Pride in Practice is a national programme that helps GP practices provide inclusive, safe and high-quality care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people.
In Essex, we were the first health and care system in the East of England to commission the programme. This work began under our former organisation, mid and south Essex, and continues to grow across Essex today.
More than 25 GP practices have now achieved accreditation, with many more completing training and continuing their journey towards more inclusive care.
What is Pride in Practice?
Pride in Practice is delivered by LGBT Foundation. It is a quality assurance and social prescribing programme designed to strengthen relationships between primary care services and LGBT patients.
The programme supports GP practices to:
- understand the needs of LGBT communities
- respond to patient feedback
- improve access to services
- reduce health inequalities
It is endorsed by organisations including the Royal College of General Practitioners, Care Quality Commission and NHS England.
Why this matters
Some LGBT people still face barriers when accessing healthcare.
Research shows:
- around 1 in 7 LGBT people avoid seeking healthcare due to fear of discrimination
- nearly 1 in 4 have heard negative or discriminatory remarks from healthcare staff
LGBT communities can also experience poorer health outcomes, including:
- higher rates of smoking and substance use
- increased risk factors for some cancers
- poorer mental health
- greater levels of isolation, particularly in later life
Pride in Practice helps services address these challenges and create a more welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone.
What the programme does
Through training, supported assessment and accreditation, Pride in Practice helps healthcare professionals build confidence and deliver more inclusive care.
This includes:
- improving communication and understanding
- adapting services to better meet people’s needs
- strengthening links with local community support
For example, practices may feel more confident to:
- support trans patients at different stages of their journey
- provide inclusive support for LGBT people starting or growing a family
- connect patients to local LGBT-friendly services through social prescribing
Pride in practice in Essex
We are continuing to expand Pride in Practice across Essex, supporting more GP practices to take part and improve their services.
To learn more, visit the Pride in Practice section of the LGBT Foundation website.
Accredited GP practices
- Baddow Village Surgery
- Beacon Health Group (Danbury Surgery, Mountbatten House Surgery, Moulsham Lodge Surgery)
- Beauchamp House Surgery, Chelmsford
- Blandford Medical Centre
- Burnham Surgery
- Chelmer Medical Partnership (Melbourne Medical Practice, Humber Road Surgery, Tennyson House Surgery)
- Church Lane Surgery, Braintree
- Church View Surgery, Rayleigh
- Coggeshall Surgery
- Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery, Halstead
- Fern House Surgery, Witham
- Freshford Practice
- North Chelmsford Health Centre
- Orsett Surgery
- Rivermead Gate Medical Centre, Chelmsford
- Southend Medical Centre
- Stifford Cays Medical Centre
- Tile House Surgery, Brentwood
- The Islands Surgery, Canvey
- Whitley House Surgery, Chelmsford
- Writtle Surgery
- Dengie Medical Partnership
- Longfield Medical Centre
- Chelmer Village Surgery
- Stock Surgery
- Tollesbury Surgery
- Blandford Medical Centre
- Dell Medical Centre
- Eastwood Group Practice
- Rose Villa Surgery
- Silver End Surgery
- The Trinity Medical Practice
- William Fisher Medical Centre
What do the accreditation levels mean?
Pride in Practice accreditation shows how GP practices are improving services for LGBT people. Practices are assessed against a set of standards and awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold depending on their progress.
This is the starting point and shows a practice is building the foundations for inclusive care.
At this level, practices:
- have a named LGBT lead or champion within the practice
- have completed initial training
- collect information (such as sexual orientation and trans status) to better understand patient needs
- have processes in place to support trans patients, including cancer screening recall
- understand how to access specialist advice for gender-affirming care
- can offer HIV testing or signpost to appropriate services
- provide support with name and gender marker changes
- have a zero tolerance approach to discrimination that protects LGBT patients
This level shows that inclusive care is becoming embedded in how the practice works.
At this level, practices:
- have a zero tolerance policy that clearly includes LGBT discrimination
- have trained at least half of their staff
- use feedback from LGBT patients to improve services
- understand the barriers LGBT people may face when accessing care
- can signpost patients to a range of local and national support services
This is the highest level of accreditation and reflects strong, consistent inclusive practice.
At this level, practices:
- support wider inclusion by sharing learning with other practices and networks
- have trained the majority of their staff (around 80%)
- follow shared care protocols for gender-affirming care
- regularly give patients opportunities to update their personal information
- actively promote HIV awareness
What this means for patients
All accredited practices are working to ensure LGBT people feel safe, respected and able to access the care they need.
Higher levels of accreditation show a deeper and more consistent approach to inclusive care across the whole practice.