To say new GP was vile towards me?

[chattoaspanishgirl]

I couldn't see my regular GP so I had to visit what's called a locum Dr, I think they're GP's that are temporarily there.

Anyway, I went in because I needed some more Naproxen and mine is due to run out. I ended up going in my wheelchair because I physically cannot walk at the moment. I can't even use my crutches. I have to be helped in and out of the shower, I can't lift my arms up to put a jumper on... you get the idea.

I remember the conversion word for word. I came away feeling pathetic and useless.

He beamed at me and said "Helloo!"

Then he said "Oh no, what happened, why are you in a wheelchair? Had a fall?"

I said no, it's just my joints are incredibly stiff and I have muscle weakness. I can't walk.

He laughed and said of course you can! Have you tried ibuprofen?

I said yes, that didn't help. And no, I can't walk. I then went on to say I'd come for more Naproxen but it's on observation since it can cause stomach ulcers, and I have been coming in every so often to see my GP after a few repeats.

He said he wasn't sure I needed it, but he'd hand it over if I was certain I hadn't tried anything else to manage it

He then saw I was on tramadol and very vocally said "Tramadol!"

I said yes, for pain. He said I can't see why they've given you this. For Fibromyalgia? No no no. I think this needs reviewing.

I could quite literally feel myself welling up with tears. That medication is also under review but it's the only thing that takes the edge of some days, when things are simply unbearable.

Long story short, I came away with my prescription feeling pathetic and useless. As I went to leave, he said "should I open the door or will you stand and do it yourself? "

He had a lot of so called 'banter'

AIBU to feel so cross, or am I being sensitive? I really can never tell these days. I pass so much judgement it usually never phases me. But this feels like outright belittlement.

I just don't know what to think

What an arsehole. I would definitely complain and not see them again. I know that tramadol is evil stuff but bloody effective (although I can’t take it) but to suggest you could pop a couple of ibuprofen and walk is incredibly insulting.

I once had a gp a bit like this. I have chronic pain. I was full term pregnant and just about walking with crutches. I went for pain relief advice and while I was at the surgery my back literally went. It took me 20 mins to get to the car and it was about 20 metres away in the car park. I was the last patient and he sat and watched me shuffle to the door to his office and struggle to open it (ie I was making it up). After the birth, he refused to refer me to the pain management clinic as he could do it himself. He prescribed paracetamol and separate codeine, which made me suicidally depressed. Luckily I realised straight away and a couple of days detoxing I was fine.

Some doctors unfortunately think knowing more about the function of our bodies equals denying our experiences.

This is an excellent illustration of why patients with chronic pain need to see one doctor regularly. It can be tricky, but it's worth planning your appointments well ahead of time so you always see the same person (e.g if your GP will be off for 2 weeks, you could see them before or after their holiday, rather than seeing a locum in the middle of that period). I don't mean to suggest that this is your fault, OP, because it clearly isn't, but it may be worth scheduling appointments well in advance to avoid seeing locum doctors for your chronic pain, to avoid future upset.

He needs some training on fibromyalgia and dealing with disabled patients. He is right to not simply issue prescriptions without clarifying the need, we are in an escalating opiate problem and I say that as someone who needs far more medication for pain than you describe.

I would mention his attitude to the practice manager- they have no idea what goes on in the consolation. The last remark was offensive and crass.

Are you on proton pump inhibitors to help your stomach? Idk if these are appropriate but I trashed mine with ibuprofen and ppis help.

OP, don’t doubt yourself. I’m sorry this happened to you and you’re right it’s completely unacceptable. You’re not being over-sensitive or pathetic you deserve to be treated with more respect than this.

YANBU, and would be completely justified in complaining if you have the energy and inclination.

Totally insensitive and unprofessional. Please write to the Practice Manager and describe your experience. Bad luck OP, I've seen some wonderful locums and some ghastly ones, and I long for the day when I can actually see my supposed 'own' GP. Am on repeat prescriptions for both MH and physical disabilities, so I understand.

Is it just me who thinks "banter" is often used as an excuse for rudeness?

DaphneDiligaf
I agree.
Banter is only banter if all people find it amusing and it stops the second someone stops finding it amusing.

Too often the term banter is misused to justify bullying and rudeness.

His last sentence is shocking. Report to practice manager. How dare he say that and its not banter.

Daphne
Absolutely agreed. Usually used by males. Thus generally misogynistic.

Please complain . Conversely, I had an appointment yesterday with a doctor I hadn’t seen before and she took half an hour going through everything, prescribed some things to try again etc. Couldn’t have been nicer.

