Stop smoking services at the Village Practice

We have trained practitioners who can support patients to stop smoking. We can also offer advice and support prescriptions for ‘Nicotine Replacement Therapy’ (NRT) products such as patches, gum, lozenges, microtabs, inhalators, nasal sprays and mouth sprays.

If patients have tried these products in the past and do not feel they are effective, we are able to refer patients to Breathe (https://www.breathestopsmoking.org/), the stop smoking service for Islington. As well as offering advice and support Breathe are also able to prescribe patients; Cytisine tablets, Varenicline tablets or vapes, if deemed appropriate. Patients can also self-refer to the Breathe. 

Other Useful Stop Smoking sites:

NHS Smoking Helpline: Call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044 (lines are open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 11am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday). 
NHS stop smoking app: The free NHS Quit Smoking app is designed to provide you with personalised support to help you quit smoking for good.
Smokefree– Accommodation, Dining, Drinking and Functions in a totally Smokefree environment.
Gosmokefree – This website contains detailed information about the free NHS support services.
Quit Org. – Quit is the independent charity whose aim is to save lives by helping smokers to stop.
Calculate my savings – Calculate the money you will save with this cost calculator. 
ASH – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a campaigning public health charity. 
Stop smoking in pregnancy – The NHS has specific advice for those wanting to quit in pregnancy. 

Benefits of stopping smoking – NHS Better Health 

We’re dedicated to ensuring all our patients can access the digital tools they need to manage their health and well-being with confidence.

If you want to improve your digital skills, check out Learn My Way. It’s a free website with beginner-friendly online courses to keep you safe, connected, and confident online.

We are also offering mobile phones and SIM cards to eligible patients:

Below is a list of free local services in Islington that can help you improve your digital skills. These services can help you do things like:

Using your phone or tablet
Setting up email
Staying safe online
Making video calls
Using social media
Managing your health with the NHS App
Doing online banking

We recommend contacting the service directly before attending, as some may require you to book in advance or meet certain referral criteria. If you need help referring yourself, our reception team will be happy to assist – just give the practice a call or speak to us in person.

Many residents are experiencing challenging times – the Access Islington Hubs are here to offer help and support in person at one of three local hubs.

Access Islington Hubs offer a combination of drop in advice and support surgeries, as well as booked advice and guidance sessions.

How we can Access Hubs help

Money: Advice about your budget, finance and debt.
Food: Food banks locations, food bank vouchers and longer-term support through our community partners.
Wellbeing: Connect you to the right support through a range of local services, whatever your wellbeing needs.
Housing: Answer your housing queries and put you in touch with services such as Housing Needs, housing repairs and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Family: Send you towards services for information and advice about childcare, activities and services for parents and carers, children and young people.
Community safety: Help if you’re affected by crime or anti-social behaviour.
Work: Support if you are looking for your first job or a new job.

Visiting the Hubs

Book an appointment

To book an appointment, email HereToHelp@islington.gov.uk or call 020 7527 8222 and the service will contact you to arrange a date, time and location that works for you.

You can also book an appointment using the Online Booking Form

Drop in

You can drop in to any of the three hubs:

Central Hub:

222 Upper Street,
N1 1XR

North Hub:

6-9 Manor Gardens
N7 6LA

South Hub:

Finsbury Library,
245 St John’s Street,
EC1V 4NB

Opening times

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Disabled access

AccessAble profile features a guide to facilities and access for disabled people.

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 – Weight 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.

Camden and Islington – Morelife UK

Health Wise – Physical activity referral  

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.

Medication for weight management

Please see this page for medication for weight management.

Additional resources that may you may find helpful:

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust | Cervical Cancer Charity (jostrust.org.uk)

Cervical screening – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the practice. 😊

For more information view our poster:

Or the official NHS leaflet:

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.

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.

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.

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Carribean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

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 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

Housing/Supportive Letters – The Village Practice London

Frequently Asked Questions (From BMA website)