Our patients have access to multiple weight management and fitness options within Islington and North Central London. If you would like to know more about what options you can be referred too, speak to member of our reception team who can book you in with one of our health care assistants who can help you pick the best referral for you.
More Life – wight management support
Our patients can be referred to MoreLife for weight management support. The program provides a 12 week support with a weight management practitioner which offers access to weekly, group-based weight management sessions at local community venues or online via zoom.
This program is available to all our patients living within Islington and Camden who are 18years old and over with a BMI of 30+ or 25+ and living with a long term condition.
The physical health referral for Islington residents offers as 12 week personalise physical activity plan and group based classes to health increase activity levels. Patients can have access to the plan for free and a number of activities which are free. Gym memberships are not included but can be provided at a discount with the scheme to Sobell Leisure Centre.
The program is available to Islington residents who are over 18, living with an existing long term condition and ready to make a physical change.
Shape Up – Arsenal Community
Arsenal community hub have successfully been running Shape Up for Men and Shape Up Sisters since 2023 and we have seen so many patients have great success with this program. Completely free and separate groups for men and women the shape up program is available to our patients living in Islington with a BMI over 27.
This 12 week program includes physical health activities and food education as well as support groups.
Cervical screening is also known as a Pap smear or Pap test.
It is a free health test available on the NHS which checks the health of your cervix (the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina) and helps you find any abnormal changes before they can turn into cancer.
The purpose of cervical screening is to identify any early signs of cervical cancer or precancerous changes. Detecting these abnormalities early allows for timely treatment, which can prevent the development of cervical cancer.er.
Who is invited for a cervical screening?
Those aged between 25-64 with a cervix. Women are usually born with a cervix. Trans men, non-binary and intersex people may also have one, and would therefore be eligible for a screening test.
What happens during the appointment?
(Info taken from the NHS website):
You’ll need to undress, behind a screen, from the waist down. You’ll be given a sheet to put over you for privacy.
The nurse will ask you to lie back on a bed, usually with your legs bent, feet together and knees apart. Sometimes you may need to change position during the test.
They’ll gently put a smooth, tube-shaped tool (a speculum) into your vagina. A small amount of lubricant may be used.
The nurse will open the speculum so they can see your cervix.
Using a soft brush, they’ll take a small sample of cells from your cervix. This may feel strange but should not be painful.
The nurse will close and remove the speculum and give you privacy to get dressed.
Why is it important?
Along with the HPV vaccine, cervical screening is the best way to protect against cervical cancer and prevents over 70% of diagnoses.
How can I book?
You can submit a request for a cervical screening appointment using the link below:
https://florey.accurx.com/p/F83664 and the Patient service team will get back in touch with you to confirm your appointment by telephone.
OR
Ring the GP to book a quick appointment to complete your screening test.
Additional resources that may you may find helpful:
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the practice. 😊
For more information view our poster
Social Prescribing
What is it?
Social Prescribing focuses on tackling the social factors that impact health and well-being by connecting residents of Islington to non-medical support available within the borough.
Many individuals discuss non-medical issues with their GPs and other healthcare providers simply because they are unsure where to seek help. These concerns may include social isolation, mental health, financial difficulties, housing challenges, employment, access to exercise opportunities, and volunteering options. If these issues are not addressed, they can have a detrimental effect on an individual’s overall health and well-being.
What can service users expect
When booked with our in-house Social Prescribers, a dedicated professional will work with the patient to assess their needs and identify the appropriate local support. Our Social Prescribers are committed to providing a welcoming environment where individuals can discuss their concerns comfortably and privately.
We aim to contact clients in need of support within a reasonable timeframe. However, during periods of high demand, we will inform you of an estimated waiting time.
Please note, this is not an emergency service.
Our Key Objectives
Prevention: By addressing broader social factors that impact health and well-being, we aim to prevent the onset of related complications that can arise when these factors are not addressed.
Self-Care: We empower residents to take an active role in their own health and well-being by helping them understand the local social support available and building their confidence in accessing these resources.
