Havering’s St George’s Hub Brings NHS Hospital Care to Community

Key Points

• St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Havering marks its first anniversary.
• The hub integrates multiple hospital services in one community location.
• Services available include GP practice, cardiology, mental health, diagnostics, paediatric care, and Ageing Well Centre.
• Partners include Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Barts Health NHS Trust, and NHS North East London.
• The hub exemplifies the government’s “hospital to community” shift from the 10 Year Health Plan.
• Patient-centred care model reduces hospital visits and improves service accessibility.
• The community benefits from dementia-friendly gardens and a social café hosting wellbeing activities.
• Staff highlight reduced hospital anxiety and quicker referrals due to onsite services.
• NHS stresses the importance of social determinants of health in patient care.
• Volunteers at the hub report rewarding experiences and patient health improvements.

What is St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub and why is it significant in Havering?

As reported by the Barking & Dagenham Post, St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Havering, North East London, recently celebrated its first year of operation. The facility brings hospital-level services directly into the community, embodying a novel healthcare delivery model designed to improve accessibility and convenience for patients.

The hub offers a “one-stop-shop” approach, allowing patients to receive multiple types of healthcare—from general practice to diagnostic imaging—all under one roof. This eliminates the need for often lengthy journeys to hospital sites, easing pressure on local hospitals.

Which organisations collaborate to run the hub and what services are offered?

According to a report by Sarah Whittaker of the Havering Times, the hub is a partnership effort involving Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Barts Health NHS Trust, and the local NHS North East London.

Services include:

• On-site GP practice
• Cardiology and catheter clinics
• Community nurses and midwives
• Mental health services
• Dermatology clinics
• Ageing Well Centre focused on falls and frailty services
• Diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound)
• Paediatric care

These services are designed to be comprehensive, reducing the need for patients to visit multiple separate locations.

How does the hub fit into the Government’s broader health strategy?

Dr Agatha Nortley-Meshe, Regional Medical Director for Primary Care in NHS England London, told the London Evening Standard,

“St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub is a great example of the future of healthcare we are building across London.”

She emphasised that the hub aligns with the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which promotes shifting from hospital-centric care to community-centred models.

“Having a range of services under one roof represents exactly the kind of patient-centred approach”

outlined in the plan.

What do healthcare leaders say about the hub’s integrated approach?

Dr Amara Bello, Primary Care Development Lead at NHS North East London, explained to the East London Gazette,

“We have an ethos at the Hub about being integrated and taking the patient out of the hospital and into the community.”

She highlighted how patients could have multiple appointments in one visit, such as blood tests, CT scans, and MRI scans, streamlining care and supporting patients throughout their healthcare journey with access to a variety of healthcare providers and information.

How has the community responded to having hospital services in their neighbourhood?

A patient shared with the Havering Herald,

“I used to have to travel much further for a blood test, so it’s much more convenient having this service right by my front door.”

Residents also make use of the hub’s sensory and dementia-friendly communal gardens around the Spring Community Café. The café hosts social and wellbeing events like pilates and yoga on weekends and evenings, turning the hub into a vibrant community space beyond healthcare delivery.

What are staff experiences regarding the hub’s impact on patients?

Stephen Ezema, a Sonographer at the hub, told the London Evening Post,

“Many people have hospital anxieties and find just going to hospital generally not the most convenient.”

“Bringing these services into the community helps, especially for older people,”

he said, noting that the local availability benefits both patients and staff alike by providing a more balanced working environment.

John O’Moore, a GP at St George’s Country Park Surgery within the hub, shared with the NHS News Service,

“We now have a direct referral system for CT, MRI and ultrasound scanning, which shortens patient wait times and means we get results faster.”

He added that same-day X-ray results and immediate advice from on-site physiotherapists help patients avoid unnecessary emergency department visits.

How does the NHS view non-clinical factors affecting health according to hub experts?

The NHS recognises that health outcomes are influenced as much by factors like housing, employment, education, and social environment as by medical treatment itself. By strengthening links between the NHS and public services, the hub aims to address these broader determinants of health in London communities.

Sophie Banks, a Community Nurse at the hub, said in a recent NHS health feature,

“If the patient is not required to stay in hospital, being treated at home can be best.”

She pointed out that community nurses can provide hospital-level care such as wound management, palliative care, antibiotics administration and post-operative support in patients’ homes to enhance comfort and recovery.

What role do volunteers play at the hub and how do they perceive the impact?

Gill, a long-term volunteer interviewed by the Havering Community Chronicle, described her experience as “rewarding” and expressed pride in helping people improve their health.

She noted,

“It’s lovely to see someone come regularly with a condition, then get better and no longer need to return. That shows the hub’s success for individual patients.”

By integrating hospital-level services in a community setting, St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub marks a pioneering model in London’s health landscape. Through partnerships, expanded services, and community engagement, it offers a practical example of the Government’s vision to bring healthcare closer to patients’ homes — improving accessibility, continuity, and overall well-being in Havering and potentially across the capital.