"Extremely negative experience"

My teenage daughter has her first serious boyfriend. I have a great relationship with my daughter and wanted to be the best support for her. I took her along to the local sexual health drop in clinic in North Ayrshire.

The clinic was busy and we waited the two hours necessary for my daughter to be seen. Whilst waiting we were invited to be triaged and despite my daughter wanting me to accompany her, the nurse made me feel very uncomfortable to be accompanying my daughter. The nurses behaviour was actually quite rude in the manner in which she questioned both my daughter and myself. I had used the clinic myself years previously and found it to be a welcoming, assuring environment, which is why I thought it would put my daughter at ease.

I was told that I couldn't accompany my daughter to the appointment, which I accepted, if that's the rules then so be it, however the nurse was rude as I think they expected resistance from me. My daughter went in to see the doctor herself and when she came out she said she said that she had felt quite scared and embarrassed as the doctor questioned her about my accompanying her and said that in future she was to come herself.

Please note that I appreciate there are circumstances in which adults exploit young people however I was simply a mum wanting to provide the best possible support to her daughter at a huge milestone in both her life, and mine as a mother.

I feel that the set up of the clinic and the actions of the clinic staff turned what should have been a positive experience into one in which my daughter was not supported as she should have been as she was denied the opportunity to have me support her through her first appointment. She was told not to bring her mum to future appointments, despite the clinic being held at a hospital which is a twenty minute car journey from home, at night. I feel disempowered as a mother and my good intentions questioned.

My daughter was asked to make a further appointment to monitor her progress with her contraceptives however I feel that this service would be better provided by her GP, something I wanted to avoid due to demand on GPS and clinic provision in place. Please note that my daughter is 15 years old. Myself, and most importantly, my daughter feel that overall it was an extremely negative experience.