New HIV centre to tackle East London health inequalities
Researchers hope to prevent future HIV infections and improve quality of life for everyone affected by HIV.
We’re committed to making healthcare in East London more inclusive.
East London boasts one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in England and Wales, with significant health needs. According to NHS England, LGBTQ+ people in the UK face disproportionately worse health outcomes.
Here at Barts Charity we’re committed to improving healthcare and transforming health outcomes for all in our East London community. Here are a few ways we’re doing that for LGBTQ+ people.
Supporting the UK’s first survey of Queer people
Queer people in the UK face worse health outcomes compared to heterosexual and cisgender individuals, especially in mental health and HIV risk.
Current research often groups all LGBT identities together, overlooking important ways that different identities cross over, for instance neurodivergent Queer people. This results in portions of the community being underserved.
With our funding, SHARE Collaborative will be co-producing the UK’s first survey of Queer people with a wide range of community organisations to understand their health, experiences, needs, and priorities.
Funding to explore how speech therapy can help trans individuals
Our funding has enabled a Barts Health staff member to attend a course to learn how speech therapy can benefit trans people. Freya Sparks, the clinical lead speech and language therapist for head, neck, and voice, had identified a training need – as more trans and gender-diverse individuals began using Barts Health’s services.
Voice modification can be crucial for some trans people to alleviate gender dysphoria and reduce the risk of transphobia, which can lead to social withdrawal.
Freya found the course transformative, as it allowed her to engage with trans people in a different context. “Normally, I am the expert, and they are my patients. This was a chance to break down that construct and see things differently,” she said. The openness and willingness of the trans participants to share their experiences deepened Freya’s understanding of the community.
Armed with this new knowledge, Freya continues to work closely with trans individuals who may lack confidence in their voice or how they are perceived by society. Her goal is to help them find their voice and improve their overall wellbeing, making a significant impact on their lives.
Awareness of fertility services that LGBTQ+ people were entitled to is low.
Helping Barts Health improve awareness of fertility services to LGBTQ+ people
Even though more people in East London identify as LGBTQ+ than the national average, this isn’t reflected in the patients served at Barts Health NHS Trust’s fertility department.
The trust found that awareness of services LGBTQ+ people were entitled to is low. Many LGBTQ+ patients turn to private clinics for fertility treatment, facing high costs for IVF and fertility preservation.
This year, Barts Health is launching a campaign to change that – making care more accessible. Our grant has funded the purchase of an additional ultrasound machine, to ensure there is the equipment available to meet the increased demand.
