LGBTQ+ Health
Want to provide the right support for staff and patients, but don’t know where to start? This LGBTQ+ topic guide is updated regularly with reports, briefs and policies so you can deliver the best care.
Here at Leeds Libraries for health we aim to put LGBTQ+ healthcare at the forefront of our research. If there is something else that you would like to see added here or want research directly emailed to your inbox, please contact us.
Content on this page is based on the Pride bulletin produced by United Lincs NHS library service. Contact lthstafflibraries@nhs.net to receive the bulletin direct to your inbox.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt is made to ensure the safety and accuracy of information on this site, we disclaim all liability for the content of this site. In addition, we can not be held liable for the content of the web sites we link to. Everything linked here is for informational purposes and is not an endorsement of a particular point of view .If you are in any doubt about what this means, or you identify any serious inaccuracies, please contact us.
News
‘Unacceptable’ waiting list of up to eight years for NHS gender care, reveals health secretary
The Independent, September 2025
Patients needing NHS gender care face a 42,000-long waiting list, with some waits as long as eight years, health secretary Wes Streeting has revealed. Mr Streeting has vowed to address “unacceptable” waits for tens of thousands of people needing access to adult gender dysphoria services.
A Year After Banning Puberty Blockers, the U.K. to Conduct Major Study on Trans Health Care
Them, August 2025
Researchers have announced plans to follow 3,000 trans minors who have sought treatment from the NHS. Through annual surveys, they plan to survey participants’ body image, quality of life, and mental and physical well-being over a period of five years.
The Independent, September 2025
They also express concern that the proposals would put them at “constant risk of complaints and litigation from multiple directions”, as well as forcing “business staff into the unacceptable role of ‘gender police’”.
Intersex people in Europe face ‘alarming’ rise in violence, EU finds
The Guardian, September 2025
Europeans who do not fit the typical definition of male or female are grappling with an “alarming” rise in violence, the EU’s leading rights agency has said, as concerted campaigns seek to sow disinformation and fuel hatred towards them.
UK set to get first hospice dedicated to LGBTQ+ people with specialist HIV focus
The Independent, August 2025
A hospice in Sussex is set to become the UK’s first dedicated to LGBT people, in what has been described as a “landmark development” for the community. A Hospice UK report released in 2023 found that end of life care received by trans and gender diverse people was usually not inclusive
Published research
(If you are having problems accessing the following articles, please get in contact with the library team lthstafflibraries@nhs.net)
Banter, bonding or bullying? Supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues in healthcare
Clinics in Integrated Care October 2025
This article explores the historical and contemporary experiences of LGBTQ+ professionals in healthcare, focusing on discrimination, inclusion initiatives, and the structural and cultural changes needed to create equitable environments. Drawing on recent studies, surveys, and reports from the UK and US, it highlights the systemic barriers LGBTQ+ health professionals face, the persona struggles from workplace bullying and the vital role of staff networks, inclusive policies, and allyship. Evidence suggests that visibility, support, and strong leadership commitment can mitigate workplace inequalities, improve staff wellbeing and performance, and enhance patient care outcomes.
Human Resources for Health, August 2025
Experiences of financial insecurity among medics are extremely common. Our study has highlighted that LGBTQ + medics and those with a non-UK PMQ may be particularly vulnerable to financial problems as well as those with a disability or caring role.
The CIRCLE Care Home Guide: A Co-Designed Resource on LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Care Homes
Health Expectations, August 2025
Older LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination in care home settings, and many care home staff do not have the knowledge required to provide inclusive care. Despite the availability of valuable resources on LGBTQ+ inclusion, its widespread use in social care practice in the United Kingdom is lacking. The current study presents a novel resource on LGBTQ+ inclusion co-designed by older LGBTQ+ people, care home staff and researchers.
Key papers and reports
TransActual, September 2025
To advocate for the changes that will bring about improvements to trans people’s healthcare experiences we need to understand what’s preventing healthcare professionals from offering trans people the standards of care they ought to be able to expect. Less than half of respondents said they felt comfortable in their abilities to support trans patients.
Born This Way Foundation, September 2025
Transgender young people have disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges—including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide risk—compared to their cisgender peers. Online spaces can offer an alternative source of support—providing emotional connection, affirming content, and helpful information.
Trans Segregation in Practice: Experiences of trans segregation following the Supreme Court ruling
TransActual, August 2025
Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in April, TransActual have heard from hundreds of people about the very immediate impact the ruling has had on their lives. Many businesses and organisations have, contrary to their legal obligations and potentially in breach of anti-discrimination protections, adopted extreme policies of banning trans people and those who look ‘wrong’ from facilities.
“We see you”: What transgender and gender diverse people need from post-violence health services
The Mental Elf, August 2025
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals experience violence to a greater extent compared to their cisgender counterparts, including hate crimes, physical violence, and sexual and psychological abuse. However, TGD individuals face several challenges when trying to access quality health services, such as care refusals and further victimisation by health professionals.
Blogs / Commentary / Editorials / Opinion Pieces
Bisexual awareness week: visibility in medicine
BMA, September 2025
This Bisexual Awareness Week, it’s worth asking: why do bisexual doctors remain the least likely to be open about their sexuality at work, despite making up a larger share of the LGBTQ+ community than is often recognised?
The Guardian, August 2025
Support groups report some early indications that gender nonconforming women are facing increased challenges, raising wider questions about how women read each other’s bodies and whether women’s toilets have ever been entirely safe spaces.
Tackling LGBT+ health inequalities or just talking?
The King’s Fund, August 2025
The LGBT+ health evidence review will explore barriers to access and poor experiences LGBT+ people have accessing health care, the impact of these poor experiences, and how LGBT+ specific health needs might best be met. While the LGBT+ health evidence review may support the development of a new strategy, there is no timeline or mention of how the review will lead to improvement.
