Background
Kentish Town Health centre located in North West London was opened in 2008 serving a diverse catchment area in Camden and surrounding areas. The three-storey health centre was developed under the NHS LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) Programme providing local residents a range of integrated health and social care services in one state-of-the-art building. The site offers a range of health provisions including, GP, ultrasound, podiatry, phlebotomy, breast screening, dental and an Integrated Neighbourhood Team.
Kentish Town Health Centre has long been a pioneer in social prescribing, led by the James Wigg Practice.
Key partners at the facility include: Community Health Partnerships (CHP), North Central London ICB, Central North West London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CNWL), The James Wigg Practice, London Borough of Camden, Creative Health Camden, LIFTCo partner Camden & Islington Estates Partnership Ltd.
Paving the way for Neighbourhood healthcare at Kentish Town
Kentish Town Health Centre provides a unique approach to health and social care delivery. The site houses a newly-established and highly innovative Neighbourhood Health Team – the East Camden Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT), delivered by Camden’s borough partnership. The centre serves as a model for proactive, community-based healthcare, delivering joined-up care by bringing together primary, social and community health under one roof. Bookable group space is utilised by a wide range of local services and partners, such as housing and mental health prevention, enabling multi-disciplinary holistic care.
East Camden Integrated Neighbourhood Team comprises of a diverse range of professionals including GP’s, district nurses, social workers, mental health practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social prescribers. The aim is to actively engage with patients on site, within the community, and within the familiarity of their own homes. This proactive outreach enables early help and intervention, allowing healthcare professionals to address potential health issues before they escalate and requiring more intensive and costly clinical treatment within a hospital or GP surgery setting.
By gaining a deeper understanding of the individual’s unique circumstances, social context, and home environment, these teams can provide more tailored and effective support. This might involve:
- Assessing and addressing housing issues, providing employment and welfare support.
- Connecting individuals with social support networks.
- Providing advice on healthy eating and lifestyle.
- Facilitating access to community resources.
This holistic approach not only improves individual health outcomes but also aims to reduce pressures within the wider healthcare system.
This is where the social prescribing services and voluntary sector activities hosted at Kentish Town are hugely beneficial.
The ability for GPs to provide non-medical referral options, operating alongside existing treatments to improve health and well-being can be seen as just as effective to traditional treatment methods.
Innovation on wheels
To further enhance patient reach and efficiency within the community, the domiciliary teams at Kentish Town Health Centre utilise a fleet of system-provided bicycles. This innovative and sustainable mode of transport allows clinical team members to navigate the local area quickly and efficiently, reaching patients who may live further afield and reducing reliance on car travel and other modes of public transport.
There are many benefits to this community-oriented approach, including:
Reduced patient attendance at the Health Centre
By providing effective care in the home, the need for patients to travel to the health centre for routine appointments or minor ailments is significantly decreased, alleviating pressure on busy GP surgeries.
Reduced demand on the NHS
By preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and promoting effective management of conditions in the community, the Kentish Town model contributes to a more stable and sustainable demand on the wider NHS and acute hospitals.
Improved patient outcomes
Patients receiving care in their own homes often experience reduced stress, improved adherence to treatment plans, and a greater sense of control over their health, leading to better health outcomes. By having a single dedicated team provides patients with a more personal and streamlined experience.
Enhanced community engagement
The proactive outreach of the Neighbourhood Health Team fosters stronger relationships between the health centre, residents, and community organisations.
A number of activities available at the site are tailored to specific needs, including Dance for patients with Parkinson’s, Drawing for people with Aphasia, a Sing For Joy choir which acts as a support group for patients with chronic conditions, and a Silver Circle counselling group. Others, such as art therapy, aromatherapy massage, Baby Singalong sessions, cycle maintenance workshops and the Well-Being Garden, cater for a wider range of health-related conditions. A patient participation group is also available on site.
Access to high-quality estate has been a key part of the early success we’ve seen through the East Integrated Neighbourhood Team in Camden. Kentish Town Health Centre provides a neutral environment for staff and teams from different organisations to come together and operate under one roof. This provides a platform for the integrated service delivery we need to deliver more holistic forms of care, and ultimately improved outcomes for local people.
We are excited by the work in Camden, and the East Camden Neighbourhood team is already demonstrating the benefits for staff and local residents. “It’s driven by genuine partnership between the NHS, Camden Council and the voluntary sector and is a truly different way of working focused on proactive outreach, person centred support and a holistic focus on what individuals and families need to be well and stay well.
As the NHS moves towards establishing a Neighbourhood Health Service within local communities and shifting away from traditional hospital-based care, the importance of utilising existing local NHS infrastructure is now more important than ever. The highly successful integrated care model at Kentish Town Health Centre highlights the vital role that LIFT facilities continue to play in supporting patients throughout their healthcare journey
This kind of neighbourhood health centre is exactly what we want to see across the country.
Community Health Partnerships: Transforming Neighbourhood Health
The majority of CHP’s LIFT estate are situated in areas with high healthcare needs across local communities. CHP are well placed in supporting the Government’s ambition to move more care into the community. LIFT assets are well maintained, with no backlog maintenance, designed for multi-use and offer value for money, compared to commercial premises. (The NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT): Occupancy Cost Assessment – PDF)
With access to the right estate infrastructure, the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Model serves as an exemplar of what can be achieved through collaboration across multiple teams. The end result is a better experience and health outcome for patients and their families for many years to come.
Our teams on the ground are actively engaging with both ICBs and local stakeholders to identify underused or vacant spaces within the NHS LIFT estate. These spaces have the potential to be repurposed to support multi-disciplinary teams and deliver a broad range of preventative services directly within communities, contributing to the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service.
Read: LIFT estate provides added value and long-term cost certainty as community-based infrastructure is key to delivering Neighbourhood Health Services (19 November 2024).
Contributors: North Central London ICS, East Camden Integrated Neighbourhood Team, Harry Dodd Strategic Estates Lead, Community Health Partnerships.
Video credit to North Central London ICS
Transforming Neighbourhood Health - July 2025 (PDF)
Download 'Transforming Neighbourhood' Health to read more. To find out more about opportunities across the LIFT estate to support the delivery of neighbourhood health services and to access CHP capital, get in touch with your regional team.
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