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 remember when DS was a baby and had severe eczema, which the GP couldn't get under control, we decided to go privately to see a dermatologist. The GP recommended someone at the local private hospital whilst at the same time telling me who to avoid on account of his poor manner and attitude. When I remarked that surely he wouldn't be rude to his private patients she replied " don't bank on it". When I rang to make the private appointment there was a 6 week wait to see lovely consultant but rude consultant could (not surprisingly) fit us in the following week!

The last one I had to see for my dd was pretty brisk and charmless, although completely professional and competent. The latter matters more to me.

My lovely consultant nearly killed me. Brusque and rude consultant saved me life and sorted me out completely.

It's not all about people skills, and having relatives who are nurses as well as consultants, all are stretched but often consultants have far greater responsibility as well as physically impossible tasks, it's an insane amount of stress, especially right now.

Give people a break.

I imagine it is like any profession - you get good ones and bad ones. That certainly is backed up by my own experience. I have encountered some lovely consultants, although I do remember one who swept into the consulting room, white coat flying, surrounded by his acolytes - students I imagine, but he never actually told me who they were - and told me that my health problems were all due to childbirth and nothing to worry about. He got a bit shirty when I told him that the last time I had looked I hadn't actually had any children. His acolytes were all smirking though!

I’ve met far too many consultants because of my situation (stillbirth with first DD and nearly lost my life), numerous other surgeries and paediatric consultants.
I’ve never ever found one to be rude.
Some are amazing.
On the other hand, the consultant that was my “favourite”, who was wonderful etc etc touched me inappropriately and has ruined my faith in the medical profession, the NHS and has cost me a fortune in therapy

I work in a hospital (admin) and have done for many years, having got to know plenty of doctors. Most of the junior ones are pretty polite and humble (and if they aren't, it really doesn't look good for when they are more senior!). As a broad generalisation, consultant physicians are generally more pleasant than consultant surgeons, and the consultant oncologists I've encountered have been universally kind, patient and compassionate (fortunately given what they are dealing with). Yes, the female surgeons I've known have been particularly nice people, and one is one of the kindest people I've ever known. Most consultants are pleasant to patients at least (to their faces anyway). I often think nurses and receptionists get a tougher time from the doctors than those of us in back offices - largely because by the time they are interacting with us the pressure has usually subsided a bit. The worst behaviour I've seen has been from consultants to junior doctors who they feel aren't up to standard or are bothering them unnecessarily. I don't think I've met one that I'd describe as an out-and-out arsehole. The one with the shortest fuse was never nastily personal, just very impatient under pressure and always visibly contrite later. The one I like least has never been actively unpleasant to me, I've just seen him be icily sarcastic to others, but even he can be fairly friendly on occasions.

It is the consultants ultimate responsibility for all decisions life and death included. That is the worst most stressful thing about it.
I mean it's accepted. It's what we are paid for but it is a huge responsibility.

Whoever else makes a mistake nursing staff, junior Drs whoever the consultant is in charge of the care and expects to be held responsible.
If it's external conditions that are the issue you'll be asked why did you not whistle blow or refuse to work or somehow improve things.
If it's someone junior who makes a mistake then why did you not train and/ or supervise them correctly?
If it's the patient themselves who was reckless even then why did you not predict that or explain to them properly or discharge them too soon?

The buck will always stop with the consultant and often the Trust (whilst making supportive noises) will throw them under the bus if a major incident occurs.

Maybe that's why we are not always mega cheery?

The fear of a huge COVID outbreak has been a constant worry for me since Feb to add to the usual fears that something bad could happen. It has been like an extra looming stress all the time for months and months. It has definitely affected my level of cheeriness at work.

Incidentally, as a patient and relative of patients, I've encountered some very snappy and unhelpful nurses rather than doctors. Some have particularly little time for patients with mental health problems -possibly forgiveable in a physical health setting, but a few in a psychiatric inpatient unit where I was visiting!

@Sexnotgender, in 10 years I've seen 3 different orthopaedic consultants and they have all been lovely. Approachable, polite, friendly and when I have seen them interact with other staff, they have been respectful.

This has never been my experience, and I have had a lot of dealings with hospitals.

Every consultant without exception has been great. Can’t say the same for nurses or doctors, although on the whole they, too, have been great.

I used to work with a consultant psychiatrist who was a complete and total arsehole. 'God complex' doesn't even cover it - he was utterly vile.

