After launching a new position in B.C. health-care in 2024, Island Health’s 2SLGBTQIA+ nurse liaison pilot position has ended with little notice to patients.

In a trailblazing move to “enhance the physical and psychological safety, as well as the overall comfort, of 2SLGBTQIA+ people who attend the hospital,” Island Health announced the launch of the 2SLGBTQIA+ nurse liaison pilot position in 2024.

While the initial pilot was only meant to last a year, talk of expanding up Island was entertained early, and after success in its first year, the position then expanded to Victoria General Hospital.

Registered nurse Emily Wyatt was hired to the position in December 2023 after bringing the needs of her 2SLGBTQIA+ community to Island Health decision-makers.

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In January 2024, Wyatt started the position at Royal Jubilee Hospital, and with its success, then expanded to Victoria General Hospital in 2025.

But the position no longer exists.

Earlier this fall, a former patient of Wyatt’s told CHEK News she learned the position had been discontinued when she arrived for her appointment at the hospital.

Upon arriving, Wyatt was not there to sit in on their appointments, advocate for their needs, and in general help them feel safe and supported, greatly improving their health-care visits, the patient says.

In early October 2025, CHEK News reached out to Island Health and a spokesperson confirmed “Island Health’s 2SLGBTQIA+ liaison nurse position has concluded.”

“Originally this role was a one-year pilot project. The position then shifted to Victoria General Hospital in 2025,” said the spokesperson.

Full details were not disclosed as to why it ended, except that it was not budget-related.

“Due to provincial privacy legislation, Island Health cannot share or discuss details about a person’s employment history. This change is not related to budget decisions,” Island Health told CHEK News.

And while the pilot position has ended, the health authority says it’s still “assessing the learnings from the role and remains committed to providing inclusive and affirming care to people from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.”

It’s something that Wyatt was passionate about, ensuring the needs of her community were supported in spaces like hospitals and public spaces that have seen high rates of discrimination.

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In 2020, A.J. Lowik, PhD candidate with the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia, spoke to the need for more informed care approaches in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

READ: Transgender people bear brunt of misinformation about gender identity, experts say

At the time, Lowik shared their thoughts and experiences with Island Health.

“We are struggling – the limited research into our lives shows that we are less likely to have a family doctor than cisgender people and when we do have one, less likely to feel comfortable with them,” Lowik writes.

A 2017 study estimated that 17.2 per cent of transgender Ontarians in the study did not have access to a regular family doctor.

Lowik adds that “many trans and non-binary people delay or avoid health care, both out of fear of what will go wrong,” adding that many have stories of appointments that did not go well.

READ: B.C. nurse gets suspension, fines for comments about transgender people

A 2018 study out of UBC found that non-binary youth in Canada face significant barriers to health care leading to mental health struggles, including high rates of depression among others.

As for what the future approach looks like at Island Health, it says, “Work is underway to ensure all Victoria General Hospital emergency department staff have appropriate training to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community with the goal to ensure 24/7 coverage of staff with training to support this community.”

Island Health says the goal is to move towards all emergency staff being trained to “support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, so there are more people with appropriate training and support is there beyond when one role was in the department.”

For more information on 2SLGBTQIA+ health services and supports, visit Island Health.ca.