To complain about a GP calling me this?

[lolit]

He called me a good girl while examining me. Should I complain or am I overreacting?

Is it really racism to merely comment on something pertaining to another race?

I’m all for appropriate complaints but having worked in General Practice for many years have seen some absolutely ridiculous complaints that still take many hours to deal with. One example I remember was a patient complaining he couldn’t get an appointment for an ear syringe for 6 weeks, turns out he didn’t even want to book an appointment he just wanted to make a point. Trying to offer safe effective healthcare is hard enough without having to worry about people being offended over minutiae that most people would laugh off

May I assume then that all of the GPs at your practice would laugh off being called: darlin, luvvy, mate or generally being patronised? I can imagine how a lady GP would feel if my DH were to say "thank you girly". I suspect not and respect should always be mutual. It also extends to being on time or when a GP is running unavoidably late that they apologise especially if they refused to see a patient who has been unavoidably delayed.

Patients should be able to get an ear syringe appointment within six weeks - it's miserable to be unable to hear. Perhaps yiur patient was collecting data about an unacceptable situation on behalf of all those who won't advocate for themselves. In any event many GPs no longer provide ear syringing - one had to pay for it elsewhere. I've no objection to that as it's timely and the staff are more polite. But what do the poor do? I'd have thought a simple remedy for deafness was exactly what the NHS was founded for.

May I assume then that all of the GPs at your practice would laugh off being called: darlin, luvvy, mate or generally being patronised

Consultant, and that really isn’t something I’d think twice about