Help & Care cohost a celebration event in Southampton today to reflect on the first phase of ‘Trans Aware Cancer Care’

A celebration event took place today to reflect on the first phase of ‘Trans Aware Cancer Care’: a research project funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, committed to seeking better access to cancer care for the trans+ community.

People from across the trans+ community, NHS, third sector organisations, academic establishments and more came together at MAST Studios Southampton to reflect on the findings of the project and the unique research methods undertaken.

Over the last year, four trans+ community researchers have been supported to engage with the trans+ community and its allies, using art-based methods to capture healthcare experiences and reflections. The team have attended a huge calendar of Pride events, as well as creating an online chat and scheduling workshops to reach the community.

At today’s event, the team shared a large flag built up of squares created by those attending the engagement activity. The squares tell personal stories, experiences and reflections of healthcare from trans+ individuals and allies, which will help to inform trans aware cancer care. People in the room were invited to add their own reflections, as well as their pledges and commitments for service transformation and improvement.

Zak, Community Researcher said: “Given that the trans+ community are often excluded from decisions about us, it is good to see research that involves us from the ground up.”

Katie, Community Researcher said: “We had our Trans Aware Cancer Care celebration event today and it was amazing. Allyship is a choice and a promise we make every day. Not just at work. Not when we wear our rainbow lanyards. Every. Day. Allyship is a verb- let’s do it”.

Trans Aware Cancer Care is a partnership of the following organisations: Help & Care– Involving People, local trans+ charity Beyond Reflections, Bournemouth University, Wessex Cancer Alliance, Macmillan Cancer Support, Wessex Cancer Support, and University Hospital Southampton. Each partner brings their own expertise to the project and a shared vision of equal access to cancer care for all.

Throughout the first phase of the project, a strong focus has been on building partnerships, coproduction and making a transformative journey together. Workshops have taken place with NHS professionals, and today both healthcare professionals and the trans+ community come together in a show of commitment for long term change.

Early findings from the project highlight both positive and negative experiences within the community. While it is clear that long term transformation is needed, the project has highlighted some steps that can be taken today to make the cancer care pathway more accessible for trans+ people.

Alison and Kishor from Action Hampshire said “Today has been a great celebratory event. We will be aiming to incorporate the lived experiences we heard from the community researchers in things like the Communities against Cancer workshops we provide.”

Sue Newell, Wessex Cancer Alliance Involvement & Inclusion Lead, said “Today’s been amazing, the pause to reflect on the incredible artwork in conjunction with powerful stories of Trans+ people’s experiences of health/ cancer care. Looking forward to building on the relationships to cocreate solutions together.”

The event closed with a nod to the future and the desired continuation of this vital, collaborative project. If you’d like to find out more or be part of the next steps, visit the Trans Aware Cancer Care section of this website here. You can also join our mailing list to be kept up to date, click here and scroll to the form at the bottom of the page.