or sooner if required) to arrange an initial conversation.
At this point, the LMC team steps back, allowing the support relationship to develop directly and confidentially between you and your Professional Support Officer.
How is support delivered
Professional Support is entirely client-led and shaped around your needs.
Your Professional Support Officer can offer up to six two-hour sessions, which can be delivered:
- face-to-face
- virtually (via Microsoft Teams)
- by telephone
Sessions are arranged at times that work around your professional and personal commitments.
If you prefer to meet in person, the LMC can provide access to a private meeting room at our offices on the outskirts of Exeter.
Support does not end abruptly. If further support is needed beyond six sessions, this can be discussed and additional sessions may be offered where appropriate. Decisions about ending the support relationship are always made by mutual agreement between you and your Professional Support Officer.
Feeling supported when it matters
Reflections from members
Thank you all so much for your care and support. I cannot speak more highly of this service and I will always be grateful for this support and help. I after 20 years I had fallen off the bike and with support from my GP, the LMC and my allocated Professional Support Officer it has helped in more ways than I could ever say.Anonymous
Looking back I am tearful at how low I had become compared to now and how I can function again at work. I really can't say a big enough thankyou to my Professional Support Officer who has been integral to my recovery and I will always be grateful for the positive effect on my well-being and mental health. We are so fortunate to have access to this team and service. Thank you all so much.
I'm still here, which is a testament to the service. There was a time when I didn't think I'd make it to the end of the day.Anonymous
I found the LMC team prompt, very understanding and extremely supportive. My Professional Support Officer was outstanding, supported me through an incredibly challenging time, and gave me exactly what I needed.Annonymous
I do wonder if I would still be a GP partner now if it wasn't for their support. I am sure I would have had time off sick at some point but they enabled me to work through it. Thank you.
The service was responsive in a very timely way in the initial stages and supportive, flexible and client-led throughout. I had complete trust in the PSO allocated to me.Anonymous
I was greatly appreciative of the generous support the LMC provided to me through a particularly tough time. My Professional Support Officer was experienced kind and compassionate and I felt their support was probably the best support I had from any of the various methods I tried to get myself better.Anonymous
I would like to add that the rest of the LMC team were fantastic, professional, respected my privacy but at the same time were friendly and made a situation which I have never experienced before much less intimidating.
Thank you so much.
Access confidential Professional Support through Devon LMC