Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network launched

The Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network has been created to transform the NHS so that members of the LGBTQ+ community can be assured of equal treatment, receive the best care and work in an inclusive environment where they can thrive.

Launched by the NHS Confederation, the network is made up of both LGBTQ+ leaders and allies from a range of roles, skills and backgrounds across health and care and will provide a platform for the community to listen, share and engage with their peers and allies.

The network will work collaboratively to engage with the LGBTQ+ community, allies, wider NHS leadership and other organisations such as professional bodies, trades unions and voluntary organisations, with a view to: increase numbers and visibility of LGBTQ+ on boards and in senior leadership across healthcare; improve the experience of LGBTQ+ staff and increasing value across all NHS organisations; and improve the experience of LGBTQ+ patients.

The overall aim is to build a social movement of LGBTQ+ people and their allies who aspire to leadership roles in the NHS to help bring about change across the system.

Members will be able to connect with peers from across health and care and other relevant bodies, as well as participating in discussions and sharing knowledge. The network will offer an opportunity for members to make their voices heard and influence change across the system.

Peter Molyneux, chair of the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Network, said: “In the 51 years since the riot at the Stonewall Inn the LGBTQ+ community has come a long way. However, there is still a long way to go. As James Baldwin, said: ‘not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced’. This network will help us to face the challenges we have in health and care and to provide the visible leadership and support for staff necessary to ensure that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community receives the best care or works in an inclusive environment where they can thrive”.

Niall Dickson, the NHS Confederation CEO, said: “I am confident that this new network will be a force for change, for inclusion and for equality in the NHS and wider care system. The nature of leadership in health and care is changing for the better, but if we are to deliver the transformation that is required, we need to do more to nurture and support the talent that surrounds us. The NHS Confederation is proud to host the Health & Care Women Leaders’ Network the  BME Leadership Network and this latest addition to our family will bring a new dimension to all our work.”