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.

👏Most healthcare places I go to, they have posters all over the place talking about how patients should treat the staff with respect and courtesy.
Fine. As long as the staff return the respect and courtesy.

Absolutely- there is actually some accountability when money has to change hands directly from client to practice.

Only this week I had a mix up with the bill from a recent consultant appointment- the practice billed me incorrectly and when a phoned to enquire admitted fault and reduced the bill.

I’ve never had an apology for poor care or service from the NHS. Not even when they messed up my prescription because it was written down incorrectly and refused to believe me when I told them.

A quick glance at my records would have found this to be the case but no. It dragged on for some time until I finally made an enormous fuss to the practice manager. It was swiftly resolved but certainly no apology.

My first thought is she thought you had taken illegal substance - even if that had been the case, she was rude.

Could be just poor bedside manner, could be thinking you’re faking in some way, I had a good dose of both recently as I was in and out of the doctors/hospital a lot before cancer was diagnosed. It’s pretty upsetting, I’ve had some ugly cries.

"Doctors shouldn't talk to patients as if they were a piece of shit on the ground"

"What absurd demand and entitlement"

There are many reasons - bad day, tired, felt ill, bad news or maybe she’s just a grouch. Either way, I am sure it wasn’t you. Wish you luck with your referral.

Lots of people saying she was rude, but all she seems to have done is omitted to say good morning, please sit down. Apart from that, she was abrupt, but I don't see rudeness. (I'm the type to often forget the social niceties myself, though.)

I had a preop last week and Ive never been treated so badly ever. Nobody introduced themselves, nobody smiled I felt like a piece of meat. It was awful. Sit there do that, get up.
I've worked in the NHS for 45 years and live never treated anyone like that. Not ever.
I get staff are super busy but so am I and I still take a minute out of my day to introduce myself, smile and make people feel comfortable.
I feel it's a lost skill these days.

Burnout GP,

I appreciate you may be burnout but it is not fair to take it out on other posters or be rude to patient. Working in health care is stressful but that is down to our government.

How did this doctor actually talk to her like she was shit though? There was no insult, just a curt manner.

We had a GP like that. No bedside manner, no sympathy, but most people liked him because he was efficient and didn't run late!

With all due respect I do pay for my healthcare. I just don't pay for it directly when I use the NHS and that is the problem.

Please don't infer I am talking bollocks in relation to disciplinary action. I am an HR Director in another sector. It happens all the time.

I am mystified at how someone is highly qualified as a GP, in the top 5% or 10% of the country's population educationally and financially, can be quite as exquisitely rude and dismissive as you. Oh, let me think, it's because you are a doctor and therefore think you can speak to people as you wish and have no accountability.

Actually, I'm very much looking forward to having to pay for my healthcare at all times rather than having ever to deal with the NHS where the staff seem to think we are all getting something for free and should be grateful for sub-optimal care because of it.

My DH, when working commercially as a barrister, would simply not have been paid if he had been rude to a client and the work would have dried up. FACT. When the NHS ends, lots of doctors will find their working lives change greatly.

Vive la revolution!

Skipping social niceties will make you come across as rude to many people, even if you’re not rude and the intention to be rude isn’t there.
I do a very stressful job and face endless abuse. No matter how bad my day, tone and body language and the social niceties are important to me….even if I’m internally I am screaming ”why am I saying good morning when you grunted at me and I am trying to help you. I am exhausted and my head hurts and I’m hungry and I have so much admin to do” Not saying I am perfect and I definitely get it wrong but overall, IMO working with people means putting on a polite face even when you don’t want to.

End of the shift?
And that’s ok to treat a patient like this??

Nope nope. Not ok by any means. Ever..

I think I would feed that back via whatever provider organised the appointment for you. It’s not ok to be spoken to like that. You needed more information and understanding. She needs to do some work on herself. Doctors have to complete 360 feedback, ask that this is included in her next submission.

My experience is a lot of GPs are like this. Very abrupt and dismissive - don’t take it personally OP

I had a very friendly doctor tell me it’s all stress and to not visit my gp or a cardiologist again if I get symptoms. (I had a heart rate of 150). Chest pain, fainting. He only did one ecg. Said I didn’t need more tests. Said I should seek therapy and get on anxiety medication

I was later diagnosed with ist!

but he was so nice and had such great manners

after this I no longer care how nice the doctor is as long as they doing their job

honestly every gp at my clinic has been like this.

maybe it’s her op, maybe she is going through something in her life, bad day, maybe she has pms, she’s unwell

and I mean, being a doctor doesn’t mean she can’t have some kind of personality disorder or just be a rude asshole

With that attitude, I think I would have been hard pressed not to respond with a rather tart, "isn't that your job?"!

I’d advise you to take some time off.
As per your name you’re clearly burnt out and not able to think clearly.

Im sure you’ll remember about all the bedside techniques you’ve been told, what your supervisors taught you about them (and their importance) and maybe about the role play you did with medical actors.
And you’ll know how ot just isn’t possible to just shelve bed side manners and treat patients the way the OP has been.

Yep.
And it’s not right.
Because it outs people off going to see them.
And important and serious things are getting missed.

Usually I’d agree, but in this case the doctor was rude to the OP?

I'm in the same sort of job and most of the time I'll get the tone right despite thinking things like you said. Sometimes I get it wrong or just skip straight to the point.

I do think social niceties are important, but I don't think missing them out is equivalent to "speaking to people like shit" like some people on the thread are suggesting. As important as social niceties is a little tolerance in the situations when they're missing: maybe this person isn't always like this, maybe you were just one of the unlucky ones.

@BurnoutGP I hope others, like me, have concluded that you are possibly quite unwell. I think many of us know the cobblers son is often badly shod. In that vein I would urge you to see your GP and seek some clinical help.

I hope you get an appointment swiftly, that the receptionists aren't too obstructive and that the doctor you see is understanding and kind.

She shouldn't have chosen a job that doesn't close for the weekend.

I imagine in was a screening to check for potentially fatal arrhythmia’s in young people- they are mobile and run up and down the country funded by charities.

I've had a Dr ask for my diagnosis my "reasons" why my blood tests have come back how they have I asked one to pay for my medical school education unless they thought it was something that couldn't wait a few years (they laughed and apologised said they believed I hadn't been taking my medication correctly) another one I said Google says I'm dying I was hoping you would have a more positive outlook...

Not everyone has a good bedside manner friend of mine became a surgeon because theirs was so bad fortunately they are an excellent surgeon