To think the hospital were wrong not to use this lady's correct title?

[PumpkinPie2016]

A friend of my husband has recently had a short stay in hospital (a few days). This last is well into her 80's now but worked her whole life as a doctor. She was the first female GP in our area and has an MBE and, as you can imagine, she worked incredibly hard for her qualification and during her career. As a result, she of course has the title Dr.

When my husband visited her in hospital, he noticed that her name on the board was down as Mrs X rather than Dr X. My husband pointed out to the nurse that Dr X had never married and so her title wasn't Mrs but Dr (he was very polite about it!). The nurse was adamant she would change it to Miss but not Dr and no matter what DH or the last herself said, the nurse would only change it to Miss. The following day, a different visitor pointed it out to a different staff member but again it was left as Miss.

Over the 4 day stay, the title varied from Mrs to Miss, back to Mrs then Miss and finally Ms. All of this lady's identification, labels from pharmacy medication, medical records etc have her title as Dr.

Now, I know that in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal and there are bigger things to worry about in the world, however, I can't help but think that it's hugely disrespectful to deliberately give someone an incorrect title? I also cannot fathom what the problem was with giving her the correct title?

So, can any hospital staff shed any light? And AIBU to think that they should have used her correct title.

I'd suggest you advise the next visitor to go in with a board pen, wipe off the incorrect title and replace it.
It's her name.

She may also, whilst practising as a GP and having been qualified, not actually be educated to doctoral level but to postgraduate level in medicine

Still 6 years of bloody hard graft!

It's not breaking confidentiality her file will have that on too my file is mrs x formerly miss y if they were confirming my meds and looking for mrs y they would have a problem because it's not my fucking name

Usually patients are called by their christian name and surname in Hospitals not MR, MRS, MISS, DR, LORD,LADY,SIR etc.It doesn't matter, everybody is treated the same !

@caspergutman Medics in the UK are qualified as "Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery" or equivalent, but this has the same status as an American MD qualification and doctors routinely and formally use the title "Dr." with or without an additional research-based higher degree.

You've misunderstood my post. I'm well aware of what it takes to gain an MD in the UK - my PhD supervisor held both an MD and a PhD, as did various of my colleagues. What I'm saying is that although many people qualified in the UK to practice medicine do use the title Dr, unless they have the title MD it isn't necessary to use that title and some choose not to. What we're saying isn't actually contradictory so I've no idea why you chose to add to what I'd said and declare that it isn't right.

I am amused though by the number of people referring to this woman as a lady. Lady actually is a title and unless the OP is about to dripfeed something, I don't think she's a member of the gentry or aristocracy.

@PumpkinPie2016 - all this seems to stem from what your DH thinks she should be called - I cant see anything in your posts where the lady wants/demands/asks to be called "Dr" ?

Frankly as staff generally introduce themselves by first name and call everyone by their first name, colleagues, visitors and patients alike, any title is pretty much defunct.

*I am amused though by the number of people referring to this woman as a lady. Lady actually is a title and unless the OP is about to dripfeed something, I don't think she's a member of the gentry or aristocracy.(

That is a very patronising comment.

It's her title, how weird that the hospital wouldn't use it!

In the same way I'd expect my husband to be referred to as Rev. rather than Mr.

Not the hospitals decision to change the ladies title.

Was she bothered or were you bothered on her behalf? Only asking because she may not have wanted to use it.
DH is a Dr and as such we have a large circle of dr friends, a large proportion of them will use the title in some circumstances but not others.
DH wouldn't use it when I was pregnant or in hospital because he said staff treat you differently and often assume you know more than you do (he's an expert in his specialism but funnily enough hasn't done any obstetrics since he was a young junior dr) which can be really unhelpful.
He also won't use it when flying because although he will volunteer in an emergency, you often get hassled with non emergencies (passenger feels air sick, feels dehydrated ) and get tied up with paperwork which ruins your trip.

Still 6 years of bloody hard graft!

Which is why I made it clear I wasn't knocking her achievement.

Of course she could be called what she wishes to be called. Basic requirement of patient care!

I'm a bit surprised you say 'She was the first female GP in our area' unless this area is very small of course. I've a relative who would be 120 were she still alive and was a qualified doctor. Did it really take forty years to reach 'your parts'? Or did all the qualified women just leave and never return after medical school?

My mum is Mrs first name, middle name, surname.

For her whole life she has been known by her middle name. Not her first name.

Think Mary Jane Smith, known as Jane.

She was in hospital and the fucking nurses kept calling her Mary, then getting annoyed she wasn't responding and putting down she was confused. Every day, we would write KNOWN AS JANE on the whiteboard... and then the next day is would be back to Mary Smith only.

Such a small thing, but hugely impacted on her experience.

I was a nurse for many years till I had to leave due to ill health. I’d say one of the most important things is for the nurse clerking a patient in to ask how a person wishes to be addressed. I looked after a fair few health professionals who didn’t want the other patients toknow their work/profession. For obvious reasons. So many of the doctors preferred not to be called Dr. OP, did the staff ask the lady how she wanted addresses? The rest is just guesswork. Another point - first names. The world is dead casual these days. Many nurses call patients by their first names. Most have never asked the patient his or her own preference. Some patients prefer to be Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, whatever.

The title Dr used by medics is an honorary title bestowed on physicians way back in the mists of time. So technically when they retire they should revert back to Mr Mrs Miss or Ms. My title of Dr is nit honorary and was bestowed on me when I gained my PhD and therefore stays with me for ever. My son has a BSc in medicine and MBChB - batchelor of medicine and batchelor of surgery - so no doctorate and no Dr title

That is a very patronising comment.

Oh well. I think it's funny on a thread about correct titles that people are bandying the title "lady" around.

I hate having my title doctor on most of my identification, (besides the fact I'm now a Mr again).

People ask you stuff, when you pay for things, they make assumptions about how much you can afford, and when I've been a patient, I've been very keen to make sure that my job doesn't garner any preferential treatment.

@PumpkinPie2016 “she is definitely educated to doctoral level.”

So she has a PhD as well as a medical degree?

My DH is Doc T Brexit but had his 'Doc' title removed from his passport after he was asked to help in a medical situation on a plane. His only medical qualification is the first aid badge he got in cubs. He only uses his title when he's working.

Would they have called a lord or sir-mr. No of course they wouldn’t her title is just that-hers to choose. I would contact pals to ask why her chosen title wasn’t used.

@dudsville Not true. The Dr title is given to medical doctors as a courtesy. Google it, you’ll see!

contact PALS? all they need to do is ask the patient what she would like to be called, change her name board, notes etc. If she is unhappy she can speak up for herself surely, it's a lot better than being called sweetheart or darling which seems to be the preferred address in a lot of places.

Oh well. I think it's funny on a thread about correct titles that people are bandying the title "lady" around

Lady is also a descriptive word though - it's not just a title.

no matter what DH or the last herself said,
I think "last" here in the OP is a typo for "lady", which suggests that the patient herself DID ask for her name to be written as Dr – it's not just at the husband's insistence, as some posters have been asking.

(Nb. Also find all the "lady" stuff odd, but not just in this thread. What's wrong with the word "woman"?)

I make sure I'm NOT Dr on my medical notes. I want to be a patient and be treated as a patient if I'm in hospital. When ill and vulnerable I want someone else to be making the medical decisions (unless they are wrong when I bring them up to speed on my job pretty quickly )

For those asking, her preference is to be called Dr - she has never gone by any other title.

Did she want the hospital staff to call her Dr though? It's entirely possible that she didn't want to be called Dr while she was a patient. Have you asked her?