Rainbow Health and Care

LGBTQ+ experiences of health and care services in Redbridge

There is a gap in understanding of the health and social care experiences of LGBTQ+ Redbridge residents. Evidence indicates that LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of having poorer outcomes across multiple health and care issues, yet little is known about the situation in Redbridge. In the first half of 2024, we ran a rapid research project to explore LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of health and care services, as well as the perspectives of health and care workers.

LGBTQ+ specific issues highlighted by the research included challenges around sharing LGBTQ+ identities, mixed visibility and clarity around LGBTQ+ inclusion, assumptions and misconceptions, apparent variability in levels of training, awareness or comfort, as well as some specific gaps in services for LGBTQ+ people and concerns about whether care services are future-proofed for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

The report also includes advice on action planning, top tips for working with LGBTQ+ people and a glossary of common LGBTQ+ terms.

This six-minute presentation summarises some of the key findings and the resources available within the report.

We’re very grateful that this project is supported by a grant from Healthwatch Redbridge’s Community Cash Fund.