Earlier this week, WellBN, a progressive and community-focused GP surgery based in Hove was proudly recognised with a prestigious Health Inclusion Award presented by Joe Sainsbury, CEO of Switchboard, in celebration of its unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare.

Switchboard was founded in Brighton in 1975 and are a nationally recognised provider, influencing national policy around a wide range of LGBTQ+ healthcare issues and delivering award winning services from dementia support to domestic abuse. Switchboard work closely with organisations such as RCGP, CQC and NHS England, delivering programmes like NHS Rainbow Badges in hospital trusts across England.

In a heartfelt tribute, Switchboard acknowledged the exceptional efforts made by WellBN to foster inclusivity-especially for LGBTQ+ individuals and members of the TNBI (Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex) community. “We know that this work is not always easy,” Switchboard stated.

“Health and care services are under immense pressure with rising demand, increasing complexity, resource constraints and workforce challenges. In this context, the fact that WellBN has prioritised LGBTQ+ and particularly TNBI inclusion and equity so strongly speaks volumes. It tells us they are an organisation being led with care, compassion and integrity. It demonstrates a culture led by values, and most importantly, it shows they care deeply about the LGBTQ community they serve and support.”

This recognition serves not only as a testament to WellBN’s inclusive ethos but also highlights the importance of actively embedding equality into the heart of healthcare delivery. By making space for underrepresented voices and ensuring dignity and respect for all patients, WellBN is shaping a model of care that reflects empathy, authenticity, and progressive leadership.

The award also signals a shift in the expectations placed on modern healthcare providers-proving that compassion-driven practice isn’t just possible, it’s necessary.

In a world where inclusion is more essential than ever, WellBN stands as a beacon of what’s possible when healthcare is guided by humanity and heart.

In today’s healthcare climate where services are overwhelmed by growing demands, tight budgets, and workforce challenges, this honour is a rare and remarkable achievement. It signals that even amid crisis and complexity, compassion-driven care isn’t sacrificed-it’s prioritised.

WellBN has not only kept inclusive values alive; it has elevated them to the core of its operations, especially in its championing of LGBTQ+ and TNBI individuals.

For many in the LGBTQ+ and TNBI communities, accessing healthcare can feel alienating or even unsafe. This award is an affirmation that those voices are being heard and honoured.

WellBN becomes a benchmark for how modern GP surgeries can and should lead with purpose and elevates culture over compliance: true inclusion comes not from ticking boxes but from embedding empathy into the DNA of an organisation. While the plaque may hang on a wall, the impact of the Health Inclusion Award reaches much further into consultations, patient trust, staff morale, and the growing momentum to reimagine healthcare as a space of safety, dignity, and belonging.

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Scene Editorial Team
Scene Editorial Team

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