Any doctors here? Secret code? Flattery?

[AyDeeAitchDee]

Hi all.

So I've had various medical appointments lately.

And get copied in to the letters from various doctors back to my GP.

And they all LOVE me the letters all start like:

"I saw this delightful woman today"

"I had the pleasure of meeting with this lovely lady today"

Etc etc.

Now I'm polite and all. But don't warrant this sort of flattery.

So I'm guessing it's some sort of code?

Would love to be filled in please. Or just hear theories.

I think it's secret code for you're nice and normal, and not difficult, puzzling, abusive or whatever.

Its usually left of for the difficult patients.

@CurseryKinkajoo me too! I had “I saw this 51 year old piano teacher in clinic today”.

No delightful, nothing. But he did keep telling me I must be very clever, to which I said “not really”. I sat there thinking he’s a consultant with years of medical training and I bunked off of half of school to go to the music room 🤷‍♀️

I was sure when the letter came it was code for saying I was a bit of an arse!

Wow really? Never heard of this. Luckily I haven’t had the need ( touch wood) but if I read a letter like this I would find it deeply unprofessional.

My best friend is a medical secretary who has been typing clinic letters for decades and she reckons that most of the doctors she works for say more or less the same things for everyone. Some get straight to the point, some are more verbose, but mainly they mean what they say. She has told me that in the past when patients didn't get copies of their letters some consultants would say outright if a patient was difficult or demanding but nowadays they tend to say everyone is nice or don't comment either way. No secret codes though.

Not quite on point but when I was pregnant and having to see a consultant (old, had had cancer, perfectly fit though) it obviously said in big letters that I’m a lawyer. Consultant did no pleasantries whatsoever but just asked what sort of law. The temptation to lie and say clinical negligence was almost irresistible

This always amuses me because years ago my Nana had a bundle of letters and all bar one were "This lovely lady" or "This delightful lady"

One said "this forthright lady" and I've always wondered what she said on that appointment

I recently read a letter from a consultant describing me as " articultate, clean but casually dressed*

!!

Yep, mine always mention that I'm a GP's wife. I think I've been described as pleasant, I certainly try to be!

My consultant refers to me like this so I was hoping to crack the 'code' too.

The best I can come up with is:

Little
Old
Veiny
Elbows

I'm not the easiest patient to get blood out of...

Once had a job that involved reading these sorts of letters and the one that sticks in the memory referred to a 'hardworking postman'.
I remember wondering how on earth they knew he was hardworking 😅

I cocked that up, didn't I?

Genuinely the people who write it think that is how you write a professional letter.

It's ingrained in medicine. When I stopped doing it, it felt wrong for ages.

Yes it sometimes means 'you were nice in clinic'. But that means nothing - some people who are nice in clinic are nice because they are highly manipulative, I have patients who are experts at this. My team have also had good giggles at how some of our most challenging patients are 'delightful' in some environments and completely awful in others.

Agree means it means you're nice, I sometimes start my letters with ' Thank you for referring this patient' rather than I reviewed this lovely patient ...

I used to find it quite creepy when I got “this delightful young lady” and all that crap. Got my feminist shackles up, as I felt a bit objectified especially as my condition was something let’s say sensitive and personal

Years ago, my mum used to work in medical records. She received a letter one day with a history that included the letters “SSP” so she asked what it meant. Apparently it stood for “Shell Suit Positive”.

I’m a doctor and I start with “I was pleased to see Mrs X in clinic...” I think it’s a nice semi personal touch in an NHS which often doesn’t feel like it. I often also include a personal detail so they know I was listening “her knee pain is better and she enjoys waking her dashund daily”

I know some might think it’s silly and unnecessary but I like it and nobody has ever complained, so I’ll keep doing it. It’s important my patients know I really was listening!

The only ones I don’t do it for are they properly abusive ones who get a very factual letter from me.

As per PPs above though it does vary by doctor and many don’t do it, so don’t worry if a future letter is less effusive.

Am a medical secretary and it’s very standard I’m afraid-especially now letters get sent to patients.

No cunt has ever called me delightful,
either in writing or IRL

I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY!!!

Haha, I have wondered about this actually.Lots of talk beween pain clinic, GP and variou consultants. Always on about 'saw this lovely lady today' , 'we had a fantastic chat with this very nice individual'and such Actually quite annoyed its just standard practise/manners and I am not an exceptionally nice person.

Just to add, I was young and the nature of my condition made me feel vulnerable, and the consultants were always older men. I’m not always uptight about being flattered!

TigerDroveAgain Consultant did no pleasantries whatsoever but just asked what sort of law. The temptation to lie and say clinical negligence was almost irresistible

Oh they always ask what type of law. In truth, the only clinical negligence cases I've been involved in were defence ones ie when we were defending against medical negligence.

But rather get involved in all of that I just tend to say something non-controversial that they won't understand, such as competition law.

I was quite shocked how many posters on the previous threads said they would see it as unprofessional if it was in their letter.

I hadn't seen it in that light before - I stopped because I felt I couldn't say some people are delightful/pleasant and not others. However it did make me clear that I was right to stop and to teach others not to.

FWIW nurses are all taught not to do it.

It's a formula they all get taught. usually means you are not rude and obnoxious and didn't spit in their eye..

It is like teacher speak, but totally incompatible with educational language. education want the word diagnosed with... consultants will list the problems... My Gp very grumpily chnaged the wording for me... hopefully the grumps were not directed at me, but at the system.

Further to my comment earlier, I don't use any such euphemisms... They don't due anybody any favours, subjective terminology can always be criticised depending on the viewpoint you look at it from.

Better to stick with facts....

@hopefulhalf

I am guilty of nearly all of these. I had the pleasure of meeting= there were no obvious isues Well informed = knows more than I do Charming = well spoken and articulate

This

Also ‘well - presented’ : washes & knows how to use an iron