Palliative and end of life care services providers should develop a robust inclusion policy to protect patients, visitors, staff and volunteers who are trans or gender diverse, according to a report published today.

Hospice UK, working with the Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES), has come up with a number of recommendations to make end of life care inclusive for trans and gender diverse people.

Its report, “I just want to be me” Trans and Gender Diverse Communities’ Access to and Experiences of Palliative and End of Life Care, calls for staff training on caring for trans and gender diverse patients. Other recommendations include the implementation of a ‘this is me’ document that includes important to the individual, such as their gender, pronouns and preferred name. The charity also calls for trans and gender diverse people going through end of life care to be supported to transition during their care where desired.

The report found that end of life care received by trans and gender diverse people was often not inclusive of them and their needs. Trans and gender diverse people reported instances of insensitivity from staff, such as misgendering, confusion over their identity and instances of poor physical care.

Jonathan Ellis, director of policy, advocacy and clinical programmes at Hospice UK said: “Trans and gender diverse people frequently experience unequal access to health and care services, and the same is true for care at the end of life.”