A chaperone is an adult who is present during an intimate examination of a patient. A chaperone is there to protect both the patient and the clinician from allegations of inappropriate behaviour. They may also be asked to assist the doctor or midwife during the examination.
We are committed to providing a safe comfortable environment for patients to be examined, by training our chaperones to adhere to the most current guidelines when acting as a chaperone.
All patients may request a chaperone to be present when they are being examined by a doctor.
There may be occasions when a chaperone is unavailable (for example on a home visit or when no trained chaperone of the appropriate sex is in the building). In such circumstances the doctor will assess the circumstances and make a joint decision with patients, families and carers on the best course of action.