Supporting your LGBTQ+ workforce
NHS organisations should strive to create a culture and environment that welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff, allowing them to be themselves at work and to contribute fully to the wider organisation.
A report by the CIPD revealed LGBTQ+ staff are more likely to experience conflict and harassment at work than their heterosexual and cisgender colleagues. Furthermore the 2023 NHS Staff Survey found that 32 per cent of gay or lesbian staff and 35 per cent of transgender staff reported bullying and harassment at work. Around one in five LGBTQ+ NHS staff reported personally experiencing physical violence at work. This infographic from the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network explores the growing LGBTQ+ staff experience gap and actions you can take to support LGBTQ+ NHS colleagues.
To help you better understand and address the issues facing LGBTQ+ staff, we have provided a summary of information and links to LGBTQ+ resources below.
Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network
Led by the NHS Confederation, this network is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) leaders and allies from a diverse range of roles and backgrounds across health and care.
The network has produced practical guidance for LGBTQ+ inclusion to support healthcare organisations to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff and patients. Alongside this, the network has published a guide to improving trans allyship across the workforce. These resources are also supplemented by blogs, podcasts, and event recordings featuring network members and co-chairs on a range of topical subjects. You can also sign up to their inclusive leadership pledge and demonstrate your commitment to becoming an inclusive leader and access their LGBTQ+ inclusion framework.
Visit the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network to find out more information and to join. You can also follow the network on X @NHSC_LGBTQ.
LGBTQ+ staff networks in the NHS
In 2020, The University of York published a report looking at how LGBT+ employee networks operate within the NHS.
The report presents a detailed picture of how LGBT+ networks operate, what they do and some of the challenges that networks face. Recommendations made within the report are aimed at helping NHS organisations develop the long-term capacity for networks to flourish and add real value.
Watch our webinar below, held in partnership with the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network and NHS England and NHS Improvement, which highlighted good practice and experiences of LGBTQ+ networks operating in the NHS.
The session addressed the growing complex role of allies and the unique issues facing LGBTQ+ people across intersections of our community – including disability, faith and ethnicity.
Download the slides from the session on The role and impact of LGBTQ+ networks and intersectionality.
Resources
- NHS Employers’ blog by Dr Layla McCay shares thoughts on how the growing LGBTQ+ staff experience gap is a recruitment and retention risk for the NHS.
- In this LGBT+ History Month blog find out what the King's Fund has been doing to support inclusion and to become a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.
- The Deloitte Global 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work report provides an in-depth insight into the experiences of non-Deloitte LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.
- The British Medical Association published guidance on inclusive care for trans and non-binary patients, which aims to explain first steps and best practice in providing a supportive service to transgender, trans and non-binary patients, including patients who present with gender incongruence and/or dysphoria.
- The British Medical Associations’ work on LGBTQ+ equality in medicine looks at the experiences of LGBTQ+ doctors and medical students in education, training and the workplace and on how to ensure an inclusive profession.
- The LGBT Foundation has produced a best practice guide and report on exploring LGBTQ+ migrant inclusion in healthcare.
- Guidance published by TransActual shares insights around how to create trans inclusive healthcare.
- The LGBT Foundation undertook research and published the hidden figures of LGBTQ+ health inequalities in the UK. These statistics shine a light on the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people, which can help you to support your workforce going through this.
