Welcome to our July update, where we take you through what’s been happening inside OUTpatients over the past month.
Hosting our latest Community Conversation – Our Bodies, Our Stories
Following the success of our first Community Conversation earlier this year, we hosted a new event at the Common Press in Shoreditch. This time, we decided to focus on the experiences of Black and Brown lesbian and queer women in healthcare.
In healthcare settings, the voices of Black and Brown lesbian and queer women are often overlooked. Racism, sexism, and homophobia within the medical system can overlap, creating a culture where their experiences are dismissed.
This Community Conversation therefore made space for these experiences, as well as candid discussions about barriers and self-advocacy.
Alongside our host, Buitumelo, we had some amazing panelists join us for the evening. Professor Sheeren Nabhani-Gebara spoke to the group about getting more Black and Brown women into clinical trials and research. Sarah, a Lead Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist, brought her advocacy experience from both the clinic and the community. We also heard from Ayodele, a patient advocate, who spoke in depth about her experience as a person living with cancer and being a Black lesbian.
We want to thank everybody who came and shared this space with us. If you have a topic you would like to see discussed in another Community Conversation, please get in touch with jawadat@outpatients.org.uk.
Presenting our work to Macmillan
On 23rd June, we attended Macmillan’s all staff webinar to present the impact of OUTpatients’ work. Over 550 people attended, and got to hear about how our charity started, what we’ve achieved over the past five years, and what lies ahead.
It was wonderful to see such a positive response from the Macmillan team. We saw staff sharing their plans to advance LGBTIQ+ equity, both in Pride season and beyond.
OUTpatients has a longstanding partnership with Macmillan. As well as funding our peer support services, Macmillan has worked with us to produce a detailed resource for LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer.
Attending the CoppaFeel! Conference
We attended the first annual CoppaFeel! Conference to celebrate the launch of their new report, Alive To Do Those Things. The report outlines a vision for a healthcare system that better supports young people with breast cancer. It also includes policy recommendations that could help bring this vision about, and save lives.
Improving care for people in underserved communities was a key focus of the day. One takeaway was the need for better education and stronger trust between patients and healthcare professionals. Dr Ronx, a non-binary doctor and advocate, also spoke about the importance of using inclusive language in healthcare. Using the words and terms that patients are most comfortable with can help them feel safe, respected, and understood. This can make it easier for people to seek help when they have concerns about their health.
The latest from our Lung Cancer Screening Campaign
Over the past month, we’ve been out in the community with our Curious campaign.
Together with Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, we went to both Salford Pride and Sparkle Weekend in Manchester. This gave us the opportunity spoke directly with LGBTIQ+ people about the NHS Lung Cancer Screening programme. We answered questions, listened to concerns, and shared important information. Thank you to everyone who came to speak with us, and to all the organisations that took part.
We also ran an online session for NHS Cancer Alliances across England. We talked about how we created the Curious campaign, and why it is important to work with people in ways that meet their needs. We encouraged other Cancer Alliances to think about how they can better support LGBTIQ+ communities and help more people take up lung cancer screening across the country.
We are also looking for volunteers for some of our upcoming Pride events in Manchester. If you would like to take part, please email ezra@outpatients.org.uk.
Presenting at Pfizer’s ‘Lunch and Learn’
On 17th June, we were invited to speak at Pfizer’s Lunch and Learn event about our Hear Me Out campaign. The campaign encourages healthcare professionals to look beyond a person’s diagnosis and see the whole person, including sexuality and gender identity. This can help professionals to provide provide truly person-centred care.
During the session, we talked about the aims of the campaign, the impact it has had, and what we learned from working with Pfizer. This was the first time either organisation had worked together in this way. Instead of only providing funding, Pfizer worked with us as an equal partner from the early planning stages through to delivery. We were proud to be the first charity Pfizer partnered with in this way, and we hope to work together again in the future.
The Hear Me Out campaign resources are still available. These include posters and leaflets for both patients and healthcare professionals. You can request a printed pack by filling out this form or access the digital versions here.
Welcoming our new trustees
We are excited to announce that two new trustees will be joining the OUTpatients board.
Dr Owen Carter is a GP with special interests in oncology. He is an excellent advocate for our community, with a proven track record of making a difference for patients on a local and national level.
Deborah Finding is an expert in HR with a passion for promoting wellbeing in the LGBTIQ+ sector. We are very excited to welcome Deborah in to guide our next period of growth, to ensure that OUTpatients can continue to operate to the highest standards, and a trusted voice in the cancer sector.
Our new Education Team
We are also excited to introduce our new Education and Policy team, Ramses and Jaz.
Ramses (he/him) started in June as the new Education and Policy manager. He’s an award winning specialist, passionate about inclusion and equitable access to healthcare.
Jaz (they/them) started in July as Education Officer. As a young person with a cancer experience, they’re eager to advance health equity for the trans and wider LGBTQ+ community. They are particularly interested in support for TYAs (Teens and Young Adults).
Together, they will be revamping the education offering, developing a series of webinars people can request. We will soon be launching a new education form to book a session and we will soon be launching a new education form to book them.