Yorkshire LGBTQ+ charity helps promote digital health inclusion

Patient.info has partnered with charity Out Together to develop digital inclusion hubs and support services for older LGBTQ+ people across West Yorkshire.

The organisations have secured £63,200 of joint funding through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s digital inclusion innovation fund for digital inclusion hubs to help tackle inequality and increase independence and access to services.

Thomas Porteus, chair of Out Together and the lead of Patient.info, told Digital Health News that older LBGTQ+ people “often face the same challenges as many older people, such as lower digital confidence, limited access to devices, and difficulty navigating online services” but can also have other barriers to overcome.

“Many older LGBTQ+ people grew up at a time when being LGBTQ+ was heavily stigmatised and, for some, healthcare settings were not always safe or supportive spaces.

“That history still shapes how comfortable people feel engaging with health services today, especially when those services are digital, automated, or require sharing personal information online.

“Older LGBTQ+ people are also more likely to live alone, be estranged from family, or rely heavily on community networks.

“Digital exclusion and social isolation often reinforce each other. If someone feels disconnected or unsupported, they are less likely to try new digital tools or ask for help when something goes wrong,” Porteus said.

The partnership with Out Together aims to help participants develop practical digital skills, including health-specific topics such as online consultation systems, care navigation, using the NHS App, and how to find trustworthy health information.

Porteus said that the digital inclusion hubs are intended to be “welcoming social groups”, which can help strengthen relationships and provide peer support.

“The practical benefits for participants are confidence and independence, along with clearer access to services.

“It also helps people feel less overwhelmed by digital change, and more able to manage their health and engage with care when they need to,” he said.

Each hub runs a regular in-person group. A digital inclusion hub is already live in Leeds, with sessions regularly taking place at Leeds Playhouse.

A wider rollout is planned across Yorkshire in January and February 2026, including Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Hebden Bridge, York and Bingley.

“We are doing this in phases so we can build steadily, co-design the approach with participants, and maintain consistent quality and safeguarding across each location,” Porteus explained.

He added that the partnership “creates a national legacy from local learning”.

“The funding enables the programme to roll out further, and Patient.info is helping us to build digital health resources with the community that will then live on Patient.info and the Health Shelf so they can be used nationally, not just by people attending sessions in Yorkshire,” he added.

Meanwhile, in December 2025, Patient.info announced a collaboration with startup Holly Health to promote digital coaching.

Through the partnership, which began in Autumn 2025, Holly Health’s personalised digital health coaching for mental and physical health is now featured on Patient.info’s platform, which is owned by Navigate Health.