My GP was literally angry and told me off..

[Sofi88]

I'm losing sleep over this, so hope someone has any advice. I went to my GP yesterday, I'm 27 weeks pregnant and have been feeling extremely run down and have had achy legs for over a week. It's become so bad that I even struggle to walk up stairs. One leg has also suddenly gone very purple, due to clear veins and spider veins, that have appeared out of nowhere. I thought I might be anaemic, as that happened to me when I was pregnant with DD.

Anyway, as I got in, it was clear that he was in a bad mood. DD was with me and she wanted him to say hello to her teddy and he didn't even look at her. I told him my symptoms and he said "why are you here? You should be seing a midwife". I said my next appointment with her is in two weeks. He then went on a rant about how I was now in the midwife's care, due to pregnancy, and that I shouldn't go to the GP for things anymore. The midwife should be the first stop. Then he went on for ages about the different types of funding given to midwives, compared to doctors, and basically, in so many words, said I was taking advantage of the wrong type of funding.

I told him my midwife is very far away, so it's hard to go see her apart from the set appointments. There is no midwife in my area, and the nearest one is quite far away. When I said this, he said "this is not about what is more convenient for you". He then said that for some people it might be very convenient to go to A&E with a cold, but that doesn't mean it's right.. I asked if I could get the blood test anyway, and he eventually said "yes, but I don't see the point".

I left feeling distraught and shocked. He was literally angry! No joke! DD needed the toilet, and whilst in there with her I burst into tears, and couldn't stop crying. I tried to speak to the lady in reception, but couldn't get a word out as I was crying so much. Luckily, a female doctor happened to be in the reception at that time as told me to come to her office. I still struggled to speak, but eventually told her what had happened and she said the other doctor was wrong and that I was perfectly entitled to see the GP that day. She even said that I can come there for anything, even stuff that's pregnancy related. She understood that the midwife is far away, and said that they actually do have a local midwife, but that she's on maternity leave and hasn't been replaced.

I'm now wondering whether to formally make a complaint against the angry GP. You'd think pregnant women should be entitled to more care, not less! Anyone can become anaemic, and they are supposed to see their GP for that, so why can't a pregnant woman? How am I supposed to know what I can see my GP for, and what I can't? If I break my leg am I supposed to call the midwife? If not then how am I supposed to know where to draw the line? And how the hell am I supposed to know about the different types of NHS funding?! Or is complaining a bit over the top?

Defo go to walk in Centre (maybe mention your experience at the Doctors)! The fact that he is so unpleasant is secondary really to the fact he may have missed something important ! Try to relax and not let his attitude upset you you need your rest as a Mum To Be !

Arsehole GP. 1000000% complain, it’s not an appropriate way to speak to a patient. And he’s entirely wrong, midwives are great but they can’t prescribe medication for example hence you need a doctor. I was symptomatic of a UTI, my midwife dipped my urine and she suspected one too. So she sent the sample off, and when we got the result I contacted my GP and shared the result and got my prescription - perfect example of how it should work. What is his issue? As if you can just wash your hands of pregnant women as a GP.

Hope your leg is okay OP!

I’d get that leg looked at. Walk in centre would be appropriate. If you phone 111 for advice they’ll most likely advise you to go there, or to a and e.

Bedside manner of this doctor was bad but if he didn’t properly investigate your leg (which it sounds like he didn’t) he’s been negligent in his practice which is a lot worse. Not talking to the bear is a non-issue.

He sounds dreadful; no matter what problems may have arrived that morning, one must always present a professional face.

Do complain, I think I would in your circumstances.

I think that you need to complain.

It's not his fault that the NHS is overstretched/underfunded, but neither is it Op's!

He might have a point that if Op needs to go to the midwife then she should, even if it's less convenient, but there are ways to convey that.

Also, this wasn't a clear cut pregnancy related issue.

When I was pregnant & had bleeding after sex, it didn't occur to me to go to the midwife, but straight to the Gp.

(I'm going back a few years & afaik, you couldn't just make an appointment with a midwife).

@Sofi88 thanks for your reply, I always worry about posting on healthcare threads...
For what it’s worth I would have said hello to the teddy. Teddies are an excellent tool for making children feel at ease with a Doctor, even if (especially if!) it’s not the child’s appointment - I’ve listened to countless teddy hearts.
I think you’ve been a little unfairly judged on that score - especially as when a consultation goes majorly wrong even bits that would ordinarily seem like a minor annoyance become magnified.

Hope that you get seen today, Ok.

So now you'll be using another service when your leg should already have been looked at.

Yes, complain

He's a bully and you have to complain. He will keep on unless someone pulls him up on his inappropriate, unprofessional aggression.

