Medical students across the UK can access a free, five-hour course on trans healthcare during Transgender Awareness Week. The CPD-accredited programme, offered by training platform Affirm, arrives as research highlights gaps in LGBTQ+ health education, giving future doctors a timely chance to build confidence and practical skills before they enter clinical practice.

The training offer tackles a real confidence gap

Only one in eight medical students surveyed felt their knowledge of LGBTQ+ healthcare was good enough, according to an NHS England-commissioned review published in 2026. The researchers also found that LGBTQ+ health teaching isn’t a required part of UK medical training and can vary between courses. [2], [5]

That gap matters in ordinary consultations, not just specialist care. Affirm co-founder Laura Scarrone Bonhomme, a clinical psychologist and gender specialist, says clinicians can feel anxious about using the wrong words, while trans and non-binary patients may worry about discrimination when seeking help. [2], [7]

What the free course covers

Affirm is making its five-hour, continuing professional development-accredited course available to medical students at UK institutions from 13 to 20 November, ending on Transgender Day of Remembrance. Students can register online using their university email address. [2], [3], [7]

The six modules cover gender and clinical pathways to gender-affirming care, gender norms, sexuality, the history and social context of trans health, patient experiences, and clinicians' practical responsibilities. There are also language exercises and case scenarios, so the course is intended to connect reflection with decisions made in real clinical settings. [2], [3]

Why the offer lands at a tense moment

The training comes amid debate about how trans patients should be treated in hospital. Revised NHS England accommodation guidance issued in October said trans patients should be accommodated in line with their biological sex, while also stating that clinical needs should be met and privacy, dignity and safety maintained. [2], [6]

Trans organisations raised concerns that the guidance didn't explain clearly enough how to provide safe care in practice. That leaves clinicians navigating complex situations where policy, individual needs and patient dignity all matter, making practical preparation especially valuable. [2], [6]

An award-winning book helped shape the course

The programme is adapted from Gender Affirming Therapy: A Guide to What Transgender and Non-Binary Clients Can Teach Us, written by Scarrone Bonhomme, Dr Michael Beattie and Skye Davies. The book received the British Psychological Society's 2025 Practitioner Text Award and the American Psychological Association Division 44 Distinguished Book Award. [2], [3]

Trans healthcare provider Gender Plus has endorsed the training. Its director, clinical psychologist Dr Claudia Zitz, said the organisation chose to promote the course to its network because it was comprehensive, and expects patients to benefit as students gain insight. [2], [3]

How students and medical schools can take part

For students, the immediate step is straightforward: register with a university email address during the 13-20 November access window. Medical schools interested in offering access beyond Transgender Awareness Week can contact Affirm directly. [2], [3], [7]

A short course can't replace inclusive teaching throughout medical school, but it can give students a useful starting point: better language, more awareness of personal assumptions, and a clearer sense of how to keep care centred on each patient. [2], [5], [7]

It's a practical opportunity for future doctors to learn before a patient has to teach them.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: