At Ivel Medical Centre, we are committed to providing safe, respectful and professional care for all patients.
You can ask for a chaperone to be present during any consultation or examination. A clinician may also recommend or require a chaperone for certain examinations.
What is a chaperone?
A chaperone is a trained member of staff who is present during a consultation or examination to support both you and the clinician.
Their role is to help ensure the examination is carried out safely, respectfully and appropriately, while protecting your privacy and dignity.
Chaperones are commonly used during intimate or personal examinations, but you can request one at any time.
Who can act as a chaperone?
Chaperones are appropriately trained members of the practice team and may include:
- Practice Nurses
- Healthcare Assistants
- Other appropriately trained members of staff
All staff acting as chaperones understand their responsibilities regarding privacy, dignity and confidentiality.
Requesting a chaperone
You can request a chaperone at any time.
You can tell us:
- When booking your appointment
- When you arrive at the practice
- At any point during your consultation
Where possible, please let us know in advance so that we can arrange for an appropriate member of staff to be available.
If a suitable chaperone is not available, it may be necessary to rearrange the examination.
During your examination
A chaperone may:
- Be present throughout the examination
- Provide reassurance and support
- Observe the examination to help ensure appropriate professional standards are maintained
- Assist the clinician where appropriate
Your privacy and dignity will be respected throughout.
When a clinician requests a chaperone
There may be occasions when your clinician considers it appropriate for a chaperone to be present.
For some examinations, a clinician may decide that they are unable to proceed without a chaperone. If an appropriate chaperone is unavailable, the examination may need to be rearranged.
Your choice and dignity
You can:
- Ask for a chaperone
- Ask questions before or during an examination
- Ask for an examination to stop at any time
- Decline an examination
- Ask whether another clinician is available, where appropriate
If you have any concerns about an examination or the use of a chaperone, please speak to a member of the practice team.