Homophobia ‘remains a problem for NHS workers’

LGBT NHS workers are often finding themselves confronted with homophobia in the workplace, according to a new survey.

Commissioned by the British Medical Association (BMA) and GLADD, the Association of LGBT Doctors and Dentists, the poll questioned 803 respondents, finding that more than 70 percent of them had experienced environmental homophobia at their place of work or study in the past two years.

This kind of prejudice is defined as being less overt than open displays of harassment, instead relating to experiences such as assumptions made about individuals based on their sexual orientation, or LGBT workers feeling unable to talk about their private lives.

Meanwhile, 12 percent said they had experienced at least one or more types of serious harassment or abuse at their place of work or study due to their sexuality, including emotional and verbal abuse, or the threat of physical or sexual violence.

Only one-quarter of those who had suffered harassment or abuse reported the incident to a senior colleague, with several respondents saying they decided against doing so out of fear of causing an escalation or reprisals.

BMA representative body chair Anthea Mowat said: "Too many of our colleagues are still experiencing the NHS as a less-than-supportive place to work and be themselves. We are committed to doing everything in our power to change that."

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