Caring for LGBT patients in the NHS

What evidence is there of poor care?

The UK Equality Act 2010 says that LGBT people must be treated fairly and without discrimination. But last year a government survey to which 108 100 LGBT adults responded found disproportionate dissatisfaction with NHS services.1 Respondents said that staff members were ignorant of their health needs, specifically about mental and sexual health services.

Poor mental health is more prevalent among LGBT people than the general population. Of the 33 440 respondents who reported accessing or trying to access mental health services in the past year, 28% said it had not been easy. The commonest reason given was long waits (72%), and about a fifth cited unsupportive GPs.

Respondents who mentioned gender identity and gender transition described difficulty in in accessing services. GPs lacked knowledge about services and how to access them, they reported.

In a 2018 survey for the LGBT equality charity Stonewall almost a …