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LGBTIQ+ cancer care
We’re committed to delivering inclusive and welcoming healthcare for all members of LGBTIQ+ communities.
Striving for inclusivity
In the UK, there are approximately 2.3 million people who identify as part of the LGBTIQ+ community. At GenesisCare, we understand the unique challenges this community faces within the healthcare system, especially when dealing with cancer.
Fear of discrimination of any kind may cause individuals to delay seeking medical care, leading to high rates of severe illnesses such as cancer, and poor health outcomes.
That’s why at GenesisCare we provide inclusive, compassionate healthcare for all. We’re here to embrace and support all our patients to ensure they get the best care, treatment and outcomes, no matter how they identify.
Welcoming healthcare for all
We’re committed to ongoing improvement to ensure our centres and care teams are well-equipped to provide an inclusive and welcoming healthcare environment to all people in the LGBTIQ+ communities.
As part of this commitment, we’re working in partnership with Inclusive Employers to imbed workplace inclusion across our centres and we provide diversity and inclusion training for all members of our care teams to ensure we provide environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all members of LGBTIQ+ communities.
We are also proud to have worked with OUTpatients, the UK’s LGBTIQ+ cancer charity, whose mission is to transform cancer care into a more inclusive environment using a multi-layered approach that encompasses peer support, education, and bespoke resource production.
Please visit their website here: https://outpatients.org.uk/
FAQs
Your consultant may ask about your sexual and/or romantic orientation, gender identity and sexual activity to ensure they give you the right care and advice for you.
It may also be helpful to let your treatment team know your pronouns so they can make a note in case they’re different from those on your medical records.
You’re not obliged to provide this information, but it might be helpful information for your treatment team to know.
To ensure safe and effective care, we may need to ask some patients about their sex assigned at birth to confirm potential pregnancy status before any radiation exposure. Our Radiotherapy and Radiology departments use a respectful, inclusive form based on the Society of Radiographers' (SOR) pregnancy inclusivity form to guide this process.
Even if you haven’t been asked these questions, it’s important you feel able to share this information, if you want to.
Side effects of cancer tests and treatment are usually the same regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Although some treatment side effects may pose certain challenges depending on the type of sex you have.
As an LGBTIQ+ person, you may have questions or concerns about how things may affect you and it's important you feel comfortable to ask these questions.
There are also some useful online resources below or brochures available in our centres if you’d prefer to find this information out in private.
