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LGBT Health Resources

Click on the titles of the documents to be directed to the relevant website. Gender Equality Duty (2007) The Gender Equality Duty places a legal obligation on public authorities to promote equality of opportunity between men and women, and actively demonstrating that men and women are treated equally and fairly in the exercise of public functions. This does not apply to Wales, which is currently planning its own legislation.

Copyright © Waldo Jaquith

Being the Gay One (2007)
The Department of Health commissioned Stonewall to undertake a project to identify the key barriers to reporting of homophobia against health and social care employees.  Stonewall's report, Being the gay one: Experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people working in the health and social care sector, published on 15th June 2007, includes a series of recommendations to the Department for overcoming these barriers.

Human Rights Act (1998)
Links to the DH’s policies and reviews of the Human Rights Act of 1998. Articles include “Guidence on Contracting Services in Light of the HRA,” Question and Answers, “New Information Service on Human Rights from the NHS Litigation,” and “Human Rights Case Studies.”

Policy Consultation on Confidentiality and Disclosure of Patient Information: HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs) (2006)
This paper takes account of a recent High Court decision involving as claimants, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), an acute hospital trust and a primary care trust.  The claimants were seeking a declaration relating to the common law on disclosure, the duties imposed by the European Convention on Human Rights and application of the legislation on disclosure of information on sexually transmitted infection (including HIV).

Single Equality Scheme (2007)
The Single Equality Scheme (SES) is a public commitment of how the Department of Health intends to meet the duties placed on it by the equality legislation. The SES is relevant to all operations of the Department and to employees. The DH SES is based around six equality strands (race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion and belief), and is also part of the DH human rights programme. The Scheme covers the period 2007 - 2010.

HIV Related Stigma and Discrimination: Action Plan (2005)
The need for action to tackle the stigma associated with HIV was identified in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV in 2001, and a commitment to publish an HIV stigma action plan was made in the strategy's implementation action plan in 2002. During the interim period, while this action plan has been in development, things have not stood still. The National AIDS Trust have undertook the 'Are YOU HIV prejudiced?' campaign, and more recently the development of resources for health workers and employers. Stigma and discrimination have featured explicitly in a wide range of guidance, recommended standards and good practice for those working in the HIV field, including the Recommended Standards for NHS HIV services.

Core training standards for sexual orientation: Making National Health Services inclusive for lesbian gay and bisexual people (2006)
Before the end of the year, new regulations will come into force which will make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Training has an important role to play in assisting health and social care organisations to ensure services are inclusive for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. The attached report provides best practice training standards for sexual orientation. The Department of Health commissioned the report to assist health and social care organisations in promoting equality.

An introduction to working with lesbian, gay and bisexual people: information for health and social care staff (2007)
To deliver a patient-led NHS, services must be fair to everyone and recognise the needs of each individual. The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 make it unlawful for health and social care staff to discriminate unfairly against lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people. This leaflet is intended to support you to ensure that LGB people do not experience discrimination and prejudice in service delivery. It is part of a more detailed package of resources to help you to improve the quality and uptake of health and social care services for LGB and transgender people.

An introduction to working with transgender people: information for health and social care staff (2007)
To deliver a patient-led NHS, services must be fair to everyone and recognise the needs of each individual. This leaflet is intended to support staff to ensure that transgender people do not experience discrimination and prejudice in service delivery. It is part of a more detailed package of resources to help staff to improve the quality and uptake of health and social care services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (2006)
About the Department's work on sexual orientation and gender identity, including guidance on the implications of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2006.

International Human Rights References to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights regarding LGBT populations and HIV/AIDS and STIs (2007)
The European chapter of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, ILGA-Europe, has produced an electronic guide to international human rights references to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as related to LGBT people, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. ILGA-Europe has created the guide to assist advocates to identify, interpret and apply existing international instruments and standards in their work (see also this summary of the report).

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of LGBT people in Europe (2007)
This edition of Choices, published by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), gives an overview of the SRHR issues and concerns affecting LGBT people as well as the positive initiatives taken by various groups working for change, including some of the activities developed by IPPF Member Associations.

LGBT Resources on the CSIP Knowledge Community (76Kb - Word document)
A list of links to the different documents available on the website of the Care Services Improvement Partnership.

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