Health Services

(asked on 17th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 17 March (HL2718), whether the NHS issues any guidance to NHS organisations related to policies on patients' ability to specify the sex or gender of the staff treating them; and whether such policies are (1) co-ordinated, or (2) compared in any way.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 31st March 2020

National Health Service organisations set their own policies on patients’ ability to specify the gender of the staff treating them.

One of the NHS Constitution’s founding values is that of respect and dignity for patients, carers and staff in accordance with their needs and priorities and ensuring these are considered when designing and delivering services.

The General Medical Council guidance to doctors states that, when proposing to carry out an intimate examination, doctors should offer the patient the option of having an impartial observer (a chaperone) present wherever possible. This applies whether or not the doctor is the same gender as the patient, and they must treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity and privacy.

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