New ONS Report Reveals Elevated Self-Harm and Suicide Rates Among LGB+ Adults

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released a ground breaking analysis linking 2021 Census data with NHS records, revealing that adults identifying as LGB+ in England and Wales face significantly higher rates of self-harm and suicide compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Key Findings:

  • The age-standardised rate of intentional self-harm for LGB+ individuals was 1,508.9 per 100,000 people between March 2021 and December 2023, compared to 598.4 per 100,000 for heterosexual individuals.
  • The suicide rate among LGB+ adults stood at 50.3 per 100,000 people, more than double the rate of 23.1 per 100,000 observed in heterosexual adults.
  • Bisexual individuals exhibited the highest self-harm rates within the LGB+ group, at 1,669.5 per 100,000 people.
  • The risk of self-harm was notably higher among LGB+ females, with a rate 2.8 times greater than that of heterosexual females.
  • Young adults aged 16 to 24 identifying as LGB+ had a self-harm rate 2.8 times higher than their heterosexual peers.

These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mental health support and suicide prevention strategies within the LGB+ community.

Read the full report: ONS – Self-harm and suicide by sexual orientation, England and Wales

Transgender Awareness Week

Transgender Awareness Week is a time to uplift trans voices, share stories, and work toward greater acceptance. This week highlights the resilience of transgender people while addressing the discrimination many still face. It’s an opportunity for allies to show support, educate themselves, and advocate for a more inclusive society. Let’s come together to ensure everyone feels respected and valued, regardless of gender identity.

Tackling health inequalities: seven priorities for the NHS – The King’s Fund

Drawing on The King’s Fund’s five-year programme of work on health inequalities and tackling the worst health outcomes, which includes insights from stakeholders, partners and people with lived experience, this long read outlines what we think the anticipated 10-year health plan should focus on to help the NHS do more to tackle these challenges.

Tackling Health Inequalities | Seven Priorities For The NHS | The King’s Fund (kingsfund.org.uk)

The King’s Fund Bulletin

The King’s Fund has released their latest Health and Wellbeing bulletin, packed with essential updates on healthcare trends, policies, and research. This bulletin is a must-read for anyone interested in staying informed about the latest in health and wellbeing.

Make sure you subscribe to the blog to stay up-to-date with current awareness.

Health and Wellbeing Bulletin (kingsfundmail.org.uk)

Celebrating Pride Month at the Gosall Library!

June is Pride Month, a time to honour and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to our society. At the Gosall library, we believe in fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued. This month, we’re excited to showcase a diverse collection of books and resources that highlight LGBTQ+ voices and stories. Take a look through our curated selection of LGBTQ+ literature, featuring both fiction and non-fiction works that span various genres and experiences.

Pride Month is more than just a celebration; it’s a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and the importance of representation. By amplifying LGBTQ+ voices, we aim to create a space where everyone can see themselves reflected in the stories we share.

We invite you to visit the Gosall Library this June to explore our Pride Month offerings and join us in celebrating love, diversity, and inclusion. Happy Pride!

Sexual orientation and gender identity in the medical profession

British Medical Association

Source: The King’s Fund

This report has found that fewer than half (46 per cent) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer respondents feel able to be open about their sexual orientation where they work or study. The report, based on 2,490 responses from doctors across the UK, suggests a medical workforce that still suffers from and engages in persistent negative stereotypes, derogatory language and social exclusion. It makes several recommendations around improving medical curricula, better training, increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ role models and enabling dialogue and space to learn.

To find out more click here.

Health and Care

LGBTQ+ inclusion framework

The LGBTQ+ population in the UK experiences significant physical and mental health inequalities compared with the general population. These inequalities extend from increased risk factors for ill health and barriers to accessing health care and support, to discrimination against LGBTQ+ staff within the workplace. This framework comprises six key pillars of inclusivity that organisations should aim to build to create and maintain inclusive cultures: visible leadership and confident staff; a strong knowledge base; being non-heteronormative and non-cisnormative; collecting and reporting data; listening to service users; and proactively seeking out partners to co-deliver services.

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Influenza season 2021–22: what healthcare managers need to know.
Clough I. British Journal of Healthcare Management 2021;27(10):1-4.
[With the influenza season approaching and COVID-19 case numbers remaining high, this article highlights key points for healthcare managers and leaders going into this potentially challenging period.]

The vicious cycle of tobacco use and mental illness – a double burden on health.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[This new factsheet examines the intricate connections between tobacco use and mental illness. 2 in 3 people with severe mental health conditions are current smokers, which has an enormous impact on health. Reducing smoking among people with mental illness is identified as the single most effective action for reducing the gap in life expectancy.]

