COMMUNITY: Registrations now open for national LGBT health summit
Bookings are now open for attendance at the annual National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Health Summit to be held at the University of Kent in Canterbury, 13th - 14th September 2012.
The full programme will be announced later this month and among the keynote speakers are Diane Abbot MP, Shadow Minister for Public Health and spokespeople from the Department of Health, and Government Equalities Office.
Speeches, workshops and presentations over the two-day Summit will address a number of key health themes and will look in particular at the impact of social and emotional isolation on the health and well-being of LGBT people. Plenary sessions will look at research into LGBT health issues; the particular needs of older and younger LGBT people, those living with HIV and transgender people; and the impact of current health and social care reforms
The Summit will also look to the future with workshops on impact and influence and national and local legacies for LGBT health and wellbeing.
Established in 2006, the LGBT Health Summit is a unique UK event that brings individuals and organisations from across the UK together to debate and discuss LGBT health issues. This year the Summit takes place at a time of major NHS reform in England and public sector austerity across the UK, and will be considering the impact on service delivery to LGBT people. The Summit is free to attend.
The Summit is hosted by the LGBT Health Summit 2012 Consortium. This successful bidding partnership is headed up by Metro, Kent Community Health NHS Trust, Kent Transgender Forum, Kent & Medway LGBT Community Reference Group and the Centre for Gender, Sexuality and Law, University of Kent.
The Consortium is working in partnership with a host of other national and local statutory and voluntary organisations including Stonewall, UNISON, Canterbury City Council, LGBT Consortium, Kent County Council, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, NHS Kent & Medway and the National LGB&T Partnership.
Dr Greg Ussher, Deputy CEO of Metro said:
"The quality of abstract submissions this year from individuals, community groups, charities, public health and social care has been incredible and we are looking forward to announcing the full programme very soon. It is a critical time for health and so important that we create this opportunity to come together to focus on the complex needs of LGBT people, to improve our learning and to work towards a healthier future for all."
