to wonder why consultants have a reputation of being so rude???

[staydazzling]

Been in hospital a few days, nurses, midwifes, auxiliary, care staff all very keen to do their best in hard circumstances always trying to help, largely on time etc, I sadly couldn't say the same for the consultants /surgeons sadly not just in terms of taking literally hours to turn but also how i saw them speak to said, nurses, midwifes, care staff etc and patients.
I jokingly mentioned this to a relative who works cleaning and sterlising equipment, who said yes its well known sadly, your lucky if any move or say thank you for returned equipment, i just wondered why is this a thing, AIBU to wonder where did that culture of behaviour come from?

I have never found this. But people love to criticise those in positions of responsibility.

I don't have much experience of hospitals but it's avery widely known thing that consultants are rude and superior as a profession

Further, I doubt their timekeeping is poor, more than they have an impossible number of patients to see. I hope you feel better soon.

Is it because they often have to deliver bad news? Or because it takes years to get there and there is no exam in bedside manner? Or because the previous years of silly hours as a junior doctor takes its toll?

Mind you, the only one I knew in a non-work capacity was always polite.

I've never found this. My DD has a lovely consultant for a condition she has, always takes time to explain things to DD, takes an interest in her, asked her what she wanted for Christmas etc. Thanks me for keeping treatment on track as well.

Have to say I have met more charming consultants than rude ones; my dads vascular consultant was abrupt, but actually fine when I asked him to slow down and explain things; my oncology consultants were just lovely; very smiley and encouraging.
I guess they are like the rest of us - a mixed bag, who may have a bad day.

My missus is a nurse practitioner so deals with consultants most of the day, she says the majority of then are really nice, like anything in life, you have bad apples, she dont take shit from them either!

Of course you get bad apples in any profession. But it would be a mistake to allow that to justify lazy stereotypes.

One thing I will say is that people who are excellent at their jobs – in any profession – often progress to manager level, without needing to show or acquire any management skills whatsoever. It is very strange that the better you are at your job, the more likely you are to move away from actually doing it. This doesn't particularly apply to consultants, who are still very hands-on, but it may explain why some of them are not efficient managers.

I work with a number of Consultants on a daily basis.

Some of them are nice. Some of them are appalling.

The patients thing all of them are wonderful, the appalling ones just as much as the nice ones. Because they are all nice to the patients.

"Oh he's lovely, isn't he?" and I agree because what else can I say? He's a total prick to the nursing staff? So I lie. Because the patient needs to beleve in him.

Registrars are lovely. They literally change when they become Consultants and have to run their own clinics.

The workload is horrendous, but its no excuse for it.

I’ve got a lot of experience with consultants with my daughter’s condition. Virtually all lovely. One in particular is a gem.

I’ve noticed that a few times. My friend died last year after a fair while in hospital and my husband was in and out of hospital a few times last year with a few emergency operations. So I’ve spent a large amount of time visiting them last year. I’ve seen quite a few very arrogant consultants sweep into a ward with a host of secretaries and junior doctors around them barking orders. My mum has several fairly big issues that require seeing consultants at hospital too, and I’ve seen some of the condescending/hostile letters they’ve sent her GP when they’ve dared to question something they’ve prescribed that isn’t going well. Obviously I’ve also met some wonderful ones so you can’t tar everyone with the same brush, and while I’ve sat in these hospitals I’ve also seen how flat out everyone is, but I do think they can be rather lacking in bedside manner sometimes!

YABU. I’ve never found this, but people below always like to criticise those higher up and think they can do their job better than they can.

I feel a bit insulted by this because I am one.

Consultants covers a whole lot of people. It's a grade rather than a profession. I would be surprised if consultant surgeons are very similar to consultant psychiatrists or consultant radiologists. You don't make consultant and then have a personality transplant.
I refuse to believe we are all rude arseholes.

That said here is a sort of explanation:

Consultants are a very scarce resource
For every one consultant there would be numerous junior Drs and nurses. Consultants are in charge of the care of lots and lots of people so they cannot give masses of individual attention to each one. They need to operate via other people for the hands on stuff.
Their time with each individual will be limited unless it's a very complex case. Maybe that looks rude.

Especially right now if the consultant gets COVID they are much less easily replaceable than most other staff. So we have been told to reduce contacts. Maybe that also looks rude.

