Hospice to become 'first for LGBTQ+ people in UK'

Sussex Beacon was established in early 1992

A hospice in East Sussex has announced it is to become the UK's first dedicated hospice for the LGBTQ+ community.

The move by Sussex Beacon, based in Brighton, has been dubbed a "landmark development" by NHS Sussex, aiming to combine inclusive care with expertise in specialist HIV care.

The charity has been offering palliative and end-of-life care to people with HIV for more than 30 years, recently expanding its services to the wider LGBTQ+ community, regardless of HIV status.

Chief executive Rachel Brett told BBC Radio Sussex: "The community built the Beacon back in the 80s, and now we're giving it back – we're very excited."

Sussex Beacon said it wanted to act as a "national resource" to improve the services of others

The Sussex Beacon said that decades of experience supporting those with HIV following the Aids pandemic of the 1980s and 90s had given them insight into tackling the impacts of stigma and health inequalities.

A 2018 report published by Stonewall – an LGBTQ+ charity – found that one in seven LGBTQ+ people (14%) avoided seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination from staff.

Hospice UK's I Just Want To Be Me report from 2023 also revealed that the LGBTQ+ community often found healthcare unwelcoming after coming up against insensitivities or misconceptions.

"The Sussex Beacon is uniquely placed to change that," Ms Brett added.

"We will not only provide inclusive palliative care, but also act as a national resource, helping other hospices improve their services for LGBTQ+ patients."

'Care is invaluable'

The initiative is being supported by the NHS.

Dr Amy Dissanayake, deputy chief medical officer, said NHS Sussex were delighted to be working with the hospice.

"In addition to the hospice care, their experience in providing specialist community care for people living with HIV is invaluable and fully supports our ambition to bring care out of hospitals where possible and into communities," she said.

Ms Brett said charitable funding remained important for the hospice's long-term sustainability.

It follows the closure of its 10-bed inpatient care unit to focus on community care earlier this year.

Chris Ward, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, said: "The Beacon has a proud place in the heart of the local community.

"I've spoken with so many service users who said they owed everything to the Beacon, so I'm delighted that this new service model means it can continue to provide excellent HIV services and hospice care across Sussex."

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