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.

My father was a retired GP, with Alzheimer’s when he was in hospital a couple of years ago. He was titled Mr until I pointed out his qualification. As a result he was spoken to with the assumption that he knew about medical matters and he was a lot less confused and distressed. It really, truly mattered. Some of the staff were trying to be kind but were in fact patronising in their assumptions.

Then you should be Doc/Doctor insert name here and not Dr. at all...

I am a medical doctor. Speaking, I would refer to myself as Doctor Smith. On my door at work, as for all my colleagues, it says Dr. Smith because that is the internationally accepted abbreviation.

Most doctors I actually know do also have PhDs so why are you the odd one out?

Seriously? Are you in the UK? I have worked in medicine for almost 30 years and I don’t think I’ve met a single medical doctor who has a PhD.

I’m not a medical researcher. I don’t do research. Why on earth would I need a PhD?

I have a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. Like every single doctor who works at my practice.

It's irrelevant what the status of the title "Dr" is, whether honorary for a medical doctor or the result of a PhD. The relevant point is this, in the OP:

The nurse was adamant she would change it to Miss but not Dr and no matter what DH or the [lady] herself said...

That's an example of an HCP deciding something contrary to the patient's wishes. It's either complete ignorance or wanton arrogance. Quite frankly, I'd hate to be looked after by an HCP with an attitude like that.

Yes MeAgain, but it’s also considered rude to ask a lady her age. And yet, ladies in hospital will be asked for their date of birth on a frequent basis.

It’s all about identifying the correct patient. Christian names are necessary for this so need to go on the board. Titles are not necessary & are easy to get wrong (as the OP shows) so don’t go on the board.

That said, if a patient asked me to use their title then of course I would whenever possible.

I've got a ton of medical docs in the family and indendent is right.

On letters from hosp or whatever it always says Dr. So and so.

And unless a medical degree is a PhD then they def haven't got phds

It's considered rude to ask a lady her age?

Wow I don't know where to put that. Are you serious? That's quite funny

Absolutely! I’m quite surprised you’ve never heard of that before!

@Popc0rn I agree , working in a hospital I always just use first and last name, no title.

If I saw Prof or Dr on my list, I would call them in with first and last name as with all other patients. I never assume they're in the medical profession either.

But if someone told me their preference. I would oblige , no question, once all the formalities are over! I can't say I've ever noticed someone's title over their hospital bed, more likely a nickname or shortening of the patients name.

I have heard it before as a joke.

It's incredibly old fashioned!

If they weren't using anyone's title, then that would be fine.

But they are using titles. And they're using an incorrect title for her! I'd be livid. 'Dr' is the only title you can actually earn, and it means a lot for obvious reasons.

Complain to PALS. Very poor.

Dh has dr on his passport etc because he earned it, and yes when he had an op, it said dr on his wristband (he wasn't in long enough to have a bed!

Several people have mentioned titles on passports...

I didn’t think passports had titles? Mine doesn’t. It’s just firstname lastname.

It’s no joke.

And only as old fashioned as the assumption that older people feel it’s too informal to be addressed by their first name.

I have to ask patients for their name multiple times every day (for medication etc) and all reply “Barbara Jones” none will say “Mrs Jones, Miss Jones” etc.

When it comes to age, I find that generally ladies will either be reluctant to give me their birth year - or tell me their age whenever I speak to them .

In our local hospital they put the Drs name the patient is under the care of on the bedhead, so l am wondering if it said Dr on her name card it may have confused matters .

I didn’t think passports had titles? Mine doesn’t. It’s just firstname lastname.

Allowed titles go on the observations page.

People with PhDs do use their titles! I once (while working in recruitment in the NHS) set up a new starter who used the title Dr. Problem was (imo) they were a low level clerical assistant- that must have caused confusion in a hospital!

We also have a teacher who uses his title.

It's not an assumption that some old people find it too informal to be addressed by first name.

I know some.

I am also flabbergasted at this 'ladies' business I've genuinely only ever heard it as a piss take.

I'm happy to accept that some older people don't like sharing their dob with hcps though if you say so.

*I didn’t think passports had titles? Mine doesn’t. It’s just firstname lastname.

Allowed titles go on the observations page*

Just googled. You have to request it and send in your evidence with your application. It wouldn’t be included with a standard application.

Cba with that. I only use dr when i can’t avoid using a title. Hate miss/ms/mrs! Except when dealing with banks and misogynistic men- the former gets you more money and the latter makes them treat you like an intelligent being rather than a stupid woman.

The NHS makes a point of advocating for oldet patients to be addressed as their right title. This poster is all over my local hospital : www.google.com/search?q=my+name+isn’t+sweetie+or+dearie&client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&prmd=sinv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjb4Y_GzO7gAhXCSRUIHfAZAnMQ_AUoAnoECAwQAg&biw=320&bih=454#imgrc=eWluxTN8YIBFUM

How about Doctor Octopus

In most circumstances, I'd say yes, absolutely, that's her title, use it. Address her as Dr XYZ.

As a patient in a hospital, I'd kind of understand if they were not doing it so as to avoid confusion vs one of "their" doctors, but what's decribed smacks of bloodymindedness more than any logical reason!

"Luckily" my father was technically a surgeon so gets "Mr" rather than "Dr". I think if he were properly titled "Dr", this sort of thing would have led to a serious grumpy-old-man routine when he was in hospital for an op a while back, he already wasn't best pleased at being told what to do and being poked and prodded! He was begrudgingly complimentary about them doing a decent job on his stitches though!

My dentist lists himself as "Dr" rather than "Mr", which is "wrong" to me.

On the "old people and titles" thing, while it's not all of them, I think it is more prevalent. My friend's mother is "Mrs X" to me, and I've known her for nearly twenty years!

We’ve had the exact same issue with my mum. When she was younger in hospital she would sometimes get ‘Dr’ but now she’s elderly, and still very well known in area, never gets the title.
I also work in hospital and always call Katie this whatever they prefer.

I think they should have used dr if she wanted them to. When I was an inpatient I was avoiding anything that made it more likely for the other patients to guess my profession, especially when I was admitted to my own hospital. I would strongly recommend avoiding using dr in this context. This woman will have worked through a long period of snide comments about "the lady doctor" - we're not nice lady doctors, we're doctors who happen to be women.

Oh and for the record they always referred to my elderly dad as Dr

I think that there needs to be a little bit if common sense applied here. The woman is a retired dr so call her that. I object to a consultant calling me Bella but saying he is Mr Smith.

If you refer to yourself as Dr when you speak to a patient then you also need to address them formally.

Ffs the staff have more important things to worry about
Also calling her Dr breaks confidentiality.

What on earth are you talking about?? It's her title. It's not confidential, ffs. And it's also not difficult for staff to get this right.