Do all doctors not sit behind desks anymore?

[Monkeybrains192]

When I was a child growing up in the 80's doctors always sat behind a desk. I have a chronic illness so I had lots appointments hospital appointments too, again the consultant was always behind a desk.

I still have lots of appointments and I can't remember the last time I saw a health care professional sat behind a desk. The desks are now pushed up against a wall and the patient sits adjacent.

Is this a 'thing' now? Was the desk seen in front seen as a barrier as intimidating or something or am I just making shit up?

Wow, apologies for all the typos!

Guess desk against the wall in an NHS setting (less space) and doctor facing me in a private setting - due to more space? No idea though.

I think it’s deliberate trying to be less intimidating. Also often less space #budget.

although it’s definitely not all doctors, last time I saw a gp be sat behind his desk

Interesting as never considered this at all but now you have mentioned it, yes private doctors still tend to sit behind desks where as NHS sit at them.

Yes, most Doctors see the "behind the desk" as old-fashioned. It creates a visible barrier, and a kind of us-them hierarchy. Also it's a pain to get up and walk around if you want to examine someone.

I was also a child in the 80s and don’t remember doctors behind desks at all, I remember sitting adjacent as we do now.

I do remember having a home visit as a small child for a sore throat though!!

I think it's probably easier for them to read our body language if they can see the whole of us. Now that so many things are looked at in a mental health context, I think that seeing the body language of the whole patient is probably part of it.

A lot of the time I actually want to show the patient what is on my screen, so having them on the other side of a desk is a massive pain!

But yep, we were explicitly told in medical school that it set up a barrier between you and the patient, and shouldn’t be done. That would have been around 2001-2, so quite a while.

@WarningOfGails I had the home visit for tonsilitis too. I once woke up in the morning to find a doctor looking in my mouth at my tonsils. That was very surprising.

It’s safety in mental health settings, plus being approachable.

some rooms don’t have desks even, they are generic consulting rooms and the doctors have their offices very separately in the staff only area.

Typical appointment for me is desk pushed to one side if there is one. HCP sits sideways to it. Desk is then not a barrier but paperwork, laptop etc can be put on it for practical reasons. Patient is invited into the room and directed to a seat furthest from the door, so the HCP has easy access to the door if needed. I just put stuff on the seats that I don’t want used it is no big deal.

I guess it's also quicker and easier to get to the patient. If they have to do blood pressure or listen to their chest, they're already sitting right there. They just have to swivel the chair a bit, rather than getting up, walking round, and standing over the patient.

Yes, GP uses a swivel chair to turn back to the desk. Can examine more easily for minor things that don’t need undressing. I also find I can read what’s on screen about me!

Interesting replies thankyou!

I didn't think of the computer screen issue, that makes sense.

Combination of move away from paternalistic medicine, and a move towards ensuring doctors have more space to move if/when patients get aggressive.

I work in drs surgeries sometimes in drs rooms sometimes in community rooms and in all the desk is against the wall and patients sit along side, I need to be able to get close to them to do my job so it works well: I’ve noticed a few have these desks that rise up so they stand, which doesn’t suit me but each to their own my gp is behind a desk but he’s lovely and not unapproachable at all

Consultants sit behind desks, in my experience.

When I attend the local surgery, all of the GP’s have their desks pushed up against the wall and you sit to the side of the desk, quite close to the doctor. When I have visited the local private hospital for mole removals that I can’t get on the NHS, they sit behind the desks which are in the middle of the room. Hadn’t given it any thought until now though.

I'm in the US and it's the same here too. They used to, but the last time I saw one was probably 15 or more years ago. When my old doctors retired the younger ones didn't keep up with the desk or even office. It's just rushed appointments in an exam room, no chats in the office afterwards. I almost always feel like I'm inconveniencing them if I ask a question even.

I was a 90s child and my doctors never sat behind a desk. It was always pushed up against the wall opposite the bed, and the chair was next to it rather than in front of it.

Ds(19) has seen 3 separate private Drs in adult settings in the last 3 years (thank you work health insurance) and none of them sat behind a desk.

GPs sit at the desk which is against the wall, chair is somewhere nearby depending on the room.

Consultant from a traditional background, nice guy, desk against the wall, then moved to a new building and was behind desk.

Old school consultant, one of those that thinks they are above us mere mortals, had the biggest desk he could find and sat behind it.

So, either sensitive to patients which is more common now, or wanting to look important. Second also appeared dismissive and disinterested as I wasn't likely to need lots of expensive surgery.

Not sat behind a desk in years. Don't think any of our current clinic rooms are big enough for examination couch, and chairs, and desk, and sink, and bins, unless the desk is against the wall. But also seen as a psychological barrier, so avoided.

I'm not in a clinic room setting but in acute care depending on the situation I wouldn't let myself be trapped in by furniture between myself and the door. GPs are front line to so many presentations that may leave them in potentially unsafe situations so can totally understand them taking that approach from that perspective.

It's when the go from being on the computer or taking a note and suddenly have wheeled across the floor and are face to face with you, knees almost touching.

I was just about to say the same! I'm in Australia. It's handy to just look at a big screen full of test results (though reading their usual computer screens is impossible - I don't know how they manage even close up!)