GLADD survey highlights lack of support for healthcare professionals living with HIV and other blood borne infections

A survey, by GLADD, of 35 national organisations, including the Royal Medical Colleges, Unions representing healthcare professionals and regulatory bodies, has shown a serious absence of resources and information to support individuals living with blood borne infections such as HIV and Hepatitis.

Health care professionals are in a unique position in relation to blood borne viruses; no other professional group has such a risk of infection from their clientele and no other professional group face such levels of restriction and exclusions following diagnosis with a blood borne virus.

For further information please see our publications pages.

GMC strengthens equal opportunities guidance in Good Medical Practice

GLADD is delighted with the revisions which the General Medical Council has made to the latest edition of Good Medical Practice:

Para 46 - Respect for colleagues

You must treat your colleagues fairly and with respect. You must not bully or harass them, or unfairly discriminate against them by allowing your personal views* to affect adversely your professional relationship with them. You should challenge colleagues if their behaviour does not comply with this guidance.

[*This includes your views about a colleague's age, colour, culture, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, lifestyle, marital or parental status, race, religion or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation or social or economic status]

This is a welcome improvement on the previous guidance and not only demonstrates that discrimination and bullying are not acceptable but also that it is a doctor's professional duty to challenge colleagues' behaviour.

October 2006

Professor Tamsin Wilton

It is with great sadness that GLADD learnt of the unexpected death of one of our members, Tamsin Wilton, on 30 April 2006. Tamsin has been a friend of GLADD for many years now and has worked with us on many occasions. Tamsin has been a member of GLADD under the special membership scheme for several years now and made a valuable and distinguished contribution to the work of GLADD. We were delighted that Tamsin was appointed as the UK's first UK Professor of Human Sexuality at the University of the West of England in 2005.

Last year Tamsin delighted us all by giving our annual Peter King Lecture entitled The Tinkerbell Effect: LGB behaviours, identities and health needs on the very special occasion of our tenth birthday. The lecture was carefully constructed, eloquently presented and contained much of Tamsin's familiar warmth and good humour.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew her at GLADD.

There will be a celebration of Tamsin's life, in memoriam, held in Bristol on 29 September. Several of her friends/colleagues/students will speak at this event but we would also like to have a display of written tributes from the many others. These should be sent to Gail Darke, HLSS, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY.

20 May 2006

Equal Opportunities employment monitoring in the NHS

Recently, questions about applicants' sexual orientation have been introduced into equal opportunity forms for medical and dental posts in the NHS. Although GLADD sees such monitoring as a helpful step in the right direction, it is vital that it is introduced in a constructive and considered way. We have published a position statement about such monitoring and we hope this will be helpful to employers who are considering introducing such monitoring.

GDC welcomes GLADD guidelines

GLADD is delighted that the General Dental Council has accepted and welcomed the GLADD Guidelines Dignity at work for lesbian and gay doctors and dentists, medical and dental students

GLADD Co-Chair, Jerry Walsh, presents the GLADD Guidelines to Mr Hew Mathewson - President GDC and to Antony Townsend Chief Executive GDC