Originally published here.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Public Health Outcomes Framework Companion Document is a resource for all those commissioning and delivering healthcare services in order to support the delivery of an equitable public health system. There is a substantial body of evidence demonstrating that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) people experience significant health inequalities, which impact both on their health outcomes and their experiences of the healthcare system. The relationship between sexual orientation and gender identity and health has often been overlooked by the healthcare system, and a lack of sexual orientation and gender identity monitoring in service provision and population level research means that the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) indicators alone will not generate data on LGB&T people.

The LGB&T Public Health Outcomes Framework Companion Document is intended for Health and Wellbeing Boards, Local Authorities, NHS England, Specialist Public Health Teams, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Commissioning Support Services, NHS and Social Care providers, and voluntary and community organisations working with LGB&T people. It is a resource to improve the commissioning and provision of services to meet the needs of the diverse LGB&T community.

The document follows the structure of the PHOF, the set of indicators to improve and protect the nation’s health, providing data and evidence on LGB&T communities for each indicator and domain. It makes recommendations for actions to address inequalities in outcomes for LGB&T people and communities, and highlights best practice case studies and resources to support organisations in implementing these recommendations.

Following these recommendations will help organisations to ensure that they are paying due regard to LGB&T people, as required by Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty. It is important to note that the protected characteristic of gender reassignment covers only those who are proposing to undergo, are undergoing, or have undergone, the process of changing their gender. It is best practice to consider all trans people as though they are equally protected in the provision of appropriate healthcare services.

The LGB&T Public Health Outcomes Framework Companion Document has been developed by a group of volunteer experts from across the LGB&T community working with the Department of Health, to increase understanding of LGB&T health and make sure that the public health system tackles inequality related to sexual orientation and gender identity and promotes equality for everybody

Domain One:

Improving the wider determinants of Health LGB&T individuals often experience discrimination and marginalisation that impacts on wider factors such as education, housing and perceptions and experiences of crime and violence, meaning that these groups experience specific health inequalities as a result.

Domain Two: Health Improvement

Local and national research and needs assessments of LGB&T communities have repeatedly demonstrated higher levels of health risk behaviours, such as smoking and drug and alcohol use, as well as higher levels of self-harm. LGB&T people are less likely to engage with health interventions and screening programmes, and gender-specific screening can present particular challenges for trans and non-gendered individuals. LGB&T communities therefore have higher levels of need for intervention and targeted support related to these indicators.

Domain Three:

Health Protection These indicators focus on protecting the population’s health from major incidents, and other threats, while reducing health inequalities there are some areas which particularly affect LGB&T people. There is a lack of evidence on LGB&T communities in relation to many of the indicators in this domain, yet the available evidence indicates that LGB&T people may be experiencing health inequalities in relation to health protection.

Domain Four:

Healthcare public health preventing premature mortality Evidence indicates that LGB&T communities are more likely to be experiencing health inequalities in relation to public health areas and preventing premature mortality. The higher prevalence of smoking, alcohol use and drug use, and lower uptake of screening programmes, are likely to contribute to increased risk of preventable ill health. There is also a significant body of evidence demonstrating high rates of suicide attempts.

Universal Recommendations

The LGB&T Public Health Outcomes Framework Companion Document makes a number of overarching recommendations for Public Health England, Health and Wellbeing Boards, public health teams, local authorities, the NHS and other partners to support the delivery of improved health and wellbeing outcomes for LGB&T people.

• Recognition: è Health and Wellbeing Boards and Directors of Public Health should ensure that the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment explicitly considers the needs of the local LGB&T community. è Health and Wellbeing Board Chairs must ensure that Health and Wellbeing Strategy implementation plans and supporting strategies explicitly consider the actions to reduce inequalities affecting LGB&T communities.

·         All health and social care commissioners should continue to use equality impact assessment frameworks, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, for population strategy documents and action plans. è All health and social care providers should implement the published guidance, as referenced in the supporting Resources document, on becoming LGB&T-friendly providers.

• Engagement: Healthwatch commissioning and contracting processes should monitor levels of engagement with LGB&T populations. è Clinical Commissioning Group public and patient involvement initiatives should ensure that LGB&T communities are specifically included in CCG communication and engagement strategies.

 • Monitoring: è Commissioners should include a requirement in contracts for service providers to monitor sexual orientation and gender identity in service users over 16yrs, and consider monitoring younger age groups where appropriate. National cohort studies and disease registers should include sexual orientation monitoring and gender identity in routine data collection.

• Service Provision: è Commissioners should use the data available to them to assess whether mainstream services they have commissioned are accessible to and appropriate for LGB&T people. è Commissioners should ensure provision of specialist services, where appropriate, to address specific LGB&T health care needs available in their local area.

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