National guidance issued on the use of chaperones

NHS England has published new national principles outlining how health services should provide chaperones for patients during intimate examinations. The guidance aims to create a more consistent and transparent approach across the NHS, while still allowing providers flexibility to reflect local needs.

This development is particularly welcome in light of Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s 2024 cervical screening project. Our findings showed that around one in four women were not informed in advance that they could ask for a chaperone to be present. Alongside this, feedback from local case studies highlighted inconsistencies in how chaperoning was offered and explained. As a result, we recommended that a national policy be introduced to improve clarity and patient confidence during intimate examinations.

The new guidance, Improving chaperone practice in the NHS: key principles and guidance, confirms that while NHS organisations will continue to set their own local policies, these must be based on a shared set of principles. The aim is to ensure patients and service users can expect a consistent standard of care, wherever they receive treatment.

Key principles include ensuring that chaperone policies are clearly promoted to patients, the public and service users. Policies should be easy to find, available online and provided in accessible formats, including easy read versions.

The guidance also stresses the importance of clearly offering a chaperone before any consultation takes place. Ideally, this should happen at the point of booking an appointment and again immediately before an intimate examination.

Patient choice is central to the guidance. Providers are encouraged to take into account individual preferences when offering a chaperone, including considerations around sex, religious beliefs and other personal circumstances.

In addition, staff should be proactive in identifying patients who may have additional needs, such as communication difficulties or learning disabilities. Reasonable adjustments should be made to ensure these patients fully understand the offer of a chaperone and feel supported throughout their care.

Looking ahead, local people and organisations may wish to consider whether hospitals and GP practices in their area are clearly promoting their chaperone policies and communicating them effectively to patients and the public.