Horrible dr vent! Sorry this is a huge post!

[Chucklecheeks]

I went to see my consultant on tuesday and it did not go as i had imagined. I am thirty six weeks and have epilepsy so have to have regular visits. the last time i went I saw a junior doctor (RN1 - can anyone explain the grading?).

I have severe SPD so am really worrying about the birth, I am on crutches now and worry that i might not be able to cope. I broached this with the doctor at my last appointment and she completely disregarded me and said it was too early to talk about this now and anyway i could always have an epidural if it hurt too much.

That was all she would say about it and moved on. My husband was livid after the appointment saying it is another place to tell her what and when i should worry about it.

I went on tuesday hoping i would be seeing the proper consultant but it was the junior doctor again. she was really brusqe and then asked if i had any questions. i mentioned that i was still worried about the birth and that i was concerned that al the medical professionals keep telling me different things about the birth.

All the midwifes i have seen have told me the wort thing to have is an epidural or a c section. She said that was not true. I said i feel like i know everything about it but am still not able to decide as i am getting conflicting info. At this point i can only describe her behaviour as sulking! I told her that i was left in stirrups last birth for hours, i remember it as seven hours.

She checked my notes and said it was only three and half hours, then proceeded to tell me i had an epidural, I didn't! The midwife who dealt with the birth forgot to phone the dr and he got there to late. She actually apologised to me because of it so i know i am correct.

The junior Dr took offence that i had said this and said i had come in and told her i know more than her about the SPD and i was telling everyone that i had been left in stirrups for seven hours. It was like she was offended i had said it was not a good experience. she then stopped speaking to me (it was like dealing with my 3 yr DC) and pointed at the chair i sit in to have blood pressure. i thought i had just better get on with it and hobbled across the room and she took the blood pressure, after she rolled her eyes at me in the mirror not realising that if she could see me i could see her.

She took my pressure and never told me what it was (I suffer from ow pressure and have to monitor it), then said to me do you feel better now. I said no she had made me feel stupid and she had disregarded my fears. At this point she walked out. I thought we had finished so was getting up to leave when i heard her in the corridor telling my consultant i was being hysterical. I was not shouting, getting angry, i was trying to stop myself crying but was calm and quiet.

He came in and asked my what was wrong, i told him i was worried about the birth and he explained his views, again they contradict the midwife. I felt better but am still worried. He then left and i thought i should talk to the junior Dr as i might have to see her again so i tried to apologise if she thought i had offended her, she shouted that she had told me the same as the dr and walked out again!

Is this normal? i felt awful, as though i had told a dr i knew more than her. i tried to explain that i meant everyone is telling me different but she would not listen. She would not even address me! Is it me, did i sound like i was wrong.

Do you think i should tell my midwife as the junior doctor mentioned she will be talking to the team of midwifes to tell them the correct info and i am worried they will think i have complained about them? I actually trust my midwife more than the doctors and her views tie in with peoples who have actually experienced SPD.

If you have got to the end of this massive post, thank you. What would you do?

Chucklecheeks x

[chandellina]

i'd forget about it frankly and hope you don't cross her path again.

[Iklboo]

Whereabouts are you? I've not seen the grading RN1 for a doctor before in England (or at least, not in the last couple of years).

[CantThinkofFunnyName]

Write a letter of complaint is what I'd do! the junior doctor sounds absolutely appalling. FGS - she should be used to dealing with pregnant women and yes, we do get emotional, we do get upset, we do get worried about the birth but quite frankly just because she's done a few years study she seems to think she has the right to treat you like a child, when in fact she was acting like one.

Grrrr - very angry on your behalf. I would certainly write to your main consultant complaining about the junior doctor and say you no longer wish to deal with her because of her attitude towards you.

[faverolles]

So sorry you have to face this at this stage!

IME, the midwives know far more about births than the dr's ever did.
If I were you, I would probably make an appointment with your mw and have a good chat to her about it all, and possibly mention the junior dr's behaviour as well.

Good luck x

[Iklboo]

Sorry - pressed return before I meant to!
If she's a junior doctor she may be in her first year of hospital training after medical school (eg qualified as a doctor earlier in the year and commenced her hospital rotations in August 2010 if she's in the UK).

[coatgate]

Can't help much I am afraid - but when I was 'all care' at the hospital when I was pregnant with DD when I was 40, I was meant to be under the care of the consultant, but everytime I went I saw a differnet junior doctor, had no continuity of care and did not have any antenatal classes as these are arranged through the doctors with whom I had no contact. I was meant to be getting 'special' treatment but it was crap. All sorts of things were not picked up because no one ever talked to me or asked my opinion on anything. I wouild talk to your midwife if you have a good relationship with them and tell them how upset you are.

