Inclusive Healthcare For All

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Ellen Edenbrow to examine what inclusive healthcare looks like in practice, and why inclusion and diversity work in health and social care is far more than performative activity. They discuss how small but deliberate changes in communication—asking open questions, avoiding assumptions, and using respectful language—can build trust and improve outcomes for patients.

Ellen shares insights from launching Inclusive Health with their wife, a doctor, bringing specialist inclusion training into healthcare settings. The conversation explores barriers people face when accessing care, including fear and mistrust driven by identity-based exclusion, and how budget cuts and negative media narratives can undermine progress.

Through personal stories, Joanne and Ellen highlight the lived realities for trans and non-binary people navigating healthcare and public spaces, including misgendering, assumptions in clinical settings, and the emotional toll of persistent scrutiny. They also touch on broader intersectional examples—such as accessibility and disability analogies, race and COVID-era disparities, and targeted health initiatives—showing how inclusive practice benefits everyone.

The episode closes with a clear call to action: allyship and proactive engagement matter, and inclusive healthcare practices can be life-saving by helping people feel safe enough to seek help when they need it.