The Trust celebrated LGBT History Month on 25 February with a conference, held in partnership with the University of Birmingham, which was well attended by both Trust and University staff as well as many external partners from neighbouring Trusts and private sector organisations.

Attendees heard from two keynote speakers, Chris Ives (Management Consultancy Partner) and Rikki Arundel (Motivational Speaker and Gender Coach) who by bravely sharing their personal stories gave us an insight into their lived experiences. Chris spoke of the need for healthcare professionals to create an environment where LGBT+ patients feel safe and able to speak openly and without judgement, while Rikki spoke about the difference between sex and gender and how gender identity and gender expression must be acknowledged and understood by healthcare professionals if we are to better support and care for patients who identify as trans.

Chris and Rikki were then joined by a panel of experts including Tara Stone (Stonewall), Matt Morgan (UHB), Davina Thomas (UHB), Khakan Qureshi (Finding a Voice), Dr Kate Nambiar (Research Fellow at Brighton and Sussex Medical School)  and Chloe Edwards (University of Birmingham) for a lively and informative panel discussion.

A number of important topics were debated including the need for visible signs of LGBT inclusion throughout the Trust and University in order to create a culture of acceptance. Ideas included include rainbow lanyards, rainbow badges and pledges on the wall for all to see in patient and staff areas. Khakan spoke about LGBT and faith and the need for more BAME LGBT+ staff from across both organisations to feel safe and supported in the workplace if they are be their true selves. Chloe Edwards, a medical student at the University of Birmingham, spoke of the need for medical students to familiarise themselves with the unique needs of LGBT+ patients in order to address the health inequalities experienced by LGBT+ people.

We are proud to have made significant process with LGBT+ inclusion and have recently been ranked amongst Stonewall’s top 100 inclusive employers, however there is still more work to be done. Since the conference, the inclusion team has begun looking into obtaining rainbow NHS pins for those staff who would like to wear this on their uniform. The pin can be worn by any staff member, after making a pledge to support LGBT inclusion and speak up if they see LGBT+ inclusion being denied.