The UK is on the brink of a ground-breaking first: a hospice created exclusively for LGBTQ+ people. Based in East Sussex and run by Brighton charity The Sussex Beacon, the facility will deliver truly inclusive palliative care—especially for those living with HIV—while acting as a national model for queer-affirming end-of-life support.
What services will the new hospice provide?
Patients will find the full range of hospice care—pain management, counselling, physiotherapy and bereavement support—delivered by staff trained in LGBTQ+ cultural competency. A dedicated HIV team will be on site to adjust antiretroviral regimens, manage opportunistic infections and coordinate with specialist clinics, ensuring that complex medical needs never compromise dignity or identity.
How will this hospice benefit the LGBTQ+ community?
Studies such as Hospice UK’s “I Just Want to Be Me” report show that trans and gender-diverse patients often feel unwelcome and misgendered in mainstream settings. By embedding inclusive language, pronoun-respecting policies and safe-space design from day one, the hospice promises a setting where queer people—and their partners or chosen families—can receive compassionate care without having to educate caregivers first.
Is the service limited to people living with HIV?
No. While HIV care is a core specialism born of The Sussex Beacon’s 30-year history, any LGBTQ+ person needing palliative or respite care can be admitted. Where needs fall outside the hospice’s expertise, staff will arrange seamless referrals to external oncology, cardiology or mental-health teams, so no patient is left navigating the system alone.
Can other hospices learn from The Sussex Beacon?
Absolutely. CEO Rachel Brett calls the project “a national resource.” Clinical protocols, staff-training modules and community-engagement frameworks will be published openly so hospices across the UK can replicate or adapt them, raising the baseline of queer-inclusive care far beyond Sussex.
How can the community get involved?
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Volunteer for reception, kitchen or companionship shifts.
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Donate to fund specialist equipment and staff training.
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Share lived experience so programme designers keep refining services.
Local MP Chris Ward urges residents to “keep the Beacon’s light burning” by championing the hospice on social media and at council meetings; NHS Sussex has already pledged clinical collaboration to bring more care into the community.
A lifeline built by and for us
From inclusive pronoun pins on every uniform to private spaces for chosen-family vigils, this hospice is more than a building—it’s a tangible promise of respectful, identity-affirming care for queer people at their most vulnerable. As it opens its doors, The Sussex Beacon invites all of us to help shape a future where no LGBTQ+ person faces the end of life feeling invisible.
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