Professional boundaries

Professional boundaries separate conduct that meets the patient's health needs from the practitioner's own views, feelings and relationships, protecting both parties. Good practice means the practitioner: (a) recognises the power imbalance and keeps professional boundaries; (b) is clear about the boundaries objectivity needs and avoids conflicts of interest and under- or over-involvement; (c) never uses their professional position to start or pursue a sexual, exploitative or otherwise improper relationship with anyone they care for or close to them (carer, guardian, spouse, or a child patient's parent, carer or guardian); (d) recognises that sexual or other personal relationships with former patients are generally improper, the judgement turning on how extensive the professional relationship was and how vulnerable the former patient is; and (e) does not express personal beliefs in ways that exploit patients' vulnerability or are likely to distress them. The practitioner also knows and complies with any Board guidelines on professional boundaries (for example on sexual boundaries).

• Practice boundaries policy and staff acknowledgement
• Chaperone logs for intimate examinations
• Records of boundary concerns raised and how they were managed
• Training record on the Board's sexual boundaries guidance

• Personal messaging with patients on private social media accounts
• No policy addressing relationships with former patients
• Boundary concerns handled informally and not recorded