This is a crosspost by Katherine Cowan
London is currently hosting the World Pride Festival 2012, which ends with the World Pride Procession on Saturday 7 July. While the mainstream media tends to focus on the fun and frolics, Pride can be a useful platform for raising awareness of serious issues. This year’s campaigns include suicide in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, and health and wellbeing. A range of healthcare services and organisations will be represented at the event, both on the march and at the rally. This definitely sends out a positive message to LGBT patients and service users.
A few months ago I wrote an article for this blog on the barriers which LGBT patients can face when accessing healthcare services. I mentioned that having LGBT staff who are comfortable and supported to be out, or open, at work can be a key factor in creating a welcoming environment in which LGBT patients feel acknowledged and safe. I thought it would be interesting to reflect on this and to examine what is known about the experiences of LGBT healthcare professionals.
In 2007 I was involved in the production of a report by Stonewall for the Department of Health called Being The Gay One. The research looked in depth at the experiences of a number of LGB healthcare professionals and found evidence of discrimination, regardless of the individual’s role or seniority. Examples ranged from hearing homophobic language go unchallenged (from both patients and colleagues) through to discrimination in relation to career progression. This led to people responding in a variety of ways, such as hiding their identity, becoming reluctant ‘spokespeople’ for gay equality, changing jobs, or even leaving the sector altogether.
I’ve not been able to locate any research into the experiences of trans healthcare employees – so if anyone knows of any, please let me know. The trans lobby group Press for Change notes on its website that the NHS is Britain’s largest single employer. Trans people are no less likely than anyone else to want to pursue a career in health or social care. However, their experiences as healthcare employees who have undergone or are undergoing gender transition have not been documented, and neither have their perceptions of the sector’s employment practices more generally. Press for Change’s research suggests that many trans people have had a negative experience at work due to discrimination and lack of understanding. And research into the experiences of LGBT civil servants, which I carried out with YouGov in 2011, found that a third of trans employees felt they faced barriers to career progression.
There are so many reasons why sexual orientation and gender identity equality should be taken seriously as workplace issues. For a start, it’s the law: under the Equality Act 2010 all employees are protected from discrimination, whether that’s outright harassment or more subtle forms of exclusion. Going beyond legal compliance, there’s a strong business case: people who can be themselves at work without the fear of discrimination or bullying are likely to be happier, more productive and less likely to be stressed or leave. In the healthcare sector, there is an added imperative for LGBT employees to be able to thrive at work: so providers are in an even stronger position to reflect, understand and meet the needs of the diverse communities they serve.
In partnership with Stonewall, NHS Employers issued guidance on working with LGB employees. Although the references to the law are now out of date (the Employment Equality Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003 have since been superseded by the Equality Act 2010), the tips on developing robust policies, staff network groups and building a culture of respect are still very relevant. There is further information on the NHS Employers website looking the development of trans-inclusive recruitment practices.Stonewall works with a large number of healthcare providers which are actively committed to creating inclusive workplaces, so the development of good practice is on the increase. LGBT healthcare professionals can also tap into a network of peer support through the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists (GLADD).
The healthcare sector needs to recruit and retain a talented, dedicated and expert workforce: it’s vital that talented, dedicated and expert practitioners don’t opt out of the sector simply because they are LGBT.