British HIV Association guidelines for the management of HIV-2 2021.
British HIV Association (BHIVA); 2021.
[The overall purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on best clinical practice in the treatment and management of adults with HIV-2.]

Promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of people from a Black Caribbean background: an evidence-based resource.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Provides information on developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing in people from a Black Caribbean background.]

Sexually transmitted infections: promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Provides information on developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.]

Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, England (Contraception) 2020/21.
NHS Digital; 2021.
[This publication primarily covers contraceptive activity taking place at dedicated Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in England, as recorded in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Activity Dataset (SRHAD), a mandated collection for all providers of NHS SRH services. The main focus of this report is contraception.]

Overlooked: why we should be doing more to support families and friends affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling.
Adfam; 2021.
[This report examines Adfam’s latest research with YouGov on the prevalence of people currently negatively affected by the drinking, drug use or gambling of a family member or friend in 2021, and the different challenges and impacts these families currently face. The report’s findings highlight the need for more recognition of the impacts on families and friends, and it includes recommendations on how to better support this overlooked group.]

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): annual data tables.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Information on STI diagnoses and sexual health services provided in England by demographic characteristics and geographical region.]

Lunch and Learn

A session around the BAME community

Thank-you to everyone who attended our lunch and learn session yesterday. Our guest speaker, Candace Bedu-Mensah, Acting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Lead and co-chair of the Race Equality Network, gave a very informative presentation on equality, diversity and inclusion, including the BAME community and upcoming events for Black History Month.

If you missed the session, you can watch the session recording here (please use your LSCFT email to access).

We would really appreciate any feedback on these sessions. If you have a few spare minutes we kindly ask you to complete our survey- which should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete: https://www.surveymonkey.com

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[This resource provides information to support commissioners, providers and voluntary and community sector organisations in developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM).]

Promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of people from a Black Caribbean background: an evidence-based resource.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[This resource provides information to support commissioners, providers and third-sector organisations in developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing in people from a Black Caribbean background.]

Mental health in prison.
House of Commons Justice Committee; 2021.
[This report finds that a disjointed and incoherent approach to care has left many prisoners suffering from mental health issues undiagnosed and unable to access care. It calls on the NHS, Ministry of Justice and the Prison and Probation Service to implement a system of integrated care that improves identification of mental health issues, provides seamless care while in prison and supports transition to care in community settings on release.]

The cost of eating disorders in the UK 2019 and 2020.
Hearts Minds and Genes Coalition for Eating Disorders; 2021.
[This report highlights the cost of eating disorders in the UK, in terms of financial costs to the NHS, the financial, social and emotional impact on individuals, families and wider society, and in terms of the ongoing loss of lives to illnesses that can be treated but that are currently subject to severe underfunding and lack of services.]

Long-term prisoners: the facts: England and Wales. October 2021.
Prison Reform Trust; 2021.
[In the last twenty years, the prison population has changed hugely. Sentences for more serious crimes have become longer and far more people will now spend 10 or more years in prison. Meeting the challenges of this change will shape the prison landscape for the foreseeable future.]

Measuring Children and Young People’s Subjective Wellbeing.
What Works Centre for Wellbeing; 2021.
[While we have very good national data on the wellbeing of adults, the national statistics on children and young people’s wellbeing in the UK, is not collected regularly, or nationally. The Measures Bank is a searchable database of measures, a resource for policy-makers and practitioners to identify appropriate measures for children’s wellbeing for use in their specific context.]

Characteristics of women who stop smoking in pregnancy.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Experimental analysis of data from the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS), April 2018 to March 2019.]

NHS population screening: identifying and reducing inequalities.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Guidance and resources to support providers and commissioners in reducing screening inequalities.]

Physical activity: promotion within primary and secondary care.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Report and learning from the evidence base and local practice of physical activity promotion in the NHS. The report provides practitioners, commissioners and policy makers with the factors that influence successful integration and implementation of physical activity promotion in primary and secondary care. It focuses on understanding how to integrate physical activity promotion into preventative and treatment care and support for people living with one or more long-term conditions.]

Behaviour change: helping health professionals deliver brief interventions.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[This report focuses on how we can use behavioural science to support healthcare professionals to deliver brief interventions for alcohol, smoking and Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programmes. It includes examples of the barriers and facilitators that affect whether healthcare professionals deliver brief interventions. The report also includes examples of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) that could be used to support and encourage healthcare professionals to deliver brief interventions.]