Working group formed to advance LQBTQIAB+ healthcare
The group chaired by Dr Hash Abdeen focuses on a wide range of issues affecting LGBTQIAB+ people presently and into the future.
AMA Queensland has formed an LGBTQIASB+ Working Group to promote excellence in LGBTQIAB+ health using a practical and collaborative approach.
The eight-member group, chaired by Dr Hash Abdeen, aims to address the lack of holistic, safe and appropriate healthcare for the community and provide advice on emerging health issues.
The group is assisting AMA Queensland with considered and sensitive responses to policy proposals and media affecting LGBTQIASB+ people and achieve advocacy goals for increased representation in government data and organisations.
This includes the recent submission to the service evaluation of the Queensland Children's Gender Service that highlights the impacts on staff and patient wellbeing and operational matters.
The group is also advocating for the establishment of a voluntary suicide register for surviving partners, family, friends, and clinicians to notify suicides of LGBTQIASB+ people.
The proposal was part of AMA Queensland’s pre-budget submission to the Queensland Government.
The true extent of suicide within this community is unknown, as police reports and coronial findings rely on family or friends knowing and disclosing their loved one’s sexual or gender identity.
Without this data, we do not know the full extent of the issue and peak associations cannot work with the community and government effectively to develop measures to enhance mental health outcomes and keep people healthy and alive.
Working group member James Allen spoke to the ABC about his personal experiences as a GP who predominantly sees LGBTQIASB+ patients.
“When you're working in a community in which you belong, and people feel safe and accepted, there's sometimes an increased concentration of the number of patients who will see you to discuss mental health issues,” Dr Allen told ABC News.
"Every doctor and general practitioner really deserves a pathway towards becoming both culturally and technically competent when it comes to queer health."
The wellbeing and retention of LGBTQIASB+ healthcare workers is another priority for the group.
Wellbeing is a key area for improvement across the entire healthcare system, but especially for staff who identify as part of the LGBTQIASB+ community.
The most recent Medical Training Survey highlighted this, with LGBTQIASB+ doctors in training reporting experiencing the highest rates of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or racism, largely by medical colleagues and other health practitioners.
Although people identifying as LGBTQIASB+ are not a homogenous group and their experiences vary significantly, the need for health care that is free of bias and discrimination is the same for all.
The Working Group is ensuring that AMA Queensland’s response to any policy affecting LGBTQIASB+ community members is evidence-based, as opposed to influenced by political or ideological beliefs.
In an ideal future, knowledge gaps and unconscious bias will be eliminated so all members of the LGBTQIASB+ community can access culturally and technically safe health care.
