Kevin Lo

Pharmacist, Pelican Pharmacy - The first pharmacy in Trafford area to be awarded GOLD for excellence in LGBT healthcare.

I think it’s human nature that we tend to feel uncertain when we are faced with something that we are not familiar with. Pride in Practice raises awareness in both healthcare professionals and patients as to the expectations and how we can adapt the care we provide to better meet the needs of patients who identify with LGBT. It allows us to be better informed when interacting with different patients. It also creates a sense of trust as it encourages patients to be more open.

For me personally, I believe healthcare should be accessible to everyone, regardless of who you are.Diversity and inclusion are very important in order for our work in primary care to have a far-reaching effect. You should be able to be who you are and get the help you need without prejudice when you come to the pharmacy.

As a pharmacist, I offer counselling on medicines and clinical advice on a daily basis. So for me, this training has been a great source of education and support. It gave me a deeper understanding in regard to the needs of my patients who identify as LGBT. This, in turn, enables me to provide a more person-centred care by offering the right support when signposting and giving advice.

In fact, Pride in Practice has been a learning process for the whole pharmacy team. As a result of the training, the team are more aware of the issues an LGBT patient might face and are able to be more understanding and more confident when working with them.

As we continue our commitment to equality and inclusion, we are very proud to be recognised and awarded Gold for excellence in LGBT healthcare, the first pharmacy in the Trafford area to have achieved this.