Diagnostically, he was excellent. Yet never a day went by without at least 3 service users leaving his office in tears.

Having a hopeless junior Dr is very stressful because

A) you have more work yourself because you have to keep a close eye on them and invest time and effort bringing them up to standard

B) you constantly fear they may make a bad error and at the least damage your reputation, cause complaints or worst harm someone so you are on edge watching out for it

If they are really bad and are under some kind of GMC conditions or local conditions then a tonne of paperwork and assessments are required (good thing for patient safety, bad thing for efficiency)

OTOH if you have good trustworthy juniors it is marvellous. Either way you can only keep them for 6 months and then it's Russian roulette who you get next.

I am generally not known for shouting but some icy sarcasm or just resigned sighing may happen if under pressure and not very good junior ballses something up that I have to rescue or just doesn't do the job at all.

I guess that short of doing something actually dangerous or incompetent, they're not really accountable to anyone. For some people that makes them arrogant and unbearable.

Also the training doesn't help, they start off as the lowest of the low, and it takes a lot of ring kissing and hard graft before they reach the top. Meanwhile they may encounter unpleasant consultants themselves and think that's how they're supposed to be.

My consultant was actually amazing when I was pregnant I can not recommend him enough.

With everything that’s happened this year I had no midwife appointments apart from my booking in app. As this was my first baby and knew about the no midwife apps, he always made me feel at ease, had me laughing, spoke to me like a human not a pregnant lady, called me several times not for anything other than to check in and see how me and bump were doing was there anything I needed or did I need him to explain anything and when I had my dd, he was doing the rounds on the ward and came and seen us both. Absolutely amazing guy and every other women I’ve spoken to who has had him has said the same. They are definitely not all bad.

@BeautyGoesToBenidorm
That's truly shocking. I get that it must be a particularly difficult and stressful specialty (and underfunded and without necessarily a lot to feel optimistic about) but given how sensitive patients are in that situation it's inexcusable to behave like that.

@DougRossIsTheBoss
I can imagine that's true. I was rather thinking of a male consultant intimidating an obviously under-confident, conscientious and anxious woman registrar, which seemed pretty unfair.

I work in a hospital and most are lovely and excellent at teaching/ explaining things.

We are definitely accountable

To the GMC ultimately
To the hospital trust as our employer
And the chief executive, medical director and head of department underneath that
Work rate and outcomes are increasingly scrutinised as well as patient satisfaction
We are required to collect patient and colleague feedback for revalidation and to have annual appraisal
Whilst there is a fair bit of freedom (as surely there should be for very highly trained people) If you are not practising to NICE guidance, up to date evidence and local policy them questions will be asked.

Things are a lot more regulated than they were 5 or 10 years ago.

There is a certain ring of truth to that joke about what’s the difference between god and a consultant ...god doesn’t think he is a consultant. In practice they have all the same foibles as the rest of us both good and bad and the nature of the role demands a huge level of confidence in your own judgement. Easy to see how that can tip over into arrogance in some

I think that is true that you need to project confidence and maybe that looks arrogant sometimes

No-one wants the consultant to look/ be unsure of the decision in an emergency or serious scenario. It's been debated, opinions vary then all eyes turn to you 'what's the decision'. You have to say confidently 'this is the plan'

I mean you should ideally do that after you have listened and by consensus but if there's no time then they just need to do as you say and not ask qs.

Sometimes I do not believe in myself as much as I put out but it would be damaging for the team to know that.

Weird that how some people are nice and others aren’t?
I had a lovely consultant, he’s retired now sadly, but always had time, if he saw you in the department he’d stop and chat to you by name (amazing as he’s a world leader in the field and incredibly busy). My mums orthopaedic and Gaston consults on the other hand were a pair of walking stereo type. Rude, dismissive, patronising.

The worst one I ever met was at a one stop breast clinic. I saw about four doctors that morning, three of them were lovely and recognised they were seeing a room full of very worried women. Mr Scan did not say hello, did not speak to me, explain what he was doing, or what he could see as he wizzed his scanny thing over my suspect breast. Eventually the nurse leaned over and told me I could leave, I made sure I went right up to Mr Scan as he looked at his screen and said, “ thankyou for seeing me, it’s been really lovely to meet you” . He looked confused, I don’t think he thought women with lumps on their tits could speak. The nurse smiled and winked at me.

It was a cyst btw. One of the nice people drained it.

@DougRossIsTheBossfor you.

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