Services

We are here to care for you during your pregnancy. Our GPs work with the community midwives to help care for you.

First Presentation

Please contact us online to let us know about your pregnancy as early as possible.

You can self-refer for maternity care at the Homerton.

16 weeks check

Just after 16 weeks of pregnancy we encourage you to see the GP. At this appointment, the GP will discuss the results of your screening test with you, check your blood pressure, and make sure your nutritional intake is correct.

Midwife checks

The community midwife comes to Elsdale Street once a week to see pregnant patients.

The Homerton have lots of helpful resources to support you during your pregnancy and after. Due to coronavirus antenatal classes are suspended and instead there are resources online.

Are you considering a homebirth?

Have a look at Homerton’s Instagram where mothers share their stories by searching "homebirth_homerton". Speak to your midwife if you would like to have a homebirth.

NHS Resources

• Summary of antenatal appointments
• All you need to know about pregnancy

What does a GP do if they suspect you have cancer?

If a GP is concerned that your symptoms may be due to cancer, they will refer you for some urgent tests in hospital. Despite showing signs of cancer, most patients referred do not have cancer and their symptoms will be caused by a non-cancerous health condition.

Urgent means we will complete the referral within 48 hours, and that you will receive an appointment from the hospital is within 2 weeks. Our GPs work closely with our secretary Elaine to ensure this happens. After leaving the surgery you should expect to hear from Elaine.

Living with Cancer

If you are diagnosed, we will do everything we can to support you. We will contact you when we hear about your diagnosis to find out what you might need - this is called a "cancer care review" appointment and is usually done over the telephone.

More and more people are living with and beyond cancer treatment and for those finishing their treatment we have a 30 minute "Time to talk cancer" appointment to review the treatment and make plans for keeping well in the future and living with any ongoing symptoms or after effects of treatment.

View our cancer self-referral and self-help resources

Women aged between 24 and 64 should have a cervical screening every 3 to 5 years to help prevent cervical cancer. The screening is quick and painless and can be done here in the practice.

If you are aged over 24 and have never had a smear test, or if it has been more than 3 to 5 years since your last screening, you should arrange an appointment with our Practice Nurse. You should not have the test while you are having a period or in the 4 days before or after your period as this can affect the sample.

Learn more about cervical screening

Visit our Women's Health self-help page

If a vaccine is given when a baby still has antibodies to the disease, the antibodies can stop the vaccine working. This is why routine childhood immunisations do not start until a baby is two months old, before the antibodies a baby gets from its mother have stopped working. This is also why it is important for parents to stick to the immunisation schedule, as a delay can leave a baby unprotected. A delay can increase the chance of adverse reactions to some vaccines, such as pertussis (whooping cough).

View the NHS vaccination schedule

We are here to provide honest advice about contraception, pregnancy, STIs and pleasure.

For contraception advice please complete an online request; a GP, pharmacist or nurse will get back to you.

Repeat Oral Contraception

If you are currently using an oral contraception medicine and need a new prescription please complete the repeat contraception request form.

Emergency contraception

If you require emergency contraception please contact us as soon as possible. If you submit your enquiry after 1pm we may not get back to you until the next working day and you may need to contact elsewhere sooner.

Where can I get emergency contraception?

Sexual Health Resources

Visit our self-help pages to find local and national sexual health support

Elsdale have signed up to be early adopters of the new NHS digital weight management service.

Learn more about our Digital Weight Management Service

6-week check

This is an appointment with the GP for you and your baby. It is a very important opportunity for the GP to check your baby’s development and see how you are.

Please register your baby as quickly as possible after birth (your baby does not need a birth certificate to become a patient).

​Please contact us to book a 6 week check at least 2 weeks before its due. You can call us or request an appointment online. If you have not booked an appointment by the time baby is 6 weeks we will give you a call to arrange it with you.

Immunisations

Our nurses are here to give your baby the immunisations they need. Your baby needs their first injections at 8 weeks, then 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year. We prefer to do baby immunisations on a Thursday morning but will try and accommodate your needs. Please call reception to book this appointment or complete an admin enquiry online and our reception team will contact you.

NHS vaccinations and when to have them

Community Groups & Support

Hackney has a range of resources to support you and your baby. These include baby massage, baby first aid, cloth nappy and sling libraries, rhyme time at the library, baby sensory, mum and baby yoga. Speak to your midwife or search online for what's available in Hackney.

See more child health resources

As your GP surgery we play a significant role in managing your long-term condition. We believe in working with you and hospital specialists to provide holistic, personal, and high-quality care.

Long term conditions or chronic diseases are conditions for which there is currently no cure, and that are managed with drugs and other treatments.

All patients with a long-term condition should have an annual review (or ‘health MOT’). The first part of this is with our health care assistant Brian, or one of our nurses. At this appointment we will take a blood sample, check your blood pressure, and update other health data.

If you have more than one long term condition (sometimes referred to as multi-morbidity), we will ask you to complete an additional questionnaire to ask more about how your conditions affect you.

A GP will review your results without you present, looking at your medical history and medications, and consider how together we could improve your health/management of your LTC. This may include health advice, medication changes or referrals to a community service.

Your second contact with us will be to share and discuss the GP’s recommendations with you. This appointment will also be with Brian, Lisa or Monica. If you have more than one long term condition, we aim to make this second appointment with a nurse or GP.

There are many things that impact our health and wellbeing, including feeling isolated or struggling with practical challenges.

Social prescribing aims to link patients to non-medical support in the community. We have 2 social prescribers working at Elsdale - Miranda and Nural.

They will ask you about what is happening in your life, what you enjoy, and what is getting in the way. The Social Prescriber might suggest services and activities that might help you or simply work with you to build your skills and confidence. They can tell you about community based services, e.g. lunch clubs, gardening groups, benefits advice, exercise groups.

Please ask your GP to refer you to social prescribing.

Learn more

• Learn more about social prescribing
• Long read: What is social prescribing?
• Visit our Community page

If you require any vaccinations or advice relating to foreign travel, please make an appointment.

See our travel health page

Flu Vaccination

In accordance with Department of Health guidelines, we recommend a flu vaccination for patients with chronic heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes and those who are frail and elderly. Also for those on immunosuppressive treatment.

Patients over the age of 65 and most at risk of serious illness from flu are therefore offered an immunisation each year. If you have not had a routine flu immunisation previously, then please check with your doctor whether it is recommended for you.

Routine immunisation of fit children and adults is not recommended.

Pneumovax Vaccination

This is once only immunisation for a specific type of chest infection and it is only recommended for patients with certain on-going health problems. Please check with your Doctor whether this immunisation is recommended for you.

Tetanus Vaccination

Everyone should be protected against tetanus. New guidelines recommend that unless you have had 3 primary injections and at least 2 boosters, more protection against tetanus is needed. Please make an appointment with the Practice Nurse if you require this immunisation.

Travel Vaccinations

Visit our Travel Health page to learn more