NHS England Has Changed the Rules on Chaperoning. Here Is What Every GP Practice Must Do Now.

New national guidance raises the bar significantly. The practices that act now will be the ones that pass inspection.

Something shifted quietly in the landscape of general practice this December. The NHS England guidance on chaperoning in the NHS has been updated for the first time in over two decades, and the changes are not minor adjustments. They represent a fundamental shift in what is expected of every GP practice, every member of clinical staff, and every person who has ever been asked to stand in a room during an intimate examination. The new NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 outlines these changes clearly and must be adhered to. This new guidance will shape the future of patient care, reflecting the importance of compliance with the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025. The NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 aims to enhance patient safety and trust. Furthermore, understanding the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 is essential for all healthcare providers.

The guidance is published. It is in force. And the CQC is already incorporating it into its inspection framework.

What Has Changed

NHS Chaperoning Guidance 2025: Key Insights

The headline is simple: chaperoning is no longer something a practice makes available on request. It is something a practice must proactively offer, at every relevant appointment, in a way that is formally documented. But the detail goes much further than that.

With the new NHS chaperoning guidance 2025, practices will need to ensure their staff are well-trained and informed on these critical changes.

Practices must understand the implications of the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 and how it impacts their operational procedures.

The updated guidance adopts the GMC definition of an intimate examination as its trigger point. That definition is deliberately broad. It includes examinations of the breasts, genitalia and rectum, but it also covers any examination where it is necessary to touch or examine intimate parts of the body, or even to be close to the patient. An ophthalmoscopy in a darkened room. An abdominal or pelvic ultrasound. A skin examination where the clinician moves around a partially undressed patient. These are all potentially within scope.

If your team does not know this, they need to.

The Eight Changes Every Practice Must Implement

• Chaperones must be formally offered at the point of booking and again immediately before the examination. Available on request is no longer sufficient.
• Patients have the right to request a chaperone of a specific sex or religion, and to reschedule without penalty if that preference cannot be met.
• Chaperoning principles now formally apply to remote and video consultations, including where digital images of intimate areas are requested.
• Children under 18 must have a formal independent chaperone present for any intimate examination. A parent does not fulfil this role.
• Non-clinical staff acting as chaperones must be appropriately trained. DBS checks are strongly recommended and in many cases required.
• Documentation must record the clinical indication, that the offer was made, the patient decision, and the full identity of the chaperone present.
• The chaperone should confirm their own presence in the clinical record where possible.
• Practices must maintain an auditable training register of all staff who have completed chaperone training.

What the CQC Is Now Looking For CQC inspectors are incorporating this guidance into the Single Assessment Framework. They are looking for evidence that the offer is made proactively, that documentation is complete, that non-clinical chaperones are trained and DBS checked, and that the practice can produce an auditable record of staff training. A policy on file is not sufficient. Evidence of delivery is required.

The Training Gap

Here is the uncomfortable reality. Most practices have a chaperone policy. Far fewer have chaperone training that reflects the 2025 requirements. And almost none are in a position to demonstrate, to an inspector, that every member of staff who might act as a chaperone has been trained to the current standard, holds a current DBS check, and understands not just what to do but what can go wrong when the process is not followed correctly.

Training matters because the role of a chaperone is not passive. A chaperone is required to observe, to advocate for the patient, to reassure the patient if they show distress, and to raise a concern if anything gives cause for worry. These are not instincts. They are skills. And they cannot be adequately developed through a tick-box online module.

Following the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 will help ensure that all patients feel safe during consultations.

What To Do Before the Year Is Out

Review your current chaperone policy against the 2025 requirements. Identify every member of staff who acts, or could be asked to act, as a chaperone. Confirm DBS status for each of them. Map the gap between what your team currently knows and what the guidance now requires. And put a training plan in place before your next CQC inspection.

Implementing the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 will ensure that practices are compliant during inspections.

The practices that treat this as a genuine compliance and patient safety priority will be the ones that emerge from inspection with confidence. The ones that do not will not.

The NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 is crucial for maintaining a high standard of care in general practice.

Without adherence to the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025, practices risk compromising patient safety.

Mark Edwards  |  Director, The Training Network  |  thetrainingnet.com

To fully comply with the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025, practices must invest in training and resources.

Practices should regularly review their procedures in light of the NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 to improve patient experiences.

The NHS chaperoning guidance 2025 will play a significant role in the future of medical examinations.

The Training Network delivers face-to-face and live online chaperone training for whole GP practice teams. For information on the programme, visit thetrainingnet.com