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.

Thank you everyone who took the time to reply. Apologies for starting a bit of a row!

It was her tone and mannerisms that were angry, not so much what she said. Looking back, I now highly suspect she thought I had taken something. Or maybe she was just having a bad day. I guess I’ll never actually know.

Nevermind, it’s a good thing to have had done and hopefully I’ll get some answers soon.

Have a good evening all.

I had a telephone appointment with a doctor not long ago. I described my symptoms and her response was "and what would you like me to do about it?" Really? When I finally got to see her she displayed zero professional interest and there was an undercurrent of disdain during the less than 10 minutes I was there. I might as well have been a cardboard box - an unpleasant one at that. I'm mid sixties and this was the first time I've contacted the doctor in 10 years. It really upset me and I still feel so angry.

My local hospitals have routine appointments 7 days per week.
Not all clinics but it's not unusual to get a weekend appointment.

Mine is typically really low, like in a lot of people it would be a cause for concern low. The doctor sounds as though they cut straight to the chase in asking if your heart rate is usually that high, but it came across as being accusatory. They were maybe wondering if you have a lot of stress in your life, as that might influence your heart rate being higher.

I doubt it was you OP, more likely she's having a bad day and you bore the brunt of it.

If it was something obvious, like you're morbidly obese and have the high heart rate that tends to accompany that, she could feel like her time was being wasted and want the patient to state its most likely weight related and something they could reduce with diet and exercise.

But it could be she'd just had a family member or a patient die and hasn't had a chance to regulate her emotions.

It's good to be kind, but it's also good to give people a bit of grace in case they're struggling through something you know nothing about.

The Dr was cross with you because you didn't know why your HR is so high - which is her job to figure out.

Clearly she was having a VERY bad day 😂

They're a doctor. Most of them have zero social skills I've found over the years. Probably because they've gone from school to uni to being a Dr. No life experience. No mixing with people other than patients. They could all do with a stint working in retail.

I thought the same, not really an excuse but an explanation. Some doctors have no bedside manner, some do, that's life. I would have asked if it was really necessary to be referred to a cardiologist, eg were there other factors other than the fast heart rate, high blood pressure, blood test results or whatever.

It won't hurt you to go, op, People have rapid heart rates at odd times.

Good luck.

😂sorry but I could have used the same words about an interaction earlier this year

the dr that behaved like yours with me has been consistently unpleasant over a number of apps tho so I think it’s just her personality 😂

I think we forget drs are just ordinary humans that are as capable of being nasty pieces of work as the general population.

I ask who’s on call and phone back if she’s on rotation and/or have a face to face with a different dr.

one has to remain hopeful that those drs who are overly judgemental, lack basic bedside manner or are a bit horrible to everyone, won’t cause irreversible damage to someone with their dismissive attitudes.

Very upsetting, but as others have said, some doctors ( particularly hospital ones) have absolutely no bedside manners AT ALL. Happens to most of us at some time or another.

Worst one for me was Christmas Day in 2018. 89 year old Mother was very not right and had been so for a few weeks. But nothing obvious - just very, very tired and no energy. She felt too unwell to come to our Christmas Lunch, but when we turned up at her house, she had come out in a horrible oozing rash all over her legs. Called an Ambulance and they said she needed to go to Hospital. Fair enough. She was seen in A & E and then they kept her in. Saw a horrible Doctor early evening. First thing she said was 'Why is your Mother here?' in a really accusatory tone. Like WTF? The ambulance people AND A&E staff all think she needs to be admitted because of the rash? - she didn't even know that she HAD a rash.

Guess she was annoyed at having to be on duty on Christmas Night, but her attitude was appalling. Turned out my Mother had pneumonia and it had been grumbling away for some time in all probability. The rash was oedema

Hardly think the shortage of doctors is because they’re expected to be polite to patients.

There are always posters who try and excuse brusque treatment and rudeness from medical professionals as something we should have to put up with because you know, NHS.

