30 April 2010 The use of chaperones in general practice
Recently, there has been some discussion around the use of chaperones in general practice. The RACGP has a position statement with recommendations on the use of chaperones, which is available at www.racgp.org.au/policy/Chaperones_in_gp.pdf. These recommendations are not compulsory and the college recognises that in Australian general practice it may not be feasible or appropriate to have a chaperone present during a consultation.
There have been no changes to the RACGP policy on the use of chaperones in general practice since 2007. We continue to believe the current position statement is satisfactory and the college sees no need to revise this policy. Neither has the RACGP made changes to the meaning in the Standards for general practices regarding the presence of a third party (Criterion 2.1.3). The college is always happy to take feedback from its members on issues relevant to Australian general practice. Please send your comments to email standards@racgp.org.au.
M5 Project - RACGP men's health initiative helping men to help themselves
M5 encourages men and those who care about them to recognise the importance of men forming an ongoing relationship with a GP.
