"Asking if the patient would like a chaperone present"

Prior to my mother’s consultation for bilateral cataract surgery she was instructed to complete various forms. These forms included asking if the patient would like a chaperone present, which my mother felt was necessary.

To put you in the picture, my mother has long Covid after being intubated 1 year ago with Covid. She has also been undergoing memory tests and has severe anxiety in social circumstances due to Covid. She does not leave the house alone, and obviously her sight hinders any activities of daily living.

On arrival, the volunteer was snappy and on walking through the door she didn’t ask for any documents but just said” you can’t be here”. We tried to explain without too much detail why my mum needed a chaperone and she said just sit down I have strict rules you can sort in when you are through.

On getting through to the reception desk we were approached with the same attitude. Being a medical professional within the NHS myself, I am fully aware of the need for reducing numbers in small rooms due to putting members of staff at risk and I would not have attended with my mum if I didn’t feel it was necessary. The attitude from the members of staff we had interaction with made my mum feel uneasy and heightened her anxiety.

We were asked to step into a room so they “could have a word”. They again stated I was unable to be here. Again explaining my mums anxiety and inability to retain information eventually the nurse said she would ask if I could stay. When my mum was called to the first room the clinical support worker, before I even got to ask if this room entailed retaining information, cut me off saying “ I have someone in training, so you have to wait here”.  I fully understand the stresses members of staff are facing working in such difficult circumstances but the way they made not only myself, but more importantly my mum feel is not the care I would have expected. Rather than making us feel like school children standing at the reception desk in front of many other patients asking “for a word”.

For future patients attending in the current pandemic, I would suggest that the forms that have to be completed prior to attending state that if they feel a chaperone is necessary then can they phone in advance to alert the staff, rather than a box to tick if you want a chaperone and when you attend be told otherwise. This would make the patient feel more at ease when attending the consultation and prevent any altercations. 

Thanks