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As part of our commitment to being a diverse and inclusive employer and care provider, we signed up to the national rainbow badge scheme in October 2019.

A recent Stonewall survey (published in November 2018) estimates that one in five LGBT+ people do not disclose their sexual orientation to any healthcare professional when seeking general medical care, and one in seven LGBT+ people have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination.

Despite the progress made towards LGBT+ equality in recent years, many LGBT+ people still face significant barriers to leading healthy, happy and fulfilling lives. With high rates of poor mental health and challenges when accessing healthcare a contributing factor.

The NHS Rainbow Badge was created by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, in partnership with Evelina London Children’s Hospital. The badge is a special rainbow edition of the NHS logo. Badges are handed to staff who have pledged to reduce inequalities and provide support and signposting to LGBT+ people.

If you see someone wearing a rainbow badge

If you see one of our staff wearing a rainbow badge, they have made an informed choice to do so. This means you can be sure they are a friendly ear, willing to listen without judgment and will know how to signpost to the support available. So please don’t be afraid to talk to them.

Support and advice

• The charity Stonewall has excellent resources to support LGBT+ people - www.stonewall.org.uk/help-and-advice
• The Albert Kennedy Trust provides support for LGBT+ people who are homeless or living in a hostile home environment - www.akt.org.uk/
• There is a wide range of resources and support on the LGBT Foundation website - lgbt.foundation/