I do try to wash up my own tea mug etc because I am not an arsehole but it's true other people make tea for me more than I do for them. Again this is a resource issue. There is a lot of stuff I can do that literally no-one else can. It makes sense for me to be doing that and not washing up. I am very expensive to be deployed washing up or fetching things.
This is especially so if we are busy.

Right now I am in bed ill with COVID so not available to be rude or pleasant to anyone.

90% of consultants I've worked with have been lovely, but all very stressed!

I'm afraid they have the reputation they earned. I worked in healthcare for many years. Rude Consultants were more common in some specialities than others, cardiac surgeons in particular seemed to have a God complex, although I have worked with lots who are delightful; behave respectfully to colleges and patients and seem to have endless patience and the wisdom of Solomon. The timekeeping issue is workload related for some whilst others are just a law unto themselves and turn up to do scheduled tasks whenever the hell they like.

The fact that some are polite and good time keepers suggests that rudeness and poor time management are down to the individual and not the job and they get away with it because its mostly tolerated. I overheard a discussion (very thin office walls and high volume argument) between a senior trust manager and a Consultant; the Consultant was being taken to task about his appalling behaviour, he was not taking it very well. I believe the conversation ended with the consultant calling the manager a fucking wanker, stormed out, and slammed the door behind him. I suppose it's difficult to change the culture if some people believe they are untouchable.

I have 4 consultants and have seen many more for various illnesses and conditions. Approximately 20+ maybe? Out of those number, 1 is not rude and dismissive and talks to me like I’m an idiot. He was a young chap and although didn’t actually manage to help, at least I went away feeling listened to!

I have had a limited amount of experience with consultants, but in my view they’re generally really nice! I much prefer speaking to consultants than my GP as they tend to be more supportive and helpful.

I did have one gynae consultant who performed my day surgery that was a knob (she completely disregarded privacy and was very patronising!) But I wouldn’t let that colour my view on anyone else.

@dougrossistheboss do you ever manage to switch off ? I can't imagine having that much pressure in a job!

I've seen quite a lot of consultants recently, either for myself or with my mother.

I can only think of one out of about seven who's been less than lovely. Usually, they've had time for a quick bit of small-talk or shared a moment's levity.

I think it depends a lot on the person rather than all consultants are horrible.

I've had 6 hospital admissions in the past 2 months and I've had some absolutely awful nurses, really rude, short with me, waiting 3 hours for painkillers or 2 hours for my drip to be connected to my cannula when I was really dehydrated with a kidney infection. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and started bleeding last week and told the nurse who actually looked me up and down and said "and?".

I've also had lovely, caring nurses who have done everything they can to look after me.

Same with the consultants, I've seen one horrid consultant a couple of times who made nasty comments, didn't believe how much pain I was in, and I've had a lovely consultant and registrar who have done everything they can to get me better, get my operation sorted, lovely bedside manner, really kind etc.

It's definitely the person's character and not the job.

If you're working ridiculously long hours, rushed off your feet with no time to see everyone and do everything you need to do, you're bound to be stressed and shitty. Doesn't mean it's acceptable though.

There are a number of consultants in my family. I’ve never worked with them but one I have heard is difficult and I can well imagine it. He is hugely passionate about his speciality and it is his life’s work. His manner may not be great but the treatment will be the best and he can’t see beyond that. It’s a huge responsibility.

Many NHS staff are absolutely worn out now and are making huge personal sacrifices most of us don’t have to. It’s hard keeping up the niceties all the time. They are human and have bad days.

Some like my relative are just difficult people though and they aren’t just in medicine.

I have a family member that works with consultants and a few are truly lovely. Most have a God complex from what I hear.

After having had a few surgeries, I can say the kind lovely ones are also in the minority and are very far up their own arse.

@DougRossIsTheBoss get well soon

Many professions have huge responsibilities but this doesn’t excuse their superior attitude.

No. Never off. Checking and replying to work emails in my sick bed now. That's the job. It's what we signed up to and what we've always done. Bit shit for DH and the kids sometimes.

I suspect people are mostly talking about surgeons rather than all consultants here. Surgeons have a very particular hands on practical skill set and you probably should not expect them to also be excellent communicators (although some are).
I'd rather my surgeon had excellent surgical skill and be a bit blunt than the other way around.