It can be hard to get the same gp every time, particularly when you reach breaking point and you can’t predidf it. I took the fitst applintment I could get.

Is it just me who thinks "banter" is often used as an excuse for rudeness?
No, it's not just you, it's a cover for a range of subhuman behaviour. It is, sometimes, admittedly, just banter - but banter depends, crucially, on both parties understanding what's happening. If the banterer is dishing it out to a banteree who feels undermined, it's crap.

In this case, I suspect the locum needs to understand that it's a high risk enterprise to engage in banter with anyone whom you don't know reasonably well, and it is really not right when you're dealing with someone who is feeling ill or distressed. What a dick. Probably not intending to be vile, but that's precious little consolation.

We hire locums (Not GPs but different healthcare) and if any of them spoke to a patient like that, they wouldn't be coming back. Definitely report this to the practice manager

Leilana - excellent post. With regular conditions and medications it is best to see the same regular Dr who understands the backstory.

Even the most sensitive new Dr can make a patient feel anxious when they rightly ask about the condition and medication and perhaps query them. It can make any patient for whom their condition and medication is a big deal feel very sensitive and almost threatened.

The manner of Doctors is a difficult thing. Of course they have different personalities and will show them, but patients can often interpret them very differently too. What one person might find friendly, another might call over familiar or rude or banter. Especially when sensitive topics and under discussion and when they are with a different person to a Dr who is perhaps well known, it's easy to feel a different manner is wrong or upsetting.

We can't tell if this Locum was insensitive or rude or inappropriate. We do know that the Op felt uncomfortable. Only she can decide if she purely felt this way because of how he behaved or if the fact it was a sensitive issue for her and seeing someone new made it difficult contributed to how she felt.

Regardless, definitely best to see the regular Dr and as said upthread, to try to book ahead so you can see that regular Dr who knows the full backstory.

Its not banter, its cruel behaviour. He was putting you 'in your place', lording it over you.

People like that appear friendly even bantering to keep you on edge and confused, wondering if its you that's the issue. It's not. It's them. They are wankers and i would definitely complain about him and ask never to be given an appointment with him again.

His comment at the end was rude. We all have sensitivity training and his end comment would be a classic example of being an insensitive dick.

I'd be pretty pissed off if I were your usual GP and another doctor was questioning the treatment I'd prescribed. What? Each GP is accountable for their actions, they can't prescribe willy nilly because that's what Dr SoandSo did.

However, a complaint to the practice manager will trigger discussion of his behaviour and hopefully be documented for his annual appraisal and five yearly validation with the GMC. Are you for real?- for for serious medical misconduct, not because he upset someone.

Don't bother complaining -he's a locum who you probably won't see again. Get on with your life and forget him. Just book with a different GP next time.

YANBU

Banter is for your friends not for patients.

How awful. Definitely complain. I'm so sorry you were made to feel that way.

I don’t see the conversation as problematic. He’s a locum and needs to make sure he’s prescribing responsibly.

I agree with previous posts that with chronic long term conditions it's best to try and see the same doc. I work in the NHS and even if a previous doctor who knows you very well had prescribed something, if it was above what would normally be prescribed or our of the ordinary, I would question it before prescribing. Even if it's been prescribed for ages, I would still be responsible for what I give in that appointment.

The up side of course, is having a fresh pair of eyes on your condition and gibkibg about alternatives or investigations which your own GP may have overlooked having been caught in a rut of already deciding what's needed.

All that aside, locum or not, he was rude and undermining. I'd raise it with the practice.

Locum is not second best to having a regular GP post as was suggested by someone previously, it's often more lucrative and gives GPs a lot of flexibility about their working hours and locations as well as being able to do other jobs in the week e.g. academic posts, private businesses, part time working.

I would speak to your own GP about it. I had to do that a while ago about a receptionist. He included it in their training schedule later that week.
My GP and I have banter but that was rude not banter. How would he like it? I think I would of told him to be grateful he wasn't in your predicament.

another agreeing with reporting to practice manager. you may be one of his 'stronger' patients what would happen if he saw someone with mental health problems, or other hidden disabilities would he -banter- bully them too ?
please make a stand - pardon the pun - and do this for yourself and others too.

grasslands yes he needs to make sure the medication is correct but the remarks about op getting up and opening a door among others ?
that that isn't probmatic ? really??

In what weird parallel universe is telling a patient in a wheelchair, that you’ve never met that they can walk not inappropriate and unprofessional chocolatewombat? Never ind the final comment.

If you have a long term condition, you shouldn’t need to rely on seeing your own GP just to get basic courtesy.