The North East's specialist mental health and disability NHS Trust has added its voice to calls for the abhorrent practice of 'conversion therapy' targeting LGBTQ+ individuals to be banned.
The Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust has released a "position statement" on the issue.
Speaking during the annual LGBTQ+ History Month, the chair of the Trust's LGBTQ+ staff network Simon Pearson said: "This is a monumental and highly welcomed decision by the Trust. It demonstrates to staff, service users and the wider population whom we serve, that we are accepted without exclusion, and we are afforded the respect and recognition of our individuality.
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"It is a tremendous feeling knowing that the Trust stands by and supports all LGBT+ people and encourages us to be our authentic selves in an inclusive environment."
In the statement, the Trust says: "''Conversion therapy' is the term for a type of treatment that assumes certain sexual orientations or gender identities are inferior to others and seeks to change them on that basis.
"The term can be associated with the use of any harmful practices that attempt to change an individuals’ sexual orientation or gender identity.
"Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust believes that sexual orientation and gender identity is not a 'disorder' or mental health ‘problem’ that requires change and treatment."
James Duncan, the Trust's chief exec, said: "We are committed to standing with our LGBTQ+ community and are determined to ensure that anyone accessing therapy should be able to do so without threat or fear of being told they should change a fundamental part of themselves."
The UK Government has repeatedly pledged to ban the practice since 2018 - when Theresa May's administration did so - but legislation making this the case has yet to be brought forward.
Late last year the Government announced a consultation on the topic, and its intention to introduce a ban. The consultation closed on February 4.
In May 2021, the devolved authorities in Northern Ireland became the first in the UK to introduce plans to ban the practice in law.
Back then, the charity Stonewall said: "Any practice that seeks to convert, cure, change or cancel a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity is dangerous and harmful and must be banned.
"The same goes for the promotion or advertisement of such practices and attempts to remove a person from the country for the purpose of subjecting them to conversion.
"We hope to see the details of the Bill shortly. The UK Government must publish a full and comprehensive Bill that bans conversion practices in all forms, for all people and in all settings, including religious and faith-based settings, and it must also provide statutory support for victims and survivors.
"We urge the UK Government and Parliament to quickly pass legislation to ensure no LGBTQIA+ person is left at risk of serious harm by these inhumane and degrading practices."
In 2021, this is what the Government said would happen next with regard to the introduction of a ban: "We intend to legislate when parliamentary time allows and will prepare a draft bill for spring 2022.
"There will be further refinement of our policy proposals and we will liaise closely with all key stakeholders as we progress an effective conversion therapy ban."
