This very pleasant patient...etc

[LovelyBath77]

So my surgeon is very experienced and may need his help at home point. But his letters are so old fashioned. I mentioned I sometime felt my physical problems were seen as the result of anxiety by my GP, and he said he knew it wasn't. However I do have a mental health condition as well. He keeps saying things now, like I have improved psychologically and physically since my last surgery (and I think this may be in support of if we need to operate again). However this is not, the case overall. It's complicated, but I'm to sure, should surgeons be commenting on mental health? Or AIBU?

Ok, thanks for all your replies, it's really helpful actually. he did also say he would be delighted to see me anytime, and that i was very sensible about my problems.

"Also you can be described as pleasant etc without it minimising the fact that you can still have serious MH problems?"

Yes- in thinking over it maybe it is good and a promising sign that, even with a serious MH condition, that doesn't mean you are a PITA / uncooperative etc. So maybe i should see this in a better light. It may be actually helpful with the GP, when I also have had letters from psych team which may have been confusing. We're not simple are we, patients, and nice to see someone see the good side of us at times.

In my case, the surgical problem is a tough one and trying to deal with it and accept it as much as I can. Which they seem to find helpful.

I've been a medical typist and there is sort of a coded language which goes on. However 'this pleasant patient' is generally a positive comment as it means that you present normally and do not seem to be affected by anxiety etc. It's used for all patients not just those with MH issues.

I've had a few comments like this on my doctor's notes in the past (letters from consultants) and I was really chuffed. Now I'm finding out that they put them on everyone's. Gutted

Could be worse. You could be the FLK (funny looking kid) of NFS (normal for Swindon).

Im a nurse and I always read it as code.

Very pleasant patient = rational, reasonable, emotionally stable during the consultation, listens to advice.

It means I know they will likely behave the same with me during their admission.

LMAO my neurologist recently described me as "am even tempered and intelligent young lady"

Im 41!!

Thkugh im wonder ing of "intelligent " is short hand for "has reaseached her condition via google"

Haha these have made me laugh - I'm a gp. Whoever said 'sensible' is code for 'I'm not sure this really needs referral but they don't bother me often so if they think they're ill they probably are' is spot on :)
I personally don't use these ways of writing but I'm a fairly new gp and it feels a bit old fashioned to me too. So don't be offended if you get a letter that doesn't describe you as 'delightful'!

My last letter said "this pleasant patient has been suffering from peritonitis for approximately 20 years" (referral to plastics)
Plastics were slightly bemused when I turned up. I've never had peritonitis

I recently got 'this handsome young woman'. Which was bizarre and didn't feel like a compliment

My last consultant letter sent to my GP said "It was a pleasure to meet this charming and very well presented young lady" I was actually quite chuffed but I'm a bit gutted now to think he uses those terms regularly 😭 particularly as I'd made the effort to paint over my chipped nail polish and wear matching socks!

I'm a young consultant (mid 30s). I have never written pleasant / sensible etc about anyone!
I have commented on people's mental health where appropriate though - physical and psychological symptoms are linked and impact on each other in a hugely complex way.
I don't write people off either just because they may have a mental health diagnosis!

Wow Ollivander. You are a medical miracle. IIRC perotinotis if left untreated can be fatal and requires urgent medical intervention. Im sorry to hear of your 20 years of suffering

Very well presented 😂 So weird!

Nice to hear HCPs confirm it's code . I heard that was an urban myth which was most disappointing as I remember being VERY proud of a "very pleasant young woman" when I was going through infertility treatment, particularly as I felt like a decrepit hysterical old hag.

Shrivelled up eggs at the age of 34 will do that to a person....

I was really chuffed when my dd's consultant wrote 'this delightful 10 year old girl' on her letter

lists - I know! I am so lucky

I had "very bright young lady" in a clinic letter once
I was v pleased with that

Consultants do write letters with that. However when we receive a letter about a patient being a "lovely gentleman" we wonder if they are talking about the same patient. We obviously see a different side to them.

All consultants write like this. I noticed I didn't get it in one letter after I kicked off about something

You're proper on the shitlist

Do all consultants do this?

I remember us being described as a pleasant and

My DH took my DS then aged 3yr to an appointment and we got a copy of the letter this "delightful boy" etc

Honestly I quizzed DH about what happened at the appointment, as I wouldnt have described him as delightful at that age! Well not for other people.

Now realizing he wasn't uniquely singled out for praise!

I think it's really dubious practice, personally. They should keep it professional and leave personal opinions about one's character out of it.

Ha ha, I received 'a pleasant lady' today!

I always took it as code.

One that does bug me is "mum is concerned". I find this one a little patronising esp. as I had a dd who everyone said didn't have ASD for a couple of years - except she did. To those health professionnals on the thread, is 'mum is concerned' code for 'mum is neurotic'?