The government has reportedly defunded the NHS Rainbow Badge Partnership, a scheme aiming to foster LGBT inclusivity in healthcare settings.
It was announced on 9 February that the NHS Rainbow Badge Partnership would be coming to an end. The LGBT foundation, one of the charity partners within the project, said this was ‘due to lack of funding’.
Beginning in 2018, the scheme provided NHS badges featuring the Pride rainbow flag to healthcare workers. It was active across 77 NHS trusts, aiming to encourage LGBT inclusivity in secondary care settings. A team was also employed within the project to evaluate inclusivity policies throughout the NHS.
Alex Matheson, deputy director of education at the LGBT Foundation, lead the project. He said: ‘I am overwhelmed with pride at what a life-changing difference this project has made to people across England.
‘Despite misconceptions and unforeseen barriers, the NHS rainbow badge has become a powerful symbol, fostering inclusivity and open, compassionate dialogue in healthcare and has saved countless lives.’
Government ‘U-turned and ghosted’ charity partners
The rainbow badge scheme was initially supported by the government. Former health and social care secretary Matt Hancock wore the badge himself throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to reports, the government initially approved more funding for the project several months ago. It then ‘U-turned and ghosted’ those involved.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care reportedly said: ‘Taxpayers rightly expect value for money, which is why we expect the NHS and all of the department’s arms-length bodies to continuously review whether their diversity and inclusion roles are good value.’
It is unclear whether healthcare workers who have already received rainbow badges will be advised to continue wearing them.
‘A betrayal of LGBTQ+ people’
The Association of LGBTQ+ Doctors and Dentists (GLADD) called for the government to reconsider the decision. It said: ‘The decision to withdraw funding from this project will be at the detriment of trusts who have as yet been unable to sign up to or complete the scheme, and a greater detriment to the patients that they serve.
‘The profound health inequalities and negative experiences of interactions with healthcare faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the UK underscore the urgent need to sustain initiatives like the NHS rainbow badges project.
‘This decision to terminate funding for the vital work of the NHS rainbow badges project can only be interpreted as a betrayal of LGBTQ+ people in this country. We sincerely hope that the current or future governments recognise the tremendous value of the project and commit to renewing its funding.’
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