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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This very pleasant patient...etc

110 replies

LovelyBath77 · 13/04/2017 09:24

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?

OP posts:
glueandstick · 13/04/2017 15:23

I got 'this poor young lady has had a torid time of late but is baring up with remarkable grit'

I knew I had been sick but didn't think it was that bad 😂

Flyinggeese · 13/04/2017 15:24

My son's orthodontist wrote in a letter to our dentist 'I saw this pleasant young man at clinic...' Thought it was sweet, though a bit odd, and quite unusual but clearly not! I wonder if it's a code!...

Flyinggeese · 13/04/2017 15:27

Sorry x post with just about everyone.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 13/04/2017 15:30

I got a copy of a letter to my GP from dermatology after I was referred for allergy testing which started 'Thank you for referring this pleasant middle-aged lady'. Shock Grin I'm often referred to as such in this household now.

I used to know a psychiatrist who would now be about 50 who insisted that FLK (funny looking kid) was still in use when she was a young doctor.

rainbowrd · 13/04/2017 15:39

I got 'pleasant and nulliparous' recently. Strikes me as an odd choice of words to pair. I'm a lot more of one than the other in any case Grin

Goldfishjane · 13/04/2017 18:13

Rainbow, please tell me nulliparous was relevant....!

I also had to send work a letter about long term sickness, I think that one described me as delightful and I remember thinking, that's not going to have any effect on work being annoyed but nice try! Grin

rainbowrd · 13/04/2017 19:49

It was definitely more relevant than 'pleasant' Grin I had no idea what nulliparous meant and had to Google it.

apricot72 · 13/04/2017 20:14

I am a Dr and hate the use of descriptions like ' pleasant' or 'charming' when referring to patients. A subjective and personal judgement on the niceness of the patient by the Dr has no clinical relevance and is totally meaningless. The description of somebody's mental state using appropriate and accepted medical terms is entirely different. Letters from 20 or even 10 years ago (in the days before copying patients into correspondence) could be horrendously judgemental, this feels like a hangover from the bad old days, albeit verging towards the patronising rather than down and out offensive.

Fl0ellafunbags · 13/04/2017 20:37

One GP I worked for sent a referral letter describing the patient as "a very committed smoker".

listsandbudgets · 13/04/2017 20:44

I do recollect seeing a letter which was submitted as medical evidence for something involved with the job i then had which started

"I recently reviewed the case of this interesting and hopefully unique individual"

Dread to think what that was code for but having dealt eith the man on a regular basis i had to assume that "hopefully unique" did not refer to his fairly common medical condition!!

Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 13/04/2017 21:01

You can get copies of the letters if you ask at the time to have a copy to the secretary or the receptionist.

OP posts:
Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 13/04/2017 21:03

Mine is not cosmetic, but may be essential surgery if a situation becomes life threatening. So it isn;t to do with that. They do have a care plan now from the GP detailing my mental health and I could be a nightmare if admitted as had psychotic episodes in such time in the past. So not sure if they'd think i was pleasant then. Oh well. Hopefully in that situation they might remember me and at least. take me seriously.

OP posts:
Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 13/04/2017 21:05

As others have mentioned , some of the younger ones I have seen don;t tend to do it and simply mention the facts.

OP posts:
ZebraOwl · 13/04/2017 21:13

I've had quite a lot of people mention where I went to University.
After I graduated. To be honest even while I was there it would be unnecessary, but afterwards?! I've also been called a ballet dancer (I wish I were good enough!) & namechecked as a Brownie Leader.

At least it keeps my GP amused as she battles through the piles of correspondence that heap up about me...

Movingin2017 · 13/04/2017 21:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TroysMammy · 13/04/2017 22:12

I saw a letter typed in the 1970's from a Consultant to a GP "this chap is quite hopeless" Shock

TheProblemOfSusan · 13/04/2017 22:13

Oh my god. I got a "this pleasant 33 year old..." once and I immediately assumed it was doctor code for "this awful pain in the arse" and felt badly about it for aages.

Bloody hell. Wasted angst.

imip · 14/04/2017 08:29

Thanks for the feedback to my qun. I do have to admit, I find my 'concerns' often trivialised. I get very disheartened with dd's letters, and tbh, they are so very important as we currently are relying on them for our appeal in SENDist.

olympicsrock · 14/04/2017 08:41

I am a doctor (late 30s). We are encouraged now not to comment on whether people are pleasant or not. I generally write "thank you for referring this patient" however if I see someone particularly lovely such as an independent feisty elderly person I will say delightful - it reminds me of who they are when I chase up results etc. No harm I feel.

Mrscaindingle · 14/04/2017 08:49

It is mostly an outdated way of referring to patients and is becoming less and less common I'm glad to say.
I work for a mental health team and when we get referrals from GP's saying 'this very pleasant young woman' or whatever we all generally roll our eyes as it seems to be code for 'I would really like you to see this person as they're not a pain in the arse like my usual referrals'.

The opinion of the Dr on the character of the patient really should have no bearing on their treatment. I've read some really old notes going back to the 80's and beyond which say '..this pretty young woman' or ' ..this rather immature 38 year old woman' etc.

Funnily enough it is usually women who bear the brunt of Dr's judgement on their likability ..funny that. Wink

kathkim · 14/04/2017 08:50

Old medical letters are unbelievable! I see them at work. Yes, the 60s and 70s were no-holds-barred on the comments Shock

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 14/04/2017 08:58

DD2 usually gets "delightful", but then she smiles a lot Grin. One of her letters included the phrase "mum is very well informed" which I'm assured means "mum knows as much as you do about this particular condition, so don't even think about trying to bullshit her" Wink. Thankfully she now sees consultants who do know more than I do, which is a great relief.

The letter I got from my rheumatology appointment didn't describe me at all Sad, it just said "thank you for asking me to meet with MyVisions", so I have to assume (also based on how the appointment went) that she thought I was googling too much, and should just carry on taking the painkillers.

kathkim · 14/04/2017 09:01

it just said "thank you for asking me to meet with MyVisions

Aw, that's no fun! You'll have to rev up your personality at next appointment and wow them - see what they say in your letter then Wink

Trixiesmummy · 14/04/2017 09:08

I recently had a patient ask me what 'interesting __ year old lady' meant? The letter was from a consultant not linked to our team.
I'm not 100% sure what it meant but I have a bit of an idea after meeting her a few times!

colleysmill · 14/04/2017 09:11

@imip I often use mum/parents/guardians is/are concerned about ..... in reports to try and show that we have listened to parents or indicate where the concerns have come from. I will sometimes also write about school concerns (which might be different as it's a different setting). Similarly if they are old enough I try to reflect any child's concerns too.

I find its good to make clear that we are addressing/have assessed the concerns raised so everyone is on the same page and clear what we are trying to achieve so to speak.

So no not code for neurotic mum :)