Our Services

There are free and confidential sexual health services across east London. They offer sexual health screening, including HIV testing, contraception and sexual health advice.

Click here to view the different services.

Am I pregnant?
The only way to be sure you’re pregnant is to get a test. If your period is every four weeks, do the test if you don’t start your period on time. If your cycle is longer, do a test three weeks after the date you think you may have become pregnant; doing it earlier may give a false negative result and you will think you are not pregnant when you are.

As soon as you think you may have risked an unwanted pregnancy, think about emergency contraception to prevent conception. The most effective method is the emergency IUD which can be fitted up to 5 days after the calculated date of
ovulation. Emergency pills (there are two types) are also readily available.

Please contact the surgery, or All East Sexual Health Advice + Support for help regarding the above.

Your options
If you are pregnant you may feel a whole range of different emotions. It can be a very difficult decision. Some women know straight away, others need time to decide. Our services are there to support you in whatever decision you make or help you need.

If you are pregnant you have multiple options:

• You can continue with the pregnancy and have a baby
• You can have the baby and have it adopted
• You can have an abortion (sometimes called a termination of pregnancy)

Whatever you decide, it is your decision.
If you are sure that you want to keep the baby, you should see your doctor as soon as possible to arrange ante-natal care and to talk about looking after your health during your pregnancy.
If you are unsure as to what to do, specialist support and advice is available
If you are seeking a termination, please see below.

Who to contact?
As you are registered with a GP in Tower Hamlets, you can self-refer by contacting the Tower Hamlets Single Point of Access(SPA) phone line on 0300 033 5000.
NOTE: this SPA service is run for a number of local services, so you will need to be prepared to tell them that you would like an appointment to discuss your termination of pregnancy options.
A way of saying this may be ‘Hello, I am a patient at St Paul’s Way Medical Centre and am ringing to book an appointment to discuss my termination of pregnancy options.’

This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This service is also available for people who live in Tower Hamlets but are not registered with a GP anywhere else. If neither of the above applies to you, please refer to the NHS website where you can see which service you should access.

We would recommend the above method if you are seeking a termination of pregnancy. There are other ways of accessing services, however it is likely they may redirect you to the Single Point of Access service anyways.
Other options include:

• Contacting an abortion provider directly e.g., BPAS, MSI, NUPAS
• Contacting your local sexual health clinic e.g. All East

What to expect?
Once you have contacted the SPA phone line, you will be provided with an appointment to talk about your decision and what happens next.
Most face-to-face appointments take place at the Sylvia Pankhurst Centre, Mile End Hospital, Bancroft Road, E14DG. Other appointments may be held virtually.

If you wish you can bring a friend, partner or relative with you. However, you will be seen on your own for part of the consultation.

If you are under 18 you will be seen by the under 18’s Pregnancy Advisor offering emotional support through the process, whatever decision you make.

At some point, you may be asked to have blood tests and swabs to check for infection.
If you decide to proceed, whenever possible, you should be given a choice of how you would like the abortion to be carried out. Note – the abortion will not take place during the first appointment.

There are 2 options depending on how many weeks you are:

• medical abortion ‘abortion pill’ – you take 2 medicines, usually 24 to 48 hours apart, to induce an abortion
• surgical abortion – you have a procedure to remove the pregnancy and normally go home soon afterwards

More information regarding the process of an abortion can be found below.

Useful Resources
1. NHS – A comprehensive introduction to abortion care services.

2. Abortion Talk – or 0333 090 9266 A confidential talk line where trained volunteers provide callers with one-to-one support and space to talk through their experience of abortion. Open Monday and Wednesday from 7pm – 10pm (UK time).

3. British Pregnancy and Advisory Service (BPAS) – or 0345 730 4030.
Abortion care clinics across England and Wales, providing pills by post and all types of abortion in-clinic. They also provide post-abortion counselling, contraception, STI testing, vasectomies and fertility services.

4. MSI Reproductive Choices UK – or 0345 300 8090 Abortion care clinics across England and Wales, providing pills by post and all types of abortion in-clinic. They also provide post-abortion counselling, contraception, STI testing, vasectomies and fertility services.

5. National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) – or 0333 004 6666 Abortion care clinics across England and Wales, providing pills by post and all types of abortion in-clinic. They also provide post-abortion counselling, contraception, STI testing, vasectomies and fertility services.

