All patients are entitled to a chaperone during any consultation at the Surgery. A chaperone is a trained member of the clinical or administrative team who can accompany you during a consultation. 

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Chaperones are normally requested during intimate examinations, but you may request a chaperone to be present for any reason. Additionally, a member of the clinical team may advise you that a chaperone should be present during an examination for safeguarding reasons.

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If you wish for a chaperone to be present, we request that you make this known when booking the appointment to ensure that a member of staff can be available. Chaperones can be requested at short notice, but if a member of staff is not available, your appointment may need to be rescheduled.

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What does a Chaperone do?

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The GMC guidelines on the role of the chaperone outline the responsibilities of a chaperone within a consultation. Chaperones should:

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• be sensitive and respect the patient’s dignity and confdentiality

• reassure the patient if they show signs of distress or discomfort

• be familiar with the procedures involved in a routine intimate examination

• stay for the whole examination and be able to see what the doctor is doing, if practical

• be prepared to raise concerns if they are concerned about the doctor’s behaviour or actions.

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Our Team

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Our clinical and administrative staff are all trained to act as chaperones. If you request a chaperone prior to an appointment, an experienced member of the team can be made available at the time of the appointment to act as a chaperone.

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