All examinations may place patients in a situation in which they will feel uncomfortable, and this may be compounded further by the need to undress, consent to intimate touching or intrusive examination. The presence of a third party may alleviate some of these concerns and provide protection for both the patient and the clinician.
Ideally, the clinician will have explained the nature of the examination, the reasons for it, and what is involved prior to it commencing, and will have given the patient the opportunity to have a chaperone present.
Alternatively, the clinician may themselves have elected to have a chaperone present for their own security. Either way, it is important for at least one of the persons present that the third party is also there.
Further details can be found in our Chaperone Policy leaflet.