To complain about doctor

[cpjoli]

I took ds 14 to the doctor with back pain today.
He asked my son to touch his toes, which he did, and said he has no problem as he can touch his toes. His mobile then rang which he answered and had a conversation in his own language while we just sat there. He then said ds is overweight ( yes he has issues he's autistic which is part of it) so to refer him, myself, to a weight management program for adults...but they might take him .
I walked out stunned and totally confused.
I've asked for another appt on Monday with another doc.

Would I be unreasonable to complain?

What would you hope to achieve?

Well if the pain is likely caused by his weight, all they can do is refer him to a weight loss service?
I think you're being over sensitive, he's busy and he did his job.

Hi OP. Would you mind, for context, explaining which bit you aren't happy about?

I think it is very rude of the Dr,or anyone else to spak in another language while someone is there who doesnt understand it

Taking a call was unreasonable but who knows maybe his phone only goes off in a real emergency? Wouldn't say it was complaint worthy.

Being overweight can cause back pain. But I'm sure that's not nice to hear. But also not complaint worthy if your son is overweight.

The phone call is a bit off.

I'm confused about the weight management thing, are they saying they can't refer him? Or that you could speed up the process by getting the ball rolling yourself?

I think the fact that your son is overweight has made you a bit defensive and sensitive.

YANBU .
GP should not answer their phone during a consultation --- it's rude and very unprofessional.
Even though he is overweight, there may be other issues causing back pain.
Even if it IS weight related you should have been given advice on how to manage the pain until son has been assessed by the weight loss team.
Please DO complain, GPs may be busy & stressed etc etc but should still give a professional service.
Hope your son's back pain is better soon.

To put it into context, I have a back problem, only diagnosed by x-ray in my late 20's, my mum has a serious spine issue only found by x-ray a few years ago. For him to just say touch your toes then pronounce he's fine just doesn't sit well.
I warned my ds it was his weight before we went in, I'm not sensitive at all...I'm fully aware of his weight issue and do all I can to support.

I was given a card for weight management and told basically that they might help.
I think for me the phone call just topped it off.

OP, the phone call is a bit off, but I wouldn't complain about it as it's unlikely it will go anywhere or be taken seriously. I don't think I would complain at all if I was you, but if you are concerned the doctor hasn't taken your problem seriously and you have a history of back problems (did he know about this?) then I would POSSIBLY ask to see another doctor.

To be honest, it sounds like what he did was correct, he just didn't go about it in the right way. Your son needs to lose weight and it is likely a good thing that he heard that from a doctor. It's rare that an expensive scan will be done immediately for a young person with back pain who has a bit of extra weight on them. I suggest you take up the plan of weight management and help your son to take control of his weight. Hopefully his back will improve. Give it a few months and take it from there?

Of course if it gets worse then absolutely go back and get a second opinion, however it sound like although the doctor wasn't the most professional, he was right...

The doctor certainly shouldn't have answered his phone during your appointment so that alone is worth a conversation with the practice manager.

WRT the back pain, it depends if it is related to his weight. Being able to touch his toes doesn't necessarily mean nothing is wrong, depends very much on where in his back hurts and what movements cause more pain.

However, if it is weight related then all that can be done is look at ways to reduce his weight.

At the end of the day your son has gone in with a problem he hasn't asked any questions he hasn't done any examination and then to top it off he's probably answer the phone to his wife and spoken in his own language then proceeded to tell you that your son is overweight personally I am overweight the only time I get a sore back is when I do a lot of cleaning or picking up my daughter constantly! I would complain because regardless of whether he thinks you're son is over weight he should've still done an examination and asked questions and he should not be answering his phone whilst in an appointment especially if your son has autism....

what is the serious back problem you and your mum have?

Okay - what if the phone call had been from a hospital consultant or surgeon that he needed to get an urgent call back from?

They might be on mobile phone number terms.
You don't know what was said.

Might have been confidential?

YANBU, he was tactless at best and exceptionally rude at worst.

Assuming that the pain is mechanical and is weight-related, it may have been best to say "look, we'll take a systematic approach to his back pain; we'll start by looking at common issues such as weight and soft-tissue injuries, and if there's no improvement we can look at a referral to physio or a scan. I'm reassured that there's no troubling symptoms, but to be on the safe side come back and see us in about a month."

However, to be so abrupt AND to answer the phone call, then proceed to speak in a language that you don't in a fairly intimate setting is really rather ignorant. I'm not surprised you're unhappy and if nothing else, it will mean he may think twice before doing it again.

The doctor could well be on call, so need to answer your phone - a lot of doctors in our region use mobile phones for official on call routes by switch board.

If your son is overweight, that could well be making worse any issue. What would you rather have dangerous and unnecessary investigations / surgery or help your son lose weight?

he doctor could well be on call, so need to answer your phone - a lot of doctors in our region use mobile phones for official on call routes by switch board.

Then he would have spoken English!

The doctor sounds sloppy and disinterested. Unless your son is very obese, the weight wouldn’t necessarily be causing back pain at that age. It tends to come on later after years of being overweight.

If you have a family history of spinal problems, he should have examined your son properly and not just got him to touch his toes.

The phone thing is a bit rude, but not much you can do about that. I find this type of treatment is prevalent in the nhs - consultations are far more professionally conducted if you’re paying privately. I receive better service at the vets than I do at my gp surgery.

The doctor sounds a bit average but personally, I don’t think it’s worth a complaint. Strangely enough, I’ve recently had a couple of doctor appointments when they answered their phone and spoke in another language. However, both times they explained briefly who it was and why they answered.