I had this some years ago when I was young(er) and had a really bad SVT session, so I went to my mother's GP for help.
I had been staying in a wood close to her on a protest site, and looked like it.
The doctor refused to believe that I hadn't been taking drugs. It added to my stress levels and I couldn't convince him.
I think he medicated me in the end, but his manner was awful. Doctors aren't supposed to be that judgemental.
(As it turned out, later on, woodsmoke is one of my many SVT triggers)

I got told off by the GP recently for a problem I've not made an appointment about for some time. I'm quite aware it can be mistaken for cancer but I kept trying to reiterate it couldn't possibly be anything serious, which she seemed to find very annoying! Referred immediately and phoned by the consultant the next day, bit embarrassing wasting their time really!

Some of us are a teensy bit on the autistic side; and wouldn't have "mixed" with people even given five years to do it. The medical course if full of stuff about how to be nice these days, anyway.

My ex was a GP and a nasty piece of work. Always condescending, arrogant and moaning about work. I can only imagine what he was like to his patients! Not all doctors or course, most I have met are lovely. Sorry you had a bad experience 💐

You are absolutely right, it is good to be kind. We have a professional here that is seeing a patient with a high heart rate, that patient is probably extremely worried about her health and this professional is being snappy and rude with no sign of "being kind" to a concerned patient. " being kind" works both ways.
Everything has to have an excuse these days "oh she must have been at the end of her shift" " maybe a family member died" or maybe the real reason is she is just downright plain old rude.

@Welshey do you look like you are aged 18? I tended to find till I was almost 40 people treated me as though I was a teenager. So quite probably think you've been out for a party on Saturday night.

Now I'm over 60 reverse issue, ticket inspector didn't think I was old enough for a senior railcard (which you can get at 60) . Despite looking like my photo (according to my friend) I was still asked 'is that you?' and 'are you sure you are really over 60' (surely they KNOW you have to provide proof of age when you apply?)

Oh yes @Ariela I had an F2 say to me "I'll assume you're retired as you're over 60. Er no, the UK statutory retirement age is now 68, 66 or 67 still for some of us. I won't venture into the general rudeness, incompetence and misdiagnosis. Full apology from the Trust. Evidently, I had to trust her because she'd been to medical school. No, trust is earnt.

It sounds like an entirely matter-of-fact exchange between doctor and patient. And I don't see why they should be rolling out the red carpet and buttering you up first when they have diagnoses to make and other people to help. This entire OP is a storm in a teacup. Utter nonsense.

Probably a combination of stress/busy/overworked and not the best bedside manner.
Don’t take it personally, just have to laugh about how bizarre it was!

You think saying good morning is rolling out the red carpet?

Ah someone who thinks that health professionals are entitled to be as mannerless as they like because we don't pay them directly.

This "matter of fact" way of looking at it entirely overlooks the fact that patients are human beings who don't see their ailment as part of a machine that can be fixed or not. That they might feel nervous, embarrassed or frightened.

I'm sick to death of this "NHS staff can do no wrong and we're lucky to get healthcare at all" attitude.

I didn't mention the NHS or funding or anything even remotely close to that. You're just imposing your own agenda.

I think if a doctor is clear, direct, solves your problem - or makes some effort in the direction of solving it, that's all you need.

I've spent years with doctors, private and NHS trying to solve some horrible complex medical issues. I don't need the song and dance, I just need the treatment.

But if you want to theorize without first hand experience of serious medical issues, go ahead.

For everyone pontificating on why this was on a Sunday, the OP has already explained-it’s a charity (most likely Cardiac Screening in the Young)

See my post from earlier.
They provide a really good service which the NHS doesn’t cover and they do it for free.
Please look them up and consider it if you are young, have teenagers/young adult children and also consider a donation.
As I said earlier I don’t know how the NHS feel about referrals from them.