Personalisation and Collaborative Working: We focus on enhancing the local support available through a person-centred approach to health and well-being. This is achieved by encouraging residents to collaborate with healthcare providers to plan tailored interventions.
Accessing Social Prescribing
Our in-house Social Prescribers are available to all individuals registered with our practice; for an initial appointment, you will need to be booked in by a member of the practice team. If you would like to see a Social Prescriber, please call the practice or submit an online consultation.
Some of the services you can access…
We are a RCGP Parkrun approved practice from 05/07/2018 and you may be advised to attend the local Park run in Finsbury Park. It is a 5k run which can be walked or run at any level and you may even see members of the Practice staff there!
Village Practice Women’s Only Walking Group run by staff at the Village voluntarily! Join us for a leisurely chat and walk and make new friends. Thursdays at 12.00!
An appointment with one of the Age UK Care Navigators who can support you from the beginning to the end of your problem and ensure you get the best care and support. They have access to a powerful directory of services across the borough and are experts in navigating the services across health and social care. Information can be accessed by clicking the link Islington Locality Navigator Service
Womens Walking Group
Join us every Thursday from 12:30-13:30 for our Group walk for all women and trans women.
We are still here Monday – Friday 6:30pm-8pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm. Just call us on 0207 700 6464. We do not take online consultation’s during extended hours.
We are here for you evening and weekends and we want to make it easier for you to get an appointment at a time that suits you. Evening and weekend appointments are available for our patients, in addition to our normal opening hours.
These evening and weekend appointments may take place by phone, video, or face-to-face depending on your clinical need. Face to Face appointments will be at The Village Practice but are run by the Primary Care Network (not your regular village practice team).
You may be offered an appointment at your GP practice, another local GP practice or another local NHS service. This is because we are working with other local GP practices to provide these appointments. Our practice is part of a small group of practices called a Primary Care Network. This group of practices works together in a number of ways.
Evening and weekend appointments
We want to make it easier for you to get an appointment at a time that suits you. Evening and weekend appointments are available for our patients, in addition to our normal opening hours of 8am to 6.30pm.
When are appointments available?
Appointments are available from 6.30pm-8pm in the evenings, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where will I be seen?
Appointments may take place by phone, video, or face-to-face depending on your clinical need. You may be offered an appointment at your GP practice, another local GP practice or another local NHS building. This is because we are working with other local GP practices to provide these appointments. Our practice is part of a small group of practices called a Primary Care Network. This group of practices works together in a number of ways.
Who can access these appointments?
Anyone registered with our GP practice.
Who will I see at my appointment?
Patients can expect a high-quality service from a team of dedicated and professional staff including GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants.
How do I book an appointment?
Contact your GP practice in the usual way by phone to request an appointment.
Non-NHS Services
There are some tasks that we undertake as a Practice that are not part of the NHS work we provide you and that we are contracted to provide. These may be chargeable and it is important to understand what is chargeable and what is not.
We will do our best to ensure we inform you of any charges before we undertake the work, and we will have copies of the fees we charge around the practice for you to see.
Please note we also charge for some travel vaccines; please see other tab for travel vaccinations.
We will complete requests within 30 working days.
Please refer to our administrative fee document below:
It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS.
They are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work, the fees charged by GPs contribute towards their costs.
What is covered by the NHS and what is not?
The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients, including the provision of ongoing medical treatment.
In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.
Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients:
accident or sickness certificates for insurance purposes
school fee and holiday insurance certificates
reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:
life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering.
Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?
With certain limited exceptions, for example a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients.
Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, for example for insurance purposes, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.
Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?
We suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (ie work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees.
However, the fees suggested by us are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates we suggest.
Can a fee be charged by a GP for the completion of cremation forms?
It is important to differentiate between death certificates (which must be completed free of charge) and cremation forms.
Cremation forms, unlike death certificates, require doctors to make certain investigations which do not form part of their NHS duties.
A deceased person cannot be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known and properly recorded. Before cremation can take place two certificates need to be signed, one by the GP and one by another doctor.
Cremation form 4 must be, as stated, completed by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during their last illness.
