The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS England have teamed up with LGBT Foundation to improve healthcare services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people in Greater Manchester.

The initiative builds on the Pride in Practice scheme, which helped tackle health inequalities by raising awareness of the health issues facing members of the LGBT community among GPs in Manchester.

Now, thanks to an increase in funding, all primary care services, including GP surgeries, community pharmacies, and dental and optometry practices, across Greater Manchester will have the opportunity to go for a bronze, silver or gold award for excellence in LGBT healthcare.

Paul Martin OBE, chief executive of LGBT Foundation, said: “We can be proud that Greater Manchester is once again leading the way when it comes to reaching out to its LGBT citizens, enabling our local voices to pioneer national developments in improving access to healthcare.”