[thefurryone]

That sounds awful, the way I see it one of the most important skills a medical professional can have is the ability to listen to patients and empathy.

I second writing a letter of complaint about her. Better that her behaviour is brought up now so she has a chance to rectify it before proceeding to act like this for the rest of her career.

[Iklboo]

Chucklecheeks - if you write a letter of complaint about her it will be kept on her file. Handy if she keeps doing the same thing to other women and it's something her tutors/Deanery/Hospital can address with her at her appraisals and get her to address.
If she's in the UK she is bound to (as in has to) adhere to Good Medical Practice and can be disciplined by the hospital/Deanery/Trust or even the GMC for repeated breaches.

[preghead]

In both my last 2 pregnancies I was assigned a consultant due to shoulder dystocia the first time who told me that I should be induced on the bed with continuous foetal monitoring in second pg and that I should have a c section at term third pregnancy. Both are completely contra- indicated by nice for previous shoulder dystocia and, in the case of induction, actually more likely to happen again. Both times I simply refused to see these consultants again and got my midwife to swap me to another consultant who was more favourable towards natural births. You don't have to accept duff info or stroppiness. However, you do have to accept that some doctors spout out of date info or have over medicalise views of childbirth, particularly compared most midwives. You will always get conflicting info from the doctors vs the midwives though i jave always found amd you just have to make your own path theough it and so whats right for you. Ask to be swapped to a different consultants team and you won't have to see her again.

[Emsyboo]

This sounds terrible not what you need at this stage they should be reassuring you and trying to help you at this stage.

I had a bad experience with a dr and because of that didn't go back and ended up worse the midwife had to ring the doctors up and request I have a different doctor before I would go back to them. And my experience wasn't that bad!

You should speak to your midwife about your concerns about the jnr doctor and put it in writing in a formal letter - try not to be too emotional as chances are the dr will see it and you want to be professional and have the upper hand so she has nothing to come back at you about if you do have to deal with her again.

You should be able to ask not to see her and ask that your feedback be used in her training as if she behaves like that once she is fully qualified the hospital could end up in trouble with law suits etc as well as it is obvious she probably can't cope with small stresses of patients let alone an emergency.

I hope you get some good feedback and don't havve to deal with her again.

[Chucklecheeks]

Thanks fir all the replies. I was so sure i was right but the more time that has passed i kept questioning if i had done something wrong.

[charl2503]

This sounds awful. You cannot let her get away with it. Write a formal complaint. You can also request not to be dealt with by her again.

I suffered terribly with SPD. Like yourself, I was on crutches for the last 10 weeks and i was having sleepless nights about the birth.

In the end I had a homebirth. I had a birthing pool (although i got out of the pool to push). The water really helped my hips. I had a float to take the weight off as well. I managed fine on gas and air.

See if your hospital has water birth facilities and look in to it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[RoxieP]

I think she was totally out of order. I am a medical student and we are always taught how important it is to communicate well with patients and to address their concerns sympathetically. Looks like she missed out those lectures! We're not all like that honestly - I prmose when I am a Dr I will be a lot nicer! I think she may be a first year registrar - which means she is 3 years out of med school and just started her training to become an obstetrician/gynaecologist. The Dr I saw was at this stage and she was lovely. Turns out she had trained at my med school so we had lots in common. What a shame you got a bad one! Take it further if you feel it is necessary. Just explain what you have explained to us in writing in a reasonable way like you did here and your concerns should be taken seriously. She behaved unprofessionally and to call you "hysterical" within earshot is totally unacceptable. If nobody says anything about these things then thes unprofessional people will never learn.

[cupofcoffee]

Regarding the different info being told to you by different people I'm afraid I think that is relatively common because in medicine and life in general there are always different schools of thought, grey areas and of course things that science doesn't know for sure yet. Often it is not a case of one opinion being right and the other being wrong (although sometimes can be the case) but just different opinions, using different evidence/research.

This doesn't change the fact that, as a user of the healthcare service, it can be difficult to take all this conflicting info on board and come to your own decisions. In your case it sounds as if you have a better relationship with your midwife than the doctor so if I was you I would go back to the midwife and tell her your concerns about the conflicting info. Ask her to explain the opinion she has given you and maybe point you in the direction of some info sources relating the this. Also ask her if she knows anything about the alternate opinion you have received (she surely would have come across other different opinions during her contacts at work).

Regarding how the Dr spoke to you/about you at the appointment I think that is very unprofessional and rude. It is a healthcare professional's job to take on board your concerns and explain their opinion and your options to you. Now ok their opinion may differ from yours or from what you have been told previously but they should be able to explain their point of view in a clear and sensitive way. It sounds from your post that the dr did not address your concerns and acted in a childish way.

