OBJECTIVES Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and queer/questioning + (LGBTQ+) healthcare teaching within UK medical schools is currently lacking, potentially impacting on patients’ confidence in health services and ability to access care. The current study conducted a multi-site analysis aiming to investigate medical students' perceptions towards the teaching of LGBTQ+ healthcare in UK medical schools, as well as to gain a greater understanding of medical students’ level of knowledge of LGBTQ+ healthcare, and preparedness for working with LGBTQ+ patients. METHODS Medical students (N = 296) from 28 UK institutions responded to a 15-question online survey distributed via course leads and social media. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted, as well as statistical analysis of quantitative data using SPSS. RESULTS Only 40.9% of students reported having any teaching on LGBTQ+ healthcare, 96.6% of whom said this was one-off or very irregular sessions. Only 1 in 8 felt their knowledge and skills on LGBTQ+ healthcare was sufficient. 97.2% of students questioned wanted more knowledge on LGBTQ+ healthcare. CONCLUSION The current study highlighted that UK medical students felt underprepared for working with LGBTQ+ patients due to insufficient education. Given that teaching on LGBTQ+ healthcare is often optional and extra-curricular, it may not be reaching those who need it most. The authors are calling for the mandatory inclusion of LGBTQ+ healthcare in the teaching of all UK medical schools, within their individual curriculum frameworks, and with regulatory support from the General Medical Council. This will ensure a wider understanding among medical students, and subsequently qualified doctors, of the health inequities and unique health issues LGBTQ+ people face, which will better equip them to provide high-quality care to LGBTQ+ patients, and start to tackle the inequities they face.

Background: Changing societal views and the increasing prevalence of online education has created an environment ideal for the evolution and change of the medical curriculum.One area in need of improvement is LGBTQ+ healthcare teaching. Current literature demonstrates that LGBTQ+ individuals have higher levels of poor mental and physical health than heterosexual, cis-gender individuals. Therefore, it is key that the medical curriculum is made more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ population to ensure future doctors can provide inclusive care. This review aimed to examine the current literature onLGBTQ+ healthcare teaching in UK medical curricula, identify potential barriers to change, and explore efforts to improve the LGBTQ+ healthcare teaching in the UK.Methods: Literature searches were carried out using the PRISMA framework. The databases used were PubMed, Ovid, Embase, AMED, Global Health and Scopus. The searches were carried out in July 2021.Results: 15 relevant papers were reviewed. Three main themes were identified: 1) medical students (or medical schools) believed current education on LGBTQ+ healthcare was insufficient; 2) students reported wanting more in-depth practical education onLGBTQ+ health; 3) the potential impact of a lack of LGBTQ+ healthcare education on clinicians' confidence and ability to treat LGBTQ+ patients.Discussion: LGBTQ+ healthcare is lacking in the UK medical curriculum which has the potential to negatively impact patients. The teaching that is present is firstly inconsistent which leads to disparities and unreliability for LGBTQ+ patients. It is also heavily focused on sexual health which can lead to damaging stereotypes. Despite there being barriers to improving LGBTQ+ healthcare education, we present practical suggestions to overcome these. Further research should explore in greater depth the level of knowledge of medical students on LGBTQ+ healthcare, and their perceptions of curriculum improvements, in order to establish a basis for future curriculum change.

No abstract