The National LGB&T Partnership has today published Out Loud: LGBT Voices in Health and Social Care, a narrative account of LGBT needs.
London Friend service users have contributed to a new narrative of LGBT needs in health and social care. Published by the National LGB & T Partnership in collaboration with National Voices, and developed through working with diverse LGBT communities, the set of narrative statements published in this document explain that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people want high quality health and social care that takes account of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and describe how this works.
This document is intended to be used both by those who provide services and those who commission services to support them to work with LGB&T people. The aim is to provide a resource to assist in designing and providing care and support that will be successful in meeting LGB&T people’s needs, and inclusive of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, focusing outcomes on what matters most to LGB&T people as service users.
Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive of the LGBT Foundation, and Chair of the National LGB&T Partnership, notes:
LGB&T people still too often face hostility and are inappropriately treated because of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Whilst there have been many recent steps towards legislative equality for LGB&T people, it is important to remember that legislative change has not always resulted in LGB&T people having positive experiences, particularly in relation to receiving health or social care support. Too many people we spoke to either felt they should, or wished they could, hide their sexuality and/or gender identity from the people providing their care because of how they had been treated.
Out Loud can be downloaded from the National LGBT Partnership website, where you will also find a range of other publications to support practitioners and commissioners in developing services fulfil some of the needs described in the report.
The National LGBT partnership can be contacted on nationallgbtpartnership@gmail.com, and can be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationalLGBTPartnership) and Twitter @LGBTPartnership the Stakeholder Engagement Manager can be contacted on harri.weeks@lgbtconsortium.org.uk
