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 know quite a few consultants have answered all of any of you work at BCH, you rock. The rest of your are alright 😂

Can I shout out for Professor Malcolm Levine being an absolute darling? As well as being terribly august. It’s been at least 15 years since we last saw him but I will never forget his kindness in very dark times.
It matters and it makes a difference.

Oops! Malcolm Levene*

If he really has lied about qualifications then the GMC will be interested. That is exactly what people get struck off for. It's pretty easy to ring up and report and info on a website is easily provable one way or another.

PALS will always take and investigate a complaint. I mean they investigated a complaint that my 'dress was too bright and hurt the persons eyes' on one occasion. I mean I doubt the person was satisfied with the outcome but it was investigated. Literally no complaint is ever dismissed wholesale.

The mention of website makes me wonder if this is private practice though which will have less accountability structures than NHS on the whole. GMC still applies to all.

I’m not sure, but perhaps I can offer a unique point of view.

I have a condition that means I often end up in A&E for a certain kind of blood test as it has to be drawn from an artery and is the only way to ensure things are all right when I’m poorly. So I end up seeing just about every consultant from the local neurology department eventually when they’re doing their “turn” either covering A&E or the hospital, at one time or another. But THEN, I usually end up seeing them at some point in the regular neurology office, during the treatment of my condition. So I see the difference between when they’re working A&E and hospital on-call versus when they’re doing regular neurology appointments and the same consultant can be a completely different person. I mean, of course; an 8-9 hour day of appointments with a scheduled lunch, versus maybe a 24+ hour on-call shift for strokes and all sorts with possibly not even time for the toilet, are going to produce very different attitudes. I had one consultant not recognize me (I wasn’t offended) even though he’d seen me less than a week previously.

When I’m dealing with a consultant, I always ask myself: are they being rude, or just blunt? Are they being rude, or just short? Are they being rude, or just seem exhausted? Yes, I understand they have a duty of care to me, but they’re human as well, so unless they’re truly being arseholes, I try to be a bit understanding. And obviously, some of them are just arseholes, and that’s life, like any other profession. If they’re intentionally demeaning or misogynistic or cruel, though, of course there’s no excuse, and I would report them just as I would anyone else.

I have to work with them and some can be real so-and-so’s, especially surgeons. Saying that, the guy who runs our part of the hospital ( I work in critical care ) is the opposite, he always has time to talk to and encourage even the most junior staff. But yes, I’ve been shouted at and been referred to as just a “bum wiper “. You have to have a. thick skin sometimes. It’s the patients that count and I’ve seen surgeons save the life of somebody run-over by a cement mixer.

You get arseholes in all walks of life.
The consultant we see for my DD is lovely. Professional, but takes the time to make her smile and chat with her too.
The consultant we see for my DS I had to report. She was beyond unprofessional and really affected my mental health.

I used to have a consultant whom I also knew in a professional capacity. While I was his patient he was charm itself to me. To work with, he was appalling.

I've had dealings with a few and have found they were more blunt and straight to the point, than rude. Though very efficient regarding testing and care which is what I care about the most. One I came across seemed to be excellent at his job but very blunt as if he simply didn't have the time and was spread thin between others in the clinic.

I've seen a few consultants in my time and it's been a bit mixed.

I had surgery about 4 years ago and the Consultant was an arrogant prat who treated people like shit. Took great pleasure in telling him he was.

The consultant that removed my thyroid was really nice and just different to any I'd seen before. My GP knew him well and said the hospital saw him as a bit of a maverick and didn't know how to handle him. He smoked like a train in his office and did his own thing. He was also well known for being a brilliant surgeon.

The consultant I see now (well did until the gift that keeps on giving came along) is a very nice person too. He treats you as an equal, listens to you and never rushes you. My wife came to my last appointment and he gave her just as much of his time as me. I can't speak highly enough of him. Top man!

Depends. Some of them are really stressed and overworked.
The consultants I work with are really lovely and so passionate about what they do, I really admire their work. One even gave me her spare lunch delivery a couple of times.

I’ve got a heart consultant who is lovely and friendly and funny. However, when he talks to other workers it’s pretty bantery and can come across as quite arrogant, IMO.

What’s the difference between God and a consultant? God doesn’t think he is a consultant

They are a mixed bag but the ones I met during my first pregnancy put me off consultant-led care for my second one. The team I was under was rude, things were done without my consent wasn’t even asked. Others a part of the same team coerced me into an induction that wasn’t needed nor should have been mentioned (found out after I reported my care) and when I did question it and ask for more evidence of its necessity beforehand all I was told was that I was killing my baby by not going through with it despite all my tests coming back normal. It ended in an emergency c-section and a blue baby which we also weren’t told until we told them our experience. He is a SEN child. Another one yelled at us because she wanted my room while in labour even though no decision had been made or the one who yelled at my husband in front of me and other hcp because he asked her a question that I couldn’t ask (was in the middle of an contraction). I heard she was pushed into early retirement. Heard from other women that they had similar issues with consultants at the same hospital.

Second time around, had one consultant ignore my notes (if he even bothered to look at them) to try to coerce me into taking a test which I knew all about from my last pregnancy and had issues with. I had talked to the consultant midwife who had agreed it was better to take a different test which would have been more accurate. Funny enough, the consultant midwife and I had just discussed the seminars they were having about consent and pregnant women being able to make their own decisions. Thankfully, the rest of the consultants I did encounter were amazing. They listened, offered alternatives, and pregnancy was smooth compared to the last one.

I have worked with this sort of staff and I would say there is a tendency towards being 'difficult'. They were all different, ranging from lovely to .

If someone is the top x in the region, they do have more scope to be rude without fear of getting sacked.

I am, sadly, more replaceable!

My DD's consultant is a miserable cow. She's been treating her since she was born and now she's 5. I don't think l she has spoken to her once, only speaks to me about her. Everyone else at the hospital is great with engaging with her but not her consultant. Maybe I'm expecting too much that she should actually talk to her patient. She also snapped at a nurse and sent her scurrying away when she was just trying to do her job.

I work in a hospital in an AHP role. In my experience, consultants are humans, some are nice and some are not so nice, just like the rest of the population.

The consultant on our ward currently is a bit grumpy. I know he strikes fear into the heart of the junior doctor working with him. He’s always been polite to me though and as far as I have noticed he’s not bad with the patients either. Just a bit scary to the doctors working under him.

@SleepingStandingUp

And in balance I've had the odd god damn awful nurse and a snarky anaesthetist

Anaesthetists are consultants too. Still doctors.

I knew they were doctors but hadn't put them in the consultant category.

Definitely fit into consultant category. Sorry, general population are usually unaware that anaesthetics are doctors too (and a lot of hospital staff too) become a little wearing after a while.

My favourite one ran away to see here exotoc like Dubai 😭

Exotic

Somewhere

My friend is a consultant diabetologist. She is very lovely, however heaven help you if you are not sticking to your treatment plan! She can be stern when she needs to be.

I’ve only ever met delightful anaesthetist. All lovely.

When l had Dd by section the anaesthetist was just so so lovely.