{"id":44007,"date":"2019-02-04T10:17:34","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T09:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=44007"},"modified":"2019-02-13T12:28:27","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T11:28:27","slug":"michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"standfirst\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The power of a simple symbol to send a message of acceptance and inclusivity should not be under-estimated<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-40304\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/10\/michael-farquhar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/10\/michael-farquhar.jpg 160w, https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/10\/michael-farquhar-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LGBTQ folks\u2014what\u2019s one activity you dread that straight people don\u2019t stress about? <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mine\u2019s going to the doctor. I just always feel judged<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d\u00a0\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">@MarkPochow<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That\u2019s not an unusual feeling among LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonewall.org.uk\/news\/stonewall-report-reveals-impact-discrimination-health-lgbt-people\">a recent Stonewall UK study reported<\/a> that one in seven LGBT+ people have avoided seeking NHS care because they were concerned that they would experience discrimination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That fear isn\u2019t unfounded. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite a quarter-century of major social and legal advances in the UK, LGBT+ people can still face significant challenges, particularly with respect to healthcare. Almost a quarter have witnessed NHS staff making negative remarks about LGBT+ people. One in eight report experiencing unequal treatment because of their sexuality or gender identity, and a quarter feel that their healthcare provider does not have a good understanding of specific health needs of LGBT+ people. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonewall.org.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/unhealthy_attitudes.pdf\">Over half of NHS staff don\u2019t think<\/a> sexual orientation is relevant to healthcare, and one in every fourteen members of NHS staff say they would feel \u201cuncomfortable\u201d working alongside a trans colleague. Many NHS staff feel they don\u2019t have the knowledge or confidence to stand up for LGBT+ patients and colleagues who might need it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LGBT+ people are far more likely to have mental health issues than the general population, with significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and attempted suicide. For some groups, particularly trans people or LGBT+ people who are black or from ethnic minorities, those figures rise further.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No feeling is worse than needing someone to talk to but having nobody that you can turn to.*\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For younger LGBT+ people, often still exploring their sense of self or identity, dealing with these issues can be even more difficult. They may feel uncertain, afraid to disclose their sexuality or gender identity<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and feeling unable to do so often further increases their risk of physical or mental health problems. Many feel they don\u2019t have an adult they can turn to or confide in, leaving them feeling isolated and vulnerable. If they feel uncertain of the response they may get if they come out to an NHS staff member, they are less likely to do so<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">even the perception that discrimination may happen can cause harm. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Conversely, NHS staff are often in a perfect position to be advocates and supporters for LGBT+ people when they most need it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-44009\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges-300x194.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Launched in October 2018, funded by Guy\u2019s and St Thomas\u2019 Charity and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcpch.ac.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2019-01\/rcpch_soch_us_views_jan_2019_digital.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">working closely with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the Evelina London Children\u2019s Hospital Rainbow NHS Badge project is intended to be a small part of the solution to some of these challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The badge is a simple image: an NHS logo superimposed on the rainbow pride flag, worn on NHS staff lanyards or uniforms. It\u2019s intended to send a strong message: \u201cyou can talk to me\u201d, without fear of judgment or discrimination, about sexuality or gender identity. The badges reinforce that our hospital is a place of inclusion, that LGBT+ children, young people, and families do not need to feel scared or alone here, sending a clear signal our staff will listen to them and help get any support they may need. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seeing something like this would have meant the world to my younger self*<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Staff wanting to be part of the project are provided with information explaining some of the barriers to healthcare that LGBT+ people face \u00a0and why we need to send a message of inclusion. They have to sign up, positively affirming that wearing a badge is a responsibility; that they will listen and make sure that an LGBT+ person is signposted to further help and support if they need it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My badge has started so many conversations already!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The response at Evelina London has been overwhelmingly positive, with a third of our staff now wearing a badge. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The project will roll out across the rest of Guy\u2019s and St Thomas\u2019 NHS Foundation Trust in February 2019; soon after that we will give any NHS organisation or Trust who is interested in doing the same a toolkit to do so. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A badge will only ever be one small part of a much needed wider NHS commitment to help address challenges LGBT+ people still face with regards to both health and accessing healthcare, but the power of a simple symbol to send a clear message of acceptance, inclusivity and non-judgmental assistance is one we think should not be under-estimated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A simple gesture, a small sign &#8211; that means so much to people who really need it!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014 Ranj Singh<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can keep up to date with the project by following the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rainbownhsbadge?lang=en\">@RainbowNHSBadge<\/a> Twitter account, or by emailing <\/span><a href=\"mailto:RainbowBadge@gstt.nhs.uk\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">RainbowBadge@gstt.nhs.uk<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Michael Farquhar<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consultant in Sleep Medicine,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Evelina London Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Competing interests<\/strong>: None declared.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">*Quotes in article are from members of Evelina London staff wearing the badges<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The power of a simple symbol to send a message of acceptance and inclusivity should not be under-estimated [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/\">More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44010,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[236],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The power of a simple symbol to send a message of acceptance and inclusivity should not be under-estimated [...]More...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The BMJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BMJ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bmj_latest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bmj_latest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BMJ\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"BMJ\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe\"},\"headline\":\"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":849,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"NHS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg\",\"width\":540,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/04\\\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\",\"name\":\"The BMJ\",\"description\":\"Helping doctors make better decisions.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The BMJ\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg\",\"width\":852,\"height\":568,\"caption\":\"The BMJ\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bmjdotcom\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/bmj_latest\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe\",\"name\":\"BMJ\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BMJ\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ","og_description":"The power of a simple symbol to send a message of acceptance and inclusivity should not be under-estimated [...]More...","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/","og_site_name":"The BMJ","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/","article_published_time":"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":540,"height":350,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"BMJ","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@bmj_latest","twitter_site":"@bmj_latest","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BMJ","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/"},"author":{"name":"BMJ","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/person\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe"},"headline":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it","datePublished":"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/"},"wordCount":849,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg","articleSection":["NHS"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/","name":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it - The BMJ","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg","datePublished":"2019-02-04T09:17:34+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-13T11:28:27+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2019\/02\/rainbow_badges_2.jpg","width":540,"height":350},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/02\/04\/michael-farquhar-nhs-staff-are-in-a-perfect-position-to-be-advocates-for-lgbt-people-when-they-most-need-it\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Michael Farquhar: NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/","name":"The BMJ","description":"Helping doctors make better decisions.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization","name":"The BMJ","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2018\/05\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2018\/05\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg","width":852,"height":568,"caption":"The BMJ"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/","https:\/\/x.com\/bmj_latest"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/person\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe","name":"BMJ","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BMJ"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}