A U.K. trans man was denied legal gender recognition because he’s trying to conceive
Xtra, August 2025
UK non-profit Good Law Project, which fights discriminatory court rulings, is representing a trans man who was denied legal gender recognition on the basis that he was trying to get pregnant. Effectively, these gatekeepers are arguing that you’re only a “man” in the eyes of the law if you sacrifice reproductive autonomy.
Useful websites
Tips for Allies of Transgender People
The following are tips that can be used as you move toward becoming a better ally to transgender people.
Stonewall UK
Includes many links to information and support for LGBT communities and their allies.
LGBT Foundation
LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering advice, support and information services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities.
LGBT Switchboard
A helpline that provides an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity.
A website with a mission to promote inclusive menopause resources for those who need them, and greater education for therapists and healthcare practitioners about the needs of LGBTQIA+ people in menopause.
LGBTQ+ Health - NHS Futures Workspace
The LGBTQ+ Health Team Workspace on the NHS Future Platform is a place to collaborate with fellow healthcare professionals, grounded in the belief that everyone deserves equitable, respectful, and inclusive healthcare—regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Many useful resources have already been uploaded on LGBT+ cancer care, LGBTQ+ mental health and care of Elderly LGBTQ+ people.
If you have an NHS.net email click 'log in with NHS.net SSO', alternatively sign up/ log in with NHS England Apps or your work email.
LGBTQ+ Book Club
Intrested in joining our LGBTQ+ book club? Drop us an email and get on the list! Our bi-monthly book club is a chance for you to meet people from your community across Pan Leeds. This 30 minute slot will push you out of your literatre comfort zone while still giving an opportunity for a mental well being break.
Our friendly library team can signpost you to local book shops or your local public library to track down a copy.
Struggling for time but still want to come along? We can email you a PDF of the first chapter so you can still join in without impacting your work load.
Our next online meet up will be in September where we will be reading “Outlawed ” by Anna North
In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw.
The day of her wedding, 17 year old Ada's life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.
She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose, and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she's willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.
Profession and specialty networks and resources
NHS England Patient Equalites programme
Within this hub you will find information about NHS England’s statutory responsibilities and national NHS programmes related to LGBT+ Health.
LGBT+ mental health services map
List of charities and organisations providing mental health and suicide prevention support for people who identify as LGBTQI+.
National Ambulance LGBT Network
Understanding Trans Service Users: Ambulance Service Perspective
National LGBT Partnership
The National LGBT Partnership was established in early 2010, in order reduce health inequalities and challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia within public services. The Partnership combines the expertise of thirty-eight key LGBTQIA+ organisations across England, and works closely with many more.
Breaking down the barriers to LGBTIQ+ healthcare inclusive cancer care.
OUTpatients. The UK's LGBTQI+ cancer chairty
We have created this booklet as an overview of some of our core information and training to help you to begin to improve the LGBTQI+ inclusivity of your cancer services.
Working with transgender people in physiotherapy practice
This guidance supports CSP members in improving the health of communities, including people who are transgender, through high-quality physiotherapy
Information for Healthcare Professionals
The updated resource covers best practice on how to support trans patients and staff across all healthcare settings and has information about the specific interventions available to trans patients. The new update launching today significantly expands the resource, which now features links to hundreds of documents from healthcare and LGBTQ+ organisations, as well as our own expanded guidance for primary and hospital care professionals.
Further reading & books.
Check out our own LGBT+ book collection consisting of both clinical and wellbeing books.
Podcasts
What Real Inclusion Looks Like at Work When You’re LGBTQ
Podcast series
We’re celebrating Pride Month, and to kick us off, Amy and Brandi get real about the unfiltered, often uncomfortable truth of being LGBTQ+ in the workplace—where invisibility can feel safer than honesty, and “inclusion” doesn’t always include you. Together with Kim, they unpack the messy layers of LGBTQ+ identity at work—from pronoun politics and people-pleasing to being “the only one” in the room. If you’ve ever felt unseen at work—or want to ensure your team doesn’t have to—this one’s for you. Showing up matters more than getting it perfect.
Podcast series.
Welcome to Gender Reveal, a podcast about nonbinary and transgender folks. Join us as we interview notable trans guests, analyze current events, answer advice questions and get a little bit closer to understanding what the heck gender is.
Local networks and plans
LGBT+ Staff Network - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust intranet
The network aims to provide a point of contact and support for LGBT+ staff and allies in the workplace.
Make your pledge
The NHS Rainbow Badges initiative started at Evelina Children’s Hospital in London and has quickly gained pace throughout the NHS. We are proud to be joining the movement and making a public commitment to support both patients and staff that identify as LGBT+.
Increased awareness of the issues surrounding LGBT+ people when accessing healthcare on the part of NHS staff can make significant differences to LGBT+ peoples’ experiences, and, in turn on their physical and mental health. The badge is a reminder that you can talk to our staff about who you are and how you feel. They will do their best to get support for you if you need it.
NHS confederation
Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network
LGBT+ SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Check out local sport groups in the Leeds area
Library Services
Is there a LGBTQ+ information need we are not meeting?
Let us know and we can provide the results with a literature search.
Want to undertake your own LGBT+ health research?
Not sure where to start? We can provide training on how to search and appraise resources on our healthcare databases.
Want the lasted LGBT+ health evidence direct to your inbox?
Let us know if you have a speciality or just want the highlights of the latest evidence.
Contact lthstafflibraries@nhs.net for more details.
OpenAthens
An OpenAthens account gives all NHS staff and learners access to a wide range of online resources.