LGBT+ history month – Medicine #Under the scope

This February is LGBT+ History Month, the theme of which – Medicine – #UnderTheScope – is one very close to our hearts. The month provides an opportunity to showcase the amazing work of LGBT+ staff across the NHS and in other healthcare settings. It’s also an opportunity to shine a light on the sobering fact that LGBT+ people still have disproportionately worse health outcomes and experiences of healthcare.  

The 2017 National LGBT survey, with over 108,000 responses, described a situation where LGBT+ communities faced discrimination, felt their specific needs were not being met, had poorer experiences and major concerns about accessing healthcare. Five years later, in 2022, the British Medical Journal confirmed that LGBT+ people continued to experience and anticipate discrimination in health and social care. 

Does this sound familiar?  

We’d love to know more about the health and social care experiences of the LGBT+ community here in Surrey. We are an independent service listening to experiences and providing evidence-based feedback to commissioners and providers to influence, inform and – if necessary – challenge decisions and plans. Your feedback (good and bad!) really can help to shape, improve, and change local services. Get in touch with us to share your experience or for information and signposting about health and social care services.