6. Ad’iyah Muslim Abortion Collective –
Ad’iyah is a community-based group of people who have had abortions and support those who have had abortions.
Provide community spaces for any and all Muslims who have had abortions or want/need an abortion. Not a substitute for medical and therapeutic advice.

7. All East – or 020 7377 7307
Tower Hamlets Sexual Health Advice + Support that provides information on abortions and the services available.

Are you a carer and require support?  The Carers Centre in Tower Hamlets have created a guide to the services available for carers in the borough.

Information for carers leaflet (pdf)

Many of life’s problems can make you feel unwell.

Social prescribing enables a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional to refer you to a specialist link worker to talk about the issues you’re facing and find the right services to support you.

The service helps you improve your health and wellbeing and to make positive life changes. Get help with:

• Housing, benefits and financial advice
• Employment, training and volunteering
• Education and learning
• Healthy lifestyle advice and physical activity
• Arts, gardening, creative activities
• Befriending, counselling and groups

Ask your GP for a referral or contact socialprescribing.bbbc@nhs.net

020 8709 9848 or 07496 283141
07932 869773 (Bengali speaker)

Download the Social Prescribing information leaflet.

Mind in Tower Hamlets

Do you have something to say, but feel like no one is listening? Mind in Tower Hamlets can help you. They can make sure anyone with a mental health or emotional issue has somewhere to turn for advice and support. See the Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham website for more information.

Compass Wellbeing

Compass Wellbeing is a social enterprise delivering NHS and Public Health services in Tower Hamlets including Talking Therapies, School Health and Family Nurse Partnership in community settings that are easily accessible for everyone. See the Compass Wellbeing website for more information.

Mental Health Crisis

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the Tower Hamlets 24 hour Crisis Line number on 0207 771 5807  /  0800 073 0003. Callers will be able to speak to a mental health professional.

Tower Hamlets Talking Therapies

This is a free confidential psychology and counselling service that can offer help and support with a range of common mental health problems such as anxiety, low mood, emotional issues, eating disorders, pre-birth and post natal issues, relationship issues, employment issues, bereavement, etc. It offers psychological interventions to people with long-term conditions and those adjusting to a change in their life such as a medical diagnosis, disability, unemployment, retirement, or family circumstances.

You can refer yourself directly by phone on 020 8475 8080 or via the website: http://www.towerhamletstalkingtherapies.nhs.uk

Islamic counselling by Lateef Project

Lateef Project offer free multi-lingual faith-based counselling to adults who are looking to address specific issues with their mental health. If you think you could benefit from this service, visit www.lateefproject.org/get-support

Grief Counselling at Bromley By Bow Community Centre

The Grief Cafe is a support group hosted by East London Bereavement Service every 3rd Tuesday of the month. Its a place to come together with others and share your experience no matter how recent or how long its been. You don’t have to talk, you can just listen. You are not alone. TIME: 10am to 11am Venue: The seminar room at Bromley by Bow Health.

Contact: 0208 709 9700 or admin@celbs.or.uk

Families bereaved by suicide

Child Bereavement UK have created some resources to help families dealing with the loss of a child to suicide. Click here to explore common questions and read advice.

If you’d like to find out about support that’s right for you, contact Child Bereavement UK via LiveChat or the Helpline on 0800 02 888 40.

For advice on supporting a young person who is experiencing self harm or thoughts of suicide, click here.

Whether you’re a young person, looking for help for yourself or someone you know, or whether you’re a teacher trying to help a student find support, the Youth Wellbeing Directory provides a list of local and national organisations for anyone up to the age of 25, along with important information you may find helpful.

Check out Health Spot, a GP hub for young people

Spotlight, Poplar HARCA’s award-winning youth service, runs Health Spot.This is an in-house GP surgery for young people aged 11-19, living in Tower Hamlets. Are you 11 or over? To learn about your health care rights – select Know your rights?

The Health Spot service is available every Tuesday, between 4-8pm. Young people are able to have a 15-30 minute consultation with a GP, over the phone or via video, about unmet health needs they may be experiencing. Young people can safely access confidential advice on all aspects of their physical and mental wellbeing, including mental health, sexual health and drug or alcohol misuse. Each step of the referral and consultation process is supported by a trusted youth worker and underpinned by Spotlight’s rigorous safeguarding procedure.

