NHS Listens to Healthwatch Call for Chaperones
A chaperone is a neutral person who stays in the room during a medical examination to support both the patient and the healthcare professional. Some medical appointments can feel uncomfortable or worrying. This is especially true for intimate examinations.
A chaperone helps the patient feel safe, respected, and supported, offers reassurance during personal or embarrassing examinations, supports anyone who may feel vulnerable or nervous, and helps respect cultural or personal preferences, especially when the healthcare professional is a different gender.
This is a welcome development for local Healthwatches, with evidence from local Healthwatch case studies leading us to recommend a national policy for chaperones during intimate examinations.
The guidance, Improving chaperone practice in the NHS, allows providers to retain local flexibility while setting shared principles to ensure a more consistent experience for patients. These include:
- Clearly promoting chaperone policies to patients and the public, including making them available online and in easy-read formats
- Making the offer of a chaperone clear at the point of booking and again before the examination
- Respecting patient preferences, including sex, religious beliefs and personal circumstances
- Identifying patients with additional needs, such as communication difficulties or learning disabilities, and making reasonable adjustments so they feel supported
Looking ahead, we encourage you to check whether local hospitals and GP practices are clearly promoting their chaperone policies to you.
At Healthwatch, your voice is at the heart of what we do. If you have anything you’d like to share, get in touch with us at info@healthwatchbarkinganddagenham.co.ukor call 0800 298 5331.
