The federal government is to spend $18.1 million delivering primary healthcare to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) patients, who it says are sometimes not receiving the care they need.
Over half—$10 million—is to be spent on a voluntary training scheme for primary healthcare providers, such as GPs and nurses, which it says will enable them to provide healthcare to LGBT patients which is “safe, respectful and inclusive.”
It will be delivered nationally by a consortium led by La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) along with ACON—a NSW provider working in HIV prevention—Thorne Harbour Health (THH)—a Victorian LGBT health provider—and technology company, Portable.
“By improving access to inclusive primary care, the programme aims to encourage earlier intervention and preventive healthcare, improve health outcomes and help reduce health disparities experienced by [these] communities,” said Professor Adam Bourne, director of ARCSHS.
Earlier this year, Health Minister Mark Butler ordered a review into the Australian standards of care and treatment guidelines for trans children and teenagers, saying it was was imperative that there was community confidence that Australian children, adolescents, and their families were receiving the “most appropriate care.”