Form 5 must be completed by a registered medical practitioner who is neither a partner nor a relative of the doctor who completed form.
A fee can be charged for the completion of both forms 4 and 5 as this does not form part of a doctor’s NHS duties.
Doctors normally charge these fees to the funeral director, who, generally passes on the cost to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage allowance, where appropriate.
The fees for cremation forms 4 and 5 (which are agreed with the National Association of Funeral Directors, NAFD, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, SAIF, and Co-operative Funeralcare) are available on our website.
Can VAT be charged by GPs for some non-NHS services?
Since 1 May 2007, certain medical services have become subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). This follows a European Court of Justice Ruling in 2003, and subsequent changes to VAT rules introduced by HM Revenue & Customs.
The original Court ruling made it clear that, where the main purpose of a medical service is the ‘protection, maintenance or restoration of the health of an individual’ then that service should continue to be exempt from VAT. All heathcare provided either through the NHS, or the private sector, is therefore not subject to VAT.
However, where the purpose of a medical service is not, primarily, the treatment of a patient (for example, the completion of medical insurance reports by a doctor), the Court ruled that this service should be subject to VAT.
Such GP reports have been subject to VAT since 1 May 2007. In the UK this applies where a medical practitioner’s income exceeds the VAT registration threshold.
Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?
Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients.
Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.
I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?
When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.
In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.
What will I be charged?
We recommend that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be.
It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge, but we produce lists of suggested fees which many doctors use. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees.
What can I do to help?
Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.
Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. Urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more.
What type of report work doesn’t have to be done by my GP?
There is some medical examination and report work that can be done by any doctor, not only a patient’s GP. For this work there are no set or recommended fees which means doctors may set their own fees. We offer guidelines only.
Travel Vaccinations
If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required. There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below.
It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible – at least 8-12 weeks before you travel – as a further appointment s may be required with the practice nurse to complete the vaccinations. Appointments cannot be made unless we have received a completed Travel Questionnaire ( see link below).
Some vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.
Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. Please ask Reception for charges This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.
Travel Health Questionnaire
Some of the vaccines we offer are not available on the NHS. We have put together this list to help you. If you would like to book an appointment with the nurse for travel, this is a free consultation and we will only charge for the vaccines we give you.
Please note you will need a consultation with the nurse before any vaccines are given. Please allow 15 minutes for a consultation.
We will ask you to pay after you have had your consultation. Please note we only take cash. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Vaccine
Cost
Who Pays
Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio
Free to patient
NHS
Hepatitis A
Free to patient
NHS
Typhoid
Free to patient
NHS
Hepatis A and B
Free to patient
NHS
Hepatis A and B combined
Free to patient
NHS
Hepatitis B
£35.00 per dose (3 required)
Patient
Meningitis ACWY
£60.00 (includes certificate)
Patient
Malaria Prescription
£20.00 each
Patient
To help us offer the appropriate advice, please fill out the online form fully before coming to see the nurse. This can also be printed and faxed or handed in when making your appointment. Appointments will not be made without receipt of this form.
Chargeable Services
Chargeable services we provide at the practice are listed below which are not part of our NHS commissioned work but we are contracted to provide. These may be chargeable and it is important to understand what is chargeable and what is not.
We will do our best to ensure we inform you of any charges before we undertake the work, charges are listed below.
All chargeable reports can take up to 30 days to complete.
Type of Report
Paid by
Price
Appointment Needed?
Adoption and Fostering: Form AH
Form AH2
Form C, D, YP or AME (Child full examination)
Adoption – Parent or Agency
Fostering – NHS or Agency
£78.86
£24.36
£97.91
30 minutes
Freedom Pass/Blue badge Letter
Patient
£20.00
Driving Medicals: Public Carriage, HGV, Taxi, PSV, DVLA
Patient
£120.00
30 minutes
Medical Reports: Includes Solicitors, Insurance, Private Company, Medical Research/Clinical Trial Questionnaires
Extract from Records Insurance companies and Solicitors
Patient
£125.00
£50.00
Private Letter
Patient
£35.00
Private medical certificates
Patient
£20.00
Private Prescriptions
Patient
£20.00
Private Fit notes (less than 7 days)
Patient
£15.00
Fit to Fly Letter
Patient
£50.00
15 minutes
Confirmation of Registration to Practice
Patient
£15.00
Please Note – WE DO NOT OFFER SUPPORTIVE LETTER OR HOUSING LETTERS – please see below for more information
It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS.
