The WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) is calling for expressions of interest from people with lived experience and experts in the field of LGBTIQ+ health service delivery to join an LGBTIQ+ Stakeholder Reference Group.
By providing their valuable insight, this will improve and strengthen WAPHA’s inclusive practice and influence the practice of health professionals and others working in community-based treatment and support services.
According to the National LGBTI Alliance, although many LGBTIQ+ Australians live healthy and happy lives, research has shown that a disproportionate number have significantly worse mental and physical health outcomes when compared to the wider community.
In 2019 WAPHA became the first organisation of its kind in Australia to achieve Rainbow Tick accreditation, demonstrating a commitment to ensuring people of diverse sex, sexuality and/or gender have access to safe, inclusive and culturally appropriate primary health care. WAPHA is also guided by its work as part of the WA LGBTI Health Strategy 2019-2024 Reference Group.
WAPHA’s General Manager Strategy and Engagement, Chris Kane, said vigilance in our ongoing commitment to ensuring safe and inclusive care for all people, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity, is a priority.
“From the moment you book an appointment to when you finish your course of treatment, every phone call, form to be filled, and conversation with health professionals and support staff needs to be welcoming, appropriate and inclusive.”
To overcome a scarcity and inconsistency of data on LGBTIQ+ health trends, along with its funded service providers, WAPHA has improved the way it captures data on service provision and outcomes for people of diverse sex, sexuality and/or gender.
“More widely, we’ve sought to influence data sets to include sexual orientation and gender identity and made it clear that the collection, analysis and interpretation of data and trends should be formulated in consultation with LGBTIQ+ communities to avoid inadvertently causing additional stigmatisation,” Kane said.
If you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and/or sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse; or are a primary care clinician or an allied health professional working with LGBTIQ+ people; and are interested in being part of this group, please visit their website for more information.
Source: Media Release
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