Agenda item

4.1       Ms Duffy introduced the report. She outlined the key points in the paper entitled Health and Wellbeing of the Transgender Population in Lewisham which was attached as an Appendix to the report.

4.2       The following points were then discussed:

·         Table 2: Lewisham Trans Population by Age Group. This table did not include an age range between 16-18. Ms Duffy agreed to ask ONS for this information.

·         Transgender respondents had been subjected to or had witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks against LGBT people by healthcare staff and treated with inappropriate curiosity. This had been disappointing data. In response to a question about how these issues of inequality would be addressed, the response was that the findings should be sent to LCP strategic board and discussed with health providers There would be recommendations and implications and front-line staff and health care workers would be asked to respond to the findings. A number of staff were employed from the local community and the messages that they receive through training would then be taken out into their communities and vice versa. It was agreed that it was completely wrong that some Trans and Non-Binary people did not feel safe when trying to access health care.

·         In Age UK Southwark there was a project entitled ‘opening doors’ which offered support specifically for older LGBTQ+ people who met regularly in one of the Southwark Centres. They had a quality mark, Pride in Care which was a new initiative aimed at voluntary groups. Cultural competency training should be cascaded to the wider voluntary groups.

·         Equalities of health care for LGBTQ+ was raised by Councillor Walsh in 2016. More progress needed to be made and a resolution to the issues identified in the data needed to be achieved quicker.

·         In response to a question about whether there was any information from the LGBTQ+ community regarding their experience with Healthwatch services, Mr Kerin said that he did not have any specific information, but Healthwatch were working with Public Health regarding developing JSNA priorities and he expected their role would be to support this work. He said that if there was any specific way to help, particularly as an organisation engaged in health care that was not part of the formal provider system, they would be happy to do so.

RESOLVED that

(i)            Lewisham should work with two Trans advocacy groups. They should inform them about the real experiences of young Trans people and Trans elders in the community.

(ii)          The Board be advised what would change as a result of this work. The fear of access for health care due to discrimination be addressed as soon as possible. The Chair/Vice Chair of this board to write to the ICS with the data, asking what would change to the Trans health care provision particularly in primary care for Lewisham residents.

(iii)         Lewisham Trans people needed to know what health care was available, how they could access it and where they could find redress.

(iv)         Lewisham Council’s website be checked to ensure that signposting to LGBT+ services was correct and easily accessible for intergenerational people;. from young people through to the elders in our borough.