They are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work, the fees charged by GPs contribute towards their costs.
What is covered by the NHS and what is not?
The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients, including the provision of ongoing medical treatment.
In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.
Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients:
accident or sickness certificates for insurance purposes
school fee and holiday insurance certificates
reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:
life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering
Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?
With certain limited exceptions, for example a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients.
Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, for example for insurance purposes, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.
Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?
We suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (ie work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees.
However, the fees suggested by us are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates we suggest.
Can a fee be charged by a GP for the completion of cremation forms?
It is important to differentiate between death certificates (which must be completed free of charge) and cremation forms.
Cremation forms, unlike death certificates, require doctors to make certain investigations which do not form part of their NHS duties.
A deceased person cannot be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known and properly recorded. Before cremation can take place two certificates need to be signed, one by the GP and one by another doctor.
Cremation form 4 must be, as stated, completed by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during their last illness.
Form 5 must be completed by a registered medical practitioner who is neither a partner nor a relative of the doctor who completed form.
A fee can be charged for the completion of both forms 4 and 5 as this does not form part of a doctor’s NHS duties.
Doctors normally charge these fees to the funeral director, who, generally passes on the cost to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage allowance, where appropriate.
The fees for cremation forms 4 and 5 (which are agreed with the National Association of Funeral Directors, NAFD, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, SAIF, and Co-operative Funeralcare) are available on our website.
Can VAT be charged by GPs for some non-NHS services?
Since 1 May 2007, certain medical services have become subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). This follows a European Court of Justice Ruling in 2003, and subsequent changes to VAT rules introduced by HM Revenue & Customs.
The original Court ruling made it clear that, where the main purpose of a medical service is the ‘protection, maintenance or restoration of the health of an individual’ then that service should continue to be exempt from VAT. All heathcare provided either through the NHS, or the private sector, is therefore not subject to VAT.
However, where the purpose of a medical service is not, primarily, the treatment of a patient (for example, the completion of medical insurance reports by a doctor), the Court ruled that this service should be subject to VAT.
Such GP reports have been subject to VAT since 1 May 2007. In the UK this applies where a medical practitioner’s income exceeds the VAT registration threshold.
Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?
Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients.
Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.
I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?
When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.
In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.
What will I be charged?
We recommend that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be.
It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge, but we produce lists of suggested fees which many doctors use. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees.
What can I do to help?
Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.
Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. Urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more.
What type of report work doesn’t have to be done by my GP?
There is some medical examination and report work that can be done by any doctor, not only a patient’s GP. For this work there are no set or recommended fees which means doctors may set their own fees. We offer guidelines only.
If you have HIV, we would like you to share this information with us; this is so that you get the best care from your specialist and your GP. Your specialist will give us the most up-to-date information about your treatment and care. Many people with HIV can be well with or without treatment. However, if we know that your immunity is poor, it will help us to give you the right advice at the right time. It is also important to let us know if you are taking treatment for HIV as there could be interactions with common drugs such as antibiotics.
It is important to keep yourself fit and healthy whether you are on treatment or not. Once you are on our register, we will invite you for health checks, flu, pneumococcal and hepatitis B vaccinations, contraceptive advice and yearly cervical smears for women.
Postnatal Clinic
We encourage all parents to register their newly born babies prior to their 6-8 week check.
We hold specifically timed clinics for these as we want to ensure that both GP and nurse appointments are synced in order to carry out the full check. For this reason, mother and baby pairs are usually seen together and at eight weeks after birth.
You will automatically receive a letter to make this appointment when we receive note from your hospital that you have given birth.
If you do not hear from us after four weeks, please let us know.
