Swindon doctors are expected to be chaperoned during intimate female procedures amid fears of sexual abuse in the surgery.

The case of GP Clifford Ayling, who spent 20 years indecently assaulting female patients in Kent, has sparked calls for the presence of another woman in the consulting room.

But Swindon GP Peter Crouch fears a mandatory third person would be an 'ill-judged' move.

A report into the scandal surrounding Ayling, who was convicted of 13 indecent assaults and jailed for four years in December 2000, is currently with health secretary John Reid and is due to be published next month.

It is expected to call for the radical change in surgery practice.

Dr Crouch, of Taw Hill Surgery, said: "Once again the appalling actions of one or two rogue GPs means the profession risks losing the confidence of patients. Patients, and doctors for that matter, have always had the right to ask for a chaperone to be present during examination of intimate areas, and this should always be respected.

"If the Department of Health issues a blanket edict then all patients would have a chaperone without a choice being offered and I think this would be an ill-judged move.

"Some patients find the examination already embarrassing and the addition of another person can make this worse. We need to know if patients would get a choice."

Dr Crouch added that the cost implications would be massive.

"In general practice, it is not possible to predict in advance which patients need examination of intimate areas.

"Would this mean that a chaperone should be available at all times? Who would bear this additional cost, which would be massive?

"I don't see an overriding need for this. I think patients should be able to trust their GPs.

"The profession should stand up and say 'Please don't let the actions of a few tarnish the reputation of family doctors who should be trusted to do the highly skilled and professional job we are trained to do.'"

Christina Rattigan, head of midwifery at Swindon's Great Western Hospital, said there is already a procedure in place where chaperones are present during intimate procedures on women.

Ayling has now been released on licence but has been barred from returning to Folkestone, where he practised.

The inquiry, ordered by the Department of Health, is expected to say chaperones must be medically qualified and be able to stop examinations if necessary.

Alex Emery