Hospice News

Shops Stories

We're celebrating Pride month and Bristol Pride again this year. To kick off the celebrations, staff and volunteers across our shops have been busy creating wonderful window displays, ready for a month of celebration.

We're always impressed by the creativity of shop staff and volunteers, who take the time to create colourful Pride window displays each year. We've seen every colour of the rainbow, sequins and plenty of glitter, each window spreading joy in every corner of our region.

We also know that celebrating Pride is about more than a colourful statement; it's about making our commitment to LGBTQ+ patients, staff and volunteers known. We're caring for your community, without barriers and we're here wherever and whenever you need us.

We are proud to be your local hospice, and here are some of the steps we are taking towards ensuring that LGBTQ+ people can more easily access great care:

• Clinical staff can access online training in LGBTQ+ inclusive palliative and end of life care. 
• Staff from our Social Work Team have attended training on trans-inclusive end of life care. This includes ensuring the wishes of trans and gender-diverse people are honoured after death and following how they wish to be dressed, in line with their gender identity. Training also covered gender-affirming care, such as continuing transition-related healthcare whilst receiving hospice care, and the importance of bereavement resources that are inclusive to LGBTQ+ people.
• We have changed our electronic patient records to reflect sexual orientation more accurately. This allows us to move away from assumptions of heterosexuality and ensure that we can be there for patients and their chosen families.
• Use of pronoun badges - clinical staff have the option to wear a badge, which helps contribute to patient safety and inclusivity.

Caroline Mundy, Head of Clinical Engagement, added: "We believe that everyone is entitled to high-quality palliative and end of life care. National evidence shows that that some people, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, can face inequities of access, experience and outcome of healthcare, and we recognise this. We are working to address these inequities so that people's experience of our hospice support and care is that they are free to be themselves and receive the care they need, regardless of their sexual orientation and/or gender."

We're committed to doing all we can to support the LGBTQ+ community and we look forward to keeping you updated.

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