FSRH endorses Key Principles for Intimate Clinical Assessments Undertaken Remotely in Response to COVID-19 by NHSE + I

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption and utilisation of online and video consultations as part of core clinical practice. This guide, authored by NHS England and NHS Improvement and endorsed by FSRH, focuses on how to safely manage the receipt, storage and use of intimate images taken by patients for clinical purposes. It is aimed at clinicians consulting remotely through a digital channel (e.g. online, email, text, video-link) across healthcare settings.

This guide includes principles for:

• Protecting patients
• Necessity of remote assessment
• Informed consent
• Confirming patient identity
• Processing and storing intimate images
• Intimate examinations via video consultation
• Good record keeping
• Receiving an intimate image of a child (a person under the age of 18)

To read the guide, click here.