I think it would be worth explaining how uneasy the Dr made you feel in some way so that this can be fed back to the Dr. You could write a formal complaint which should then be responded to. Or if you feel you would rather, ask to speak to the head of midwifery at the hospital.

[xstitchsparkler]

The gradings in UK are from graduation: FY (foundation year)1, FY2, StR (speciality registrar), consultant. You are usually a StR for a few years.

I would speak to your midwife. A registrar was very rude to me when I was pregnant to dd. I spoke to the midwife and saw the consultant from then on.

[Pootletrinket]

Angry angry angry - would never see her again, you don't have to be spoken to like that by any medical professional - pretty much wrapped up in the NICE guidelines for respect etc.

[SofaKitten]

Isn't RN1 a nurse grade not doctor?

[NewbieT]

Appalling behaviour - I suggest writing or phoning PALS - Patient Advice Liaison Service - they advocate for patients who have had bad treatment and can effectively take the fight on on your behalf, that's how they helped my mum anyway. They can also advice you on how to take your complaint further.

Good luck and try not to let it stress you too much, though I know that's easier said than done.

[RoxieP]

Yeah you're right I think - it's SpR/StR for a registrar come to think of it

I was just thinking in context because she said she thought it was a doc and I know when I had a "consultant" appointment it was actually a first year reg...

[greenbeanie]

So sorry to hear of your experience, I would certainly write a letter of complaint, try to keep as factual as possible and write in points if possible as this is usually better received. The hospital should be able to provide you with a leaflet stating how to go about this.

With regards to your future care, I would demand that you will only go back if you see the consultant. I am currently 40 weeks and have repeatedly seen junior doctors who have been ill-informed and contradictory. I refused to go back unless I could see the consultant which they agreed to without fuss. I have been back and felt much more reassured and have a proper plan of care in place now by someone who can make decisions. The other course of action I would consider is to arrange to speak to the senior midwife and discuss your concerns as they will be able to support you. Good luck.

[owlboots]

Definitely write a letter of complaint. There is no way any member of staff should have treated you like that and I hope that your next visit is far, far less stressful.

They'll only learn that they are behaving appallingly if they are hauled up for it. Some junior doctors are absolutely great but some really do think they know it all and the patients are an inconvenience - they have a lot to learn!

[thumbwheel]

She sounds absolutely abysmal - nil points for bedside manner!

Do please write a formal complaint, detailing as much as you can of her attitude and what she said.

I am so grateful that the consultants I had were lovely (I had to be under the haematologist and the obstetrician because of being under the haematologist) - and was never fobbed off with a junior who thought they knew it all and discounted my personal experience/learning.

Whatever she thought of what you said, she behaved in a thoroughly unprofessional manner and she needs to be brought up short for it.

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

Definitely complain! She should have been listening and trying to assuage your fears, or at least explaining why you were getting conflicting advice. A complaint might make her realise how her behaviour affects her patients

You have every right to question any medical treatment or advice you are given- just because you haven't been to medical school doesn't mean you are not intelligent enough to be informed! I'd definitely mention it to your MW, and stress how much her manner towards you upset you.

[lucy101]

I think it is very important that you do complain and in writing... as she might learn something from it and change her behaviours and perhaps other (possibly even more vulnerable women) don't have to experience this.

[Chucklecheeks]

It gets even better. i went to see the midwife yesterday and she said she had had a text from the consultant saying that i had said that the midwife had told me the only option was a c section. It proves how much they were not listening to me when i was voicing my fears as i had said that i agreed with the midwife that a c section would not be the best for SPD. My midwife's supervisor then made her attend a meeting to explain why she had told me this. Luckily she knew we had discussed this and told her they were wrong as all along i had wanted a natural birth and we had prepared my plan together.

i felt awful as my midwife could have got into trouble because of a junior doctor who did not listen when i voiced my fears and then went on to tell the consultant the opposite of what i said! Luckily she was laughing about it saying that the consultants and doctors have no experience of your average labour i.e natural labour as they only become involved if intervention is needed.

I also found out that at the appointment i should have been given vitamin K medication due to my epilepsy, but the doctor had forgot. So i now have to go back on tuesday and see her again to get it!

On advice from my midwife i have asked to go to a different consultant and only deal with them, not the team of junior doctors. But this can not be done till after my appointment on tuesday so i will be taking my husband as support.


I will also be taking photocopies of my notes and after the birth will be writing a letter of complaint.
Thank you for all your replies, i feel much better knowing that it was not me!

Chucklecheeks xx