23 Mar Local NHS has Pride in Practice
Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership has commissioned LGBT Foundation to expand their Pride in Practice to GP practices across mid and south Essex. Pride in Practice is a quality assurance and social prescribing programme that supports healthcare professionals in meeting the needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) patients.
To date, 15 GP practices across mid and south Essex are accredited, with the opportunity for a further 50 practices to be trained and accredited this year.
Research shows that one in seven LGBT people avoid seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination from staff and almost one in four LGBT people have witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks against LGBT people by healthcare staff.[1]
Through training, supported assessment and accreditation, Pride in Practice supports healthcare professionals to meet the needs of their LGBT patients confidently and effectively. Relationships between primary care services and patients is strengthened through increased knowledge, active signposting and adapting services provisions to be more inclusive. For example, Pride in Practice can give practitioners the confidence to:
support transgender patients beginning their transition.
support gay and lesbian people wanting to adopt children.
support the delivery of effective signposting and social prescribing for LGBT communities, linking services with a range of LGBT-affirmative local community assets.
Funding from the Government Equalities Office enabled LGBT Foundation to pilot Pride in Practice in mid Essex in 2019 to reduce health inequalities experienced by members of the LGBT community such as higher rates of homelessness, domestic abuse and sexual violence. The programme is also nationally endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Care Quality Commission and NHS England.
First established in Greater Manchester in 2011, Pride in Practice offers free training, supported assessment, and accreditation to GP practices in mid and south Essex and respond to community feedback to improve nationally identified LGBT health inequalities.
Dr Stuart Newman, GP Partner, at Whitley House Surgery, Chelmsford said:
“Our surgery first undertook Pride in Practice Training early 2020 and think everyone went along with some reluctance and the view ‘we treat everyone the same, what do we need specific training for LGBTQ+ for?’. We couldn’t have been more wrong. The training is excellent and really makes you realise the huge difference between equality and equity for different patient groups and just how many hidden barriers there may be to accessing healthcare. We have recently refreshed our training for existing and new staff and have come away once again enthused about more small changes we can implement which could have a life changing impact for our patients.“
Cass Watson, Pride in Practice Coordinator for Greater London and the Southeast at the LGBT Foundation, said:
“Starting at the LGBT foundation this February has been such an exciting experience. The launch of Pride in Practice across Essex has given me the opportunity to see first-hand just how passionate medical professionals are about supporting LGBTQ+ communities. In conversation as well as in training, there is every reason to feel confident that together we can ensure that the future of healthcare in Essex is an inclusive one.”
Garry Ormes, Chair of Essex Pride said:
“It’s so important for services like the NHS to be inclusive and knowledgeable about the needs of the various members of all community groups. It’s very reassuring to know that these steps are being taken, to ensure that NHS staff are aware of some of the struggles and barriers that the LGBT+ community face. To have training for staff, that creates awareness of the right language an LGBT+ patient needs is so important and makes the NHS more accessible and approachable for all its service users.”
