Do same-gender examinations require a chaperone?
In the context of allegations of improper conduct, the most common scenario is that a female patient makes allegations against a male doctor. In MPS’s experience, it is unusual for doctors to be the subject of allegations of improper conduct from patients of the same gender. However, there have been such cases, and MPS advises that a chaperone be offered for any intimate examination regardless of the patient’s gender. The GMC guidance Maintaining Boundaries reinforces this advice, by stating that a chaperone should be offered “whether or not you are the same gender as the patient” (paragraph 10).
