Accompanying persons in OH consultations: Part 2

Part 2: when employees are accompanied by a partner, friend, relative, interpreter or union representative

Summary:

In the second of a two-part series, occupational physician Dr Momeda Deen discusses the role of accompanying persons in OH practice.

The first article in this series considered the role of chaperones in occupational health (OH) consultations. Most OH consultations will not require a chaperone because OH rarely involves an intimate or close examination by a clinician. There are many circumstances, however, where it may assist the employee/patient to have a companion, such as a friend, relative, translator, carer or trade union representative, with them to provide support or ensure that the individual fully understands the consultation. Occasionally, the OH professionals may also request that another person is present during the consultation because they have concerns for their own personal safety.

This second part in the series considers how OH professionals should approach requests by employees to be accompanied to the consultation, and how to avoid the potential pitfalls. Guidance from official sources and case studies are included where appropriate…

Dr Momeda Deen is an accredited specialist in occupational medicine and provides OH services to the NHS and a wide range of other companies.

Author: Deen M

Tags case management consent

Occupational Health at Work August/September 2023 (vol. 20/2) pp26-32

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