I:HUB

1. Enhanced Access Service

 We provide, on behalf of four Islington Primary Care Networks (PCN), an Enhanced Access Service. This is a GP service that runs weekday evenings and Saturdays and is intended to offer patients a regular GP experience outside of regular GP hours. Prior to the launch of this service in October 2022, we provided the I:HUB service since October 2015. I:HUB was one of the first Extended Access Services in the country and the Enhanced Access Service can be seen as the natural evolution; the most significant change being the emphasis on planned care for patients. The service has many of the same staff roles that one could expect to see at their registered GP surgery: GPs, Nurses, Pharmacists and Health Care Assistants working alongside an experienced and caring reception and administration team. The service is based at 3 locations in the borough, each intended to serve patients of the local PCN. 

  • The Village Practice for North 1 PCN

  • Islington Central Medical Centre for Central 1 and Central 2 PCNs

  • Ritchie Street Group Practice for South PCN 

Our clinicians, with the patient’s consent, have seamless electronic access to their detailed medical records which enables a thorough and holistic consultation. Practice telephones are diverted to our call centre, so patients need only dial their usual practice number to access the service. Notes, referrals, prescriptions, and other details from the consultation are then fed back electronically to the home practice. Put simply, we are replicating the usual “in hours” service “out of hours”. Nothing more, nothing less. Local clinicians and fully integrated technology. 

The Clinical Lead for the service is Dr Rathini Ratnavel and it is provided on the ground by clinicians on a sessional basis.

2. Urgent Care Bridging Service

Commissioned by North Central London Integrated Care Board, the Urgent Care Bridging Service is intended to support patients with acute medical issues that are suitable for primary care management but arise outside of core primary care hours. The service is open Saturday evenings, Sundays, and Bank Holidays. It is based at Islington Central Medical Centre and provides a mixture of remote and face to face appointments. Patients registered with an Islington GP can access the service simply by calling their usual GP surgery during the service opening hours at which point their call will be automatically diverted to our call handling team. 111 are also able to book directly into the service when they have determined that a patient is suitable to be seen in primary care. 

Our clinicians, with the patient’s consent, have seamless electronic access to their detailed medical records which enables a thorough and holistic consultation. Notes, referrals, prescriptions, and other details from the consultation are then fed back electronically to the home practice. The service is predominantly staffed by GPs and the Clinical Lead is Dr Rathini Ratnavel.

To access the service, please call your usual GP practice during the service opening hours.

Telephone: 020 3859 4959 Monday to Friday 12pm - 2pm