Young people do not need to be a Spotlight member to use the service. To learn more, including how to make a referral, please get in touch with Spotlight Youth Services Manager Khadija (khadija@wearespotlight.com) or Spotlight Youth Worker Treaser (treaser@wearespotlight.com).

Visit the Health Spot webpage.

Kooth Online Counselling for young people

visit www.koothplc.com

ChatHealth

ChatHealth is a text messaging school health service for young people to get confidential advice and support whenever they need it.

ChatHealth is available to all 11-19 year olds across Tower Hamlets educational settings, allowing them to speak to a nurse via text message or phone call. ​

Messages sent to the dedicated number [07507 332 942] are delivered to a secure website and responded to by a member of the school nurse team. Out of hours, anyone who texts the service receives a message explaining where to get help if their question is urgent, and when they can expect a response. Texts are usually replied to within one working day.

ChatHealth is available Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.

Young people who require medical help and advice outside of these hours are advised to contact their GP or call 111.

Visit the Tower Hamlets ChatHealth page for more information.

Coping with bereavement

Child Bereavement UK have created some resources to help young people dealing with the loss of a friend to suicide. Click here to read the article, which included answers to common questions, advice and further help.

If you’d like to find out about support that’s right for you, contact Child Bereavement UK via LiveChat or the Helpline on 0800 02 888 40. If you are struggling with difficult feelings about suicide, you can contact Papyrus on 0800 068 41 41.

If we refer you to hospital, you may have some questions about what you can expect when you get there.

To help, you can find lots of useful information as well as useful contacts here.

East London Out Project (ELOP) – an LGBT+ Health and Wellbeing Charity serving London and Essex. ELOP has been providing counselling for the LGBT community for 25 years, and we have built on that expertise to introduce a broader programme of mental health support for the LGBT community.

The HeadsOut Service is free and offers a range of activities:

1. Mental Health and Wellbeing plans: these are 1-1 sessions, usually weekly for 6 weeks. At the end of the programme clients take away an individual health plan that includes: · what wellness looks and feels like · what de-rails wellness and how those triggers impact on the client’s physical, emotional and social well-being · additional tools and coping mechanisms, and · an action plan for the coming 12 months The Health Plan Service includes a review after 4 weeks to ensure that clients remain on track.

2. Wellbeing Workshops run on Mondays from 18:30-20:00. These workshops are issue-based and focus on what clients need to maintain mental wellbeing. The workshops include group activities, skills building and psychoeducation and discussion. The programme includes workshops on anxiety; low mood; creating boundaries; coping with anger; and mindfulness.

3. The ReCharge group runs every Friday from 11:00-12:30. It is a weekly daytime group that focuses on staying well and maintaining connections. The group is facilitated and primarily discussion-based. It aims to build peer networks and reduce social isolation.

Clients can self-refer or be referred by a health and wellbeing professional, For further information visit http://elop.org/

Step Forward runs free & confidential services for young people aged 11-25, living in & around Tower Hamlets. There is an LGBTQ+ group at Step Forward called ‘Step Out’. It’s a friendly and safe space for LGBTQ young people to explore, learn, discuss and socialise. You can access both 1-2-1 support and get the opportunity to meet other young people at their regular social and support groups. Find more information on the Step Forward website.

The getUBetter app is provided free of charge for patients registered at St Pauls Way Medical Centre. It can be accessed on a smartphone or on the web, and guides you day-by-day through a sequence of exercises and tips to help you recover from a range of new or recurrent musculoskeletal conditions:

• Lower back pain
• Back and leg pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Ankle pain
• Knee pain
• Soft Tissue Lower Limb pain
• Hip pain

You can be referred to the app by one of our GPs, a Physio, or you can self-register by visiting www.app.getubetter.com.

Please use an email address that is unique to you and select the condition you need help to manage. You will then be sent an email with all the information you need to get started.

If you require any private medical letters/ insurance reports to be completed, please email stpaulswaymedicalcentre@nhs.net

Please note requests can take up to 28 days to be completed, and there is a charge for this:

• Private letters £35
• Taxi Medical £130

Please note we do not issue letters for housing and any third party requesting your health information or records should contact the practice directly via email with your consent, Our reception staff can print a brief medical summary free of charge, if needed