Stonewall’s Healthy Lives

Healthy Lives is a unique programme providing bespoke support to NHS Trusts. The aim is to ensure that the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual staff and patients are addressed by the NHS. The Healthy Lives programme helps NHS Trusts improve their workplaces and their health care to lesbian, gay and bisexual staff and patients.

Funded by the Equality & Human Rights Commission, Healthy Lives is a membership programme for NHS Trusts running until December 2011. The programme was set up in response to Stonewall’s health research and analysis of employer performance which showed that the NHS needed specific help and targeted expertise in reducing inequalities for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Stonewall are pleased to announce that we are working with the following organisations until December 2011:

Central Nottingham Clinical Services
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
NHS Peterborough
North Tyneside GP Commissioning Consortium
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
University College London NHS Foundation Trust

What is included in the Healthy Lives Programme?

Each organisation will receive tailored action plans to reduce health inequalities experienced by local lesbian, gay and bisexual people and support in setting up staff networks and patient groups. In addition members may receive:

• Free and expert support from Stonewall
• Face-to-face meetings with Stonewall’s Health Officer
• Clear understanding of why and how sexual orientation affects staff performance, service-user access and patient treatment
• Support on meeting requirements under the Equality Act (2010) and the Public Sector Equality Duty including support on Equality Objectives
• Audit of employer inclusiveness using Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index™
• Access to NHS specific training on health, hate crime and legislation
• LGB equality mainstreamed in policy, practice and procedure

Healthy Lives year one

The first phase of Stonewall’s Healthy Lives finished in March 2011. Stonewall worked with the following NHS organisations;

Barts and the London NHS Trust
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust
Milton Keynes Community Health Services
NHS Calderdale
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
NHS Norfolk
NHS Nottinghamshire County
North Bristol NHS Trust
Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Salisbury Foundation Trust
Sussex Community NHS Trust

“At Salisbury Foundation Trust we have benefitted hugely from the support, advice and guidance from Stonewall Healthy Lives Programme. As a result we have increased the awareness of LGB issues for both patients and staff, established relationships with local community groups and developed effective communication channels between the Board and Senior Management Team. This programme has given us the resources and guidance to take the agenda forward to further progress the sexual orientation agenda.”

Pamela Permalloo-Bass (Salisbury Foundation Trust Equality and Diversity Manager)

“Stonewall’s Healthy Lives Programme had made a tremendous difference to our ability to initiate work on sexual orientation equality across the Trust.  The audit provides an objective basis for action on health and employment issues and the support provided by Stonewall in terms of advice and resources is invaluable. Within six months we have set up a staff network and achieved some key policy changes.”

Stef Abrar (Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Equality and Diversity Co-Ordinator)

Further Information

For further information on the Healthy Lives Programme please e-mail: healthylives@stonewall.org.uk

Comment on this page

Comment on this page

Name / alias

Your email
(not displayed)

Subject
(will appear on this page)

Your comments
(will appear on this page)

Your comments