BY: DM
Published 1 week ago
The British Medical Association (BMA) just voted yes to a motion supporting identity-based care, and the LGBTQIA+ community is celebrating. This decision comes amid growing concern over gaps in queer healthcare. Some trans patients reported that GPs suddenly withdrew prescriptions for hormone treatments out of purported “lack of expertise or support.”
Now, a resolution has been reached. LGBTQIA+ folks living in Britain will have access to medical care that addresses their specific health concerns. Here is a look at how the BMA came to its decision.
Healthcare should be specific to the patient, says the BMA.
The BMA’s London Regional Council introduced the resolution, and members passed it at the union’s annual meeting in Liverpool. The resolution affirms the right of all LGBTQIA+ patients and staff to identity-based care. According to a statement by BMA, this type of care actively considers each person’s unique identity factors. Key mandates include a commitment “to produce pan-UK guidance and a lobbying strategy to embed this principle into NHS equality standards, training frameworks, and institutional policies.” This means doctors will receive new national guidance and training so they can tailor care to patients across the UK.
“This motion reflects the deep passion within the profession for delivering truly personalized care,” said BMA chair Dr. Latifa Patel. “The patients we care for every day have diverse and intersecting identities that affect their health risks, treatment outcomes, and overall quality of life. Providing care that recognizes and responds to these differences isn’t optional – it’s the only effective way forward and the right thing to do.”
The motion explicitly affirms that LGBTQIA+ patients and staff have the right to care that recognizes and respects their identities. It pledges to implement care policies defined as those that actively account for everyone’s lived, intersecting identities. It also directs the BMA to develop “pan-UK guidance” and to create a lobbying strategy. The goal is to embed identity-based care into NHS equality standards and training. Finally, the motion addresses working conditions for queer NHS staff. It calls on hospitals and clinics to support doctors and nurses of all genders and orientations using the same identity-aware approach.
LGBTQIA+ folks will benefit greatly from the decision.
Identity-based care policies will equip clinicians with the tools and confidence to deliver these treatments safely — instead of turning patients away. Dr. Patel emphasized that the recent Supreme Court ruling on gender and sex doesn’t block this approach. “It does not prevent healthcare that takes gender identity into account,” she said. “Instead, she underscored that recognizing gender identity is “a vital part of how we care for our patients.”
Measures like this could prevent future clinics from shutting out queer people. Community leaders say the motion delivers a clear message that health services must recognize queer patients and staff in their full identities. By formally committing to identity-based care, the BMA promises action — from detailed guidance to national policy changes — to make the NHS safer and more equitable for LGBTQIA+ folks.
Do you think this type of care should be the norm everywhere, not just in the UK? Comment below!