Terrible behaviour, definitely raise this with practice manager. Medical professionals who treat women like this (and I’m willing to bet it happens much more to women than men) are a big issue. If people are afraid or embarrassed to see their GP there is a real risk of not getting medical help when it’s required. If he was like this with you because he is stressed then you raising it should help to get him the support he needs.

Get your leg checked, ASAP.

How awful! I remember a similar incident when I was pregnant. I changed surgeries as he upset me so much.
It’s not always appropriate to see your midwife for any health complaint, mine frequently told me to see my GP over health issues such as they couldn’t prescribe or refer to physio. Maybe in some areas they can, but as far as I understood it’s only specific antenatal care they don’t do anymore. You are still being funded as a patient. Besides, he was being incredibly aggressive and rude. Even if you were wrong, you would would just be unwell and mistaken not deserving of a rant.

Arsehole.

If he's lost the ability to extend a bit of compassion or at least behave in a civil manner then he's in the wrong job.

Lots of us have incredibly stressful jobs, but can we get away with treating our clients like shit? No.

A midwife doesn't have the expertise to deal with such a problem. A doctor does. Although GP might need to send you to hospital for more investigation. Doctor was the right call. A+E wouldn't have been overkill.

He was being an arse. You can go quite a long time between midwife appointments and I’ve had to go to the GP before for iron testing and tablets when I’ve felt like I’m deteriorating- in fact I’m pretty sure my midwife told me to do so.

"Getting someone who is clearly burnt out hauled in for disciplinary isnt something I personally would want to be responsible for, especially since ultimately you got checked as you would expect"

If he is genuinely burning out, then the OP absolutely does need to complain. It's not a kindness to keep covering up for someone who isn't coping in their role anymore, until they reach the point where they have a breakdown or make a terrible mistake. It isn't necessarily about sanctioning him but about protecting him as well as his patients.

If, on the other hand, he's just a bully who likes to take his bad days out on vulnerable patients, then OP should report that too.

As others have said please please please get your leg looked at today. At least phone for advice.

I work in the NHS and have to deal with doctors a lot (GPs, and hospital doctors from SHOs to senior Consultants). Most are perfectly charming, and reasonable human beings, and we generally get along, but the occasional one has totally bought into the stuff they get told at medical school about how important/clever/better than everyone else they are.

They're (sorry) almost invariably male, and generally quite young. HOs/SHOs can be some of the worst. They need pulling up on this behaviour and told it just won't be tolerated. We used to have a Consultant in our department that we could go to when we got shouted at by one of these, who would make sure that he would phone up their department head to put in a complaint detailing exactly what happened.

Definitely complain, he sounds ignorant and not fit to be a doctor - that's not just a lack of bedside manner, it's toxic and needs to be called out.

I'd complain. When I was pregnant my GP treated me like precious royalty. Just because you're pregnant it doesn't mean you won't need GP care - if anything you're more likely to.

It does sound like he's burnt out and possibly needs some support from the practise re mental health so do write to the Practice Manager.

But, I wouldn't have talked to you daughter's teddy either, I don't think that's an indicator of anything at all.

His behaviour was not ok. I would complain.

However, Im 16 weeks pregnant and therefore still in the care of the GP for everything - I’ve had similarly uncomfortable issues (bleeding, recurring awful thrush and urine infections...etc) but am regularly told ‘we have 40 people wanting apts today’ whilst waiting on a prescription I was told I was one of 407 waiting 🙈 - I don’t even live in a BIG city!

On several occasions I’ve even had to go to the hospital out of hours which is far away and inconvenient for me but I’ve been left with no other choice! Because of this I think it’s REALLY important that people use the correct providers. I appreciate your GP is easier for you but in reality your taking that apt could be the reason that I (who the midwives won’t deal with yet) then has to travel far away and sit for hours in the hospital!

You know what, I don't care how burnt out he is, I'd put money on him not speaking to a male patient like that.

It's just bloody bullying and resentment. It's completely unprofessional of him to go on to you about midwifery funding vs his funding. He was feeling pissed off and he found a target he felt entitled to take it out on. That's all it is.

It sounds as if something is very wrong with this GP and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not your fault that the local midwife is on maternity leave. I am sure that the other GP will speak to him about this but you should also follow it up with a carefully worded complaint. It sounds as if he is at the end of his tether so personally I wouldn't be too harsh though.

That's awful! It's horrible when stuff like this happens, it knocks your feet right out from under you. I would definitely complain. I'm thinking unkind things about him. 😡

Get your leg checked out at A&E. DVTs are serious.

If a deep vein gets blocked by a clot the blood returning up your body gets pushed into more superficial veins which causes them to swell up.