Luther Street Medical Centre

What we do

Luther Street Medical Centre is an award-winning GP surgery providing healthcare to people experiencing homelessness in Oxford City.

We opened in 1985, initially operating from a Portakabin. Charitable donations allowed us to move into the current purpose-built building in 1998 which was further extended in 2005.

The service was absorbed fully into the NHS in 2001. Since 2013, we have been part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and a national centre of excellence in providing healthcare to patients experiencing homelessness.

Video: history of the service

Our services

Reception

Our receptionists are the hub of Luther Street and the first people you will meet when attending.

They are here to help you access the services that you need.

They are also instrumental in helping to manage the environment so that it is a calm and safe environment for all of us.

GPs and Practice Nurses

Our Doctors and Nurses provide the full range of primary care services, including acute and chronic disease management.

They provide a comprehensive contraception service and offer screening for Hepatitis B, C and HIV.

Our GP team has advanced skills in mental health problems, and addiction issues.

We offer all patients a health check and course of Hepatitis B vaccinations on registration.

Mental Health Practitioners

Our Mental Health Practitioners can provide initial assessment and, in many cases, initial psychological treatment for a range of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, personality disorder and other complex emotional issues and severe mental illness.

If you want to access mental health services, please book an appointment with your GP.

Social Prescribers

Our Social Prescribers will spend time with you exploring what matters to you and identifying what your goals are.

They will then work with you to assist you in achieving those goals.

Your goals may be to live a healthy and active life, explore the arts, identify support services, assist with housing, benefits and financial support, gain employment or explore training opportunities.

Addiction Treatment (Tuesday and Wednesday)

We provide Methadone and Subutex treatments in conjunction with drugs counselling and harm minimisation.

Our addiction team runs an appointment-based system. To access treatment patients currently need to attend the Rectory Road centre afternoon drop-in service on Rectory Road (off the Cowley Road).

They can then be referred to our addiction team for ongoing care.

Other services
  • Dentistry – Weekly on Tuesdays. Please speak to reception to book an appointment.
  • Podiatry – Monthly on a Thursday afternoon by appointment.
  • Acupuncture – Weekly on a Thursday afternoon by appointment.
  • Psychiatry – Accessed via Mental Health Practitioners and GPS.
Chaperones

If you would like a chaperone with you during intimate examinations or discussions with the team, then please let a member of the team know and this can be arranged.

Depending on staff availability, we may need to move your appointment to another date or time.

Useful information

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Patients can register if they are:

  • Aged 18 or Over
  • No Fixed Abode
  • Vulnerably Housed

If you do not meet the above criteria but believe that you should be able to register with us, please call the practice and we can discuss this with you – 01865 901 571.

Please come to the surgery between 9am and midday and ring the front buzzer and say you have come to register.

You will need to complete a simple registration form and will be offered a health assessment with a GP and nurse. If you need assistance filling in the forms, we can help. Just speak to a member of the reception team when you arrive.

We are open:

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  • Monday to Friday
  • 09:00am – 5:00pm

The easiest way to speak to a clinician is to call the surgery on 01865 901571 from 9.00am and you will be given a same day telephone appointment to discuss your problems. If you then need to see a clinician face-to-face you will then be given an appointment for this.

We are flexible about how we work with patients and do have some morning and afternoon slots for walk-up patients where patients may struggle to access the service by telephone.

00016798Routine appointments

Our usual hours for routine appointments are:

  • Morning: 9.00am – 1.00pm
  • Afternoon: 2.00pm – 5.00pm

The practice is closed for meetings between 1.00pm and 2.00 pm and on Thursday afternoons, except for medical emergencies.

Calling hours

Our telephone lines are open from 8.00am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday.

When the surgery is closed, the out of hours service can be contacted on 111 or if it is an emergency, please call 999.

Pic1 Surgery NowHow to find us

We are the small building next to O’Hanlon House on Luther Street, which is at the bottom of Cromwell Street, off Speedwell Street.

  • Satnav postcode: OX1 1UL

Travel

Please note there is only very limited parking near the surgery and this parking is meter controlled and expensive. We strongly suggest visitors come by public transport. Many city busses and park and ride services stop on Speedwell Street, less than 100m from the surgery. We are also just a ten-minute walk from the train station.

  • Phone: 01865 901 571

Postal address

P.O.Box 7
St Aldates
Oxford
OX1 1TD

Enquiries

Please contact the reception team who will be able to direct your enquiry.

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We have over 30 years’ experience in delivering medical education sessions and programmes to undergraduate and  postgraduate healthcare workers and other public and third sector agencies.

These include:

  • The award winning and nationally accredited Personality Disorder Positive Outcomes Programme www.pdpop.uk
  • Motivational interviewing skills workshops
  • Educational sessions on managing complexity in primary care, addiction and homelessness

To speak to us about education, please email Dr Rob Schafer, educational lead GP,  robin.schafer@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

Please note we are not externally funded for our education programmes and sessions are chargeable. We can provide a quote based on your exact needs.

Medical student placements

We only have capacity to offer placements to University of Oxford medical students on their 5th year GP rotations. Sadly, we do not have capacity to take students from other medical schools or elective placements.

Patient feedback

We are continually looking to improve and enhance our service and value your feedback.  You can speak to us regarding this, or you may want to use one of the following routes:

Patient Participation Group

Be a participant of the group and provide direct input into how services are delivered.

Please e-mail lsmcreception@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk or phone us 01865 901571 to enquire about the next PPG or provide feedback.

I Want Great Care

To give us feedback on our service, please visit oxfordhealth.iwgc.net and enter the code 3847. If you are unable to complete the online form, please ask for a paper copy when you next visit us.

Please complete the IWGC questionnaire here New – Review – iWantGreatCare.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire

Feedback can also be provided through Healthwatch Oxfordshire, an independent health and social care watchdog:   Healthwatch Oxfordshire

To make a complaint

We are sorry that you feel that you wish to make a complaint.  Please raise this with our Practice Manager who will do what they can to resolve any problems that you are experiencing.

  • Email: lsmcreception@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
  • Phone: 01865 90 1571

If after speaking to the Practice Manager you feel that you would still like to make a complaint, or you would prefer not to discuss the matter with them, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Awards

Pic 2 Big Society Award 2013Luther Street Medical Centre is proud to have won the following awards:

  • Oxford Health Fusion Award 2013 for Mental Health Practitioner Service
  • Chief Executive’s Award for innovation 2013 for the PATHS scheme
  • Prime Ministers Big Society Award 2013 for the PATHS scheme
  • The Corkill Award – Highly Commended N.A.P.P. (National Association of Patient Participation Groups) PPG of the Year 2014
  • GP Practice of the Year in Oxfordshire Health & Social Care Awards, 2021.
  • Runner Up for the Oxford health – Clinical Teamwork Award 2023.

Useful resources

Non-urgent advice: Need help?

If you need assistance in accessing this website or require translation, please see our Accessibility page.

Further information/assistance can be found here: Translated health information for patients – Doctors of the World

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Page last reviewed: 20 March, 2024