To wonder why the doctor seemed so angry with me?

[Welshey]

Hi,

Had a bit of a weird one at a health clinic today. I had an ECG which showed I had a fast heart rate. I was asked to wait to speak with the doctor.

When I went in she was really curt with me. No niceties, no “good morning” or “how are you?”, etc.

She immediately said “explain to me why your heart rate is so high.”. I was really taken aback. I said I wasn’t sure, it might be linked to a medication I am taking. She said she knows what medications I am on and that doesn’t explain it, what else could it be? I said I didn’t know but I do occasionally get alerts from my Apple Watch. She asked to look at my Apple health app. It was over in what felt like a couple of minutes and she’s will be writing a letter recommending I’m referred to a cardiologist. Chucked me out of her office without so much as a goodbye.

I am really quite shocked. She seemed so angry with me. And now that I write this, she had no consideration about how I might be feeling either. Never had an experience like that before.

I spoke to a friend and she suggested maybe the doctor thought I was taking drugs and perhaps lying about it? FYI I have never taken any drugs in my life.

That’ll bring your heart rate down, a Dr being unnecessarily angry with you 😅 How soothing.

Doctors are people too you know. Maybe she didn't feel well, didn't sleep well, had her period, had bad news etc etc. Aren't you sometimes a bit off?
I had to work recently with covid (no one to cover at all) and I was definitely more curt and less sympathetic because I felt so awful and was just concentrating on being safe.

So you’re paying for the ECG and this appointment? If you really feel quite put out by it… complain

But i just see someone who was brusque and could have been kinder but… not something to concern yourself with especially as you got a referral out it

out of interest, do you let patients know that you have covid?

Oh FFS no wonder there aren't enough doctors

Actually no. In other sectors, rudeness to the client or customer usually results in disciplinary action and unpaid bills for the organisation. Therefore other professionals tend to be courteous because if they aren't there are consequences.

@DuckBee Gosh. I do wonder if that is what she thought?! I hope I don’t give that impression 😅

If anyone else providing a service had spoken to you like that, would you have stammered out answers or would you have asked what their problem was?
I had an extremely rude doctor in hospital with my son, and I told him he was being extremely rude, that my son was a child and his patient and not to be barked at so either he could do his job with some decency or transfer us to another hospital. I don’t care how busy they are, I won’t be spoken to like that nor have my child spoken to like that. Why didn’t you ask her what her problem was, or even answer with “how should I know, I’ve just been told this, I’m worried and a little scared and I thought you were meant to be the doctor. Why are you barking questions at me and implying I’ve done something wrong?”

I doubt it. The hospital where I work were to come to work with Covid if we feel well enough to. U less working with severely immuno compromised patients. Nobody tells the patients. Hospital policy says you don’t even have to test. So most staff wouldn’t know I guess.

I wonder if she thought you had taken an illegal substance that affected your heart rate.
Not that she should have let that affect her manner or how she treated you... but still. Some doctors can be somewhat judgemental.

If you are truly a GP, burnt out of not, you will know that the reason there aren't enough doctors is a long and varied list, including lack of senior doctors to train junior doctors, the way medical school admissions are done, low pay, terrible hours and quality of life, Brexit, and an NHS that is struggling terribly. It is not because the occasional patient requests that they be treated with some modicum of decency.

If they want to quit being doctors and go work somewhere else then they’ll need to sort out how they speak to people because in any other sector, you’ll end up with disciplinaries.

Doctors aren’t Gods. They have no right to speak to anyone like that. Patients are usually at pretty low moments, scared about results, worried about what’s going to happen to them… and then they have to deal with (/‘d be polite to) dramatically rude doctors. No way.

Cross post with @DuckBee

Seriously?

The doctor didn't know what was going on in the OP's life either!

How old are you OP?

The more I think about it, the more I think you are probably right. Oh well, if she was thinking that of me she was completely wrong and I never have to see her again.

Sorry, are you saying it's OK for a doctor to be extremely rude to another stakeholder, just because they feel like it?

They can't and if another human is rude to me I shall call it out whether they are a doctor or not. I imagine the Dr wouldn't be so fucking rude to the health minister or their lead consultant.

I have noticed this recently not the tone but a doctor asking….
What do you think it could be?
I always think well I’ve asked Dr Google but been told that’s not the best idea, to consult a real doctor, so here I am!
It can be unpleasant but you’ve been referred and that’s good news.

when you say you were “invited” to take the ECG

presumably you’d expressed concern in the past and was waiting for an app?

Or was it just an invite for no reason at all?

All these people making excuses for her
Doctors can be so thoughtless and arrogant. I have to say though, I usually find GPs t to be so and doctors in hospital much more pleasant and communicative

I'm talking about NHS doctors, but if you went private I think you have even more right to be aggrieved. I'd have pushed back with something like 'I don't know why my heart rate is so high, that's what I'm here to find out.'

And the drugs theory: part of a doctor's job is not to jump to conclusions and also not to judge.

I'd put a written complaint in.

I would complain!

Private or NHS …. Her behaviour is unreasonable

She was having a bad day/in a hurry/ in a huff about something that was nowt to do with you/distracted. Could be anything really.

Id be really upset/annoyed by an experience like this. Her having a bad day is no excuse to take it out on you.
On being asked, as you were, "explain to me why your heart rate is so high" I would have said "Ive no idea - you are the doctor/health professional you tell me"
I find it sad that people on this thread are happy to accept being spoken to in that way. Its a sad reflection of our times imho.

@thanksanyway I’m 26 which probably lends credibility to the idea she thought I might have had a wild night yesterday…. Couldn’t be further from the truth

Because she is grumpy witch and this is outside her area of expertise and she is now annoyed she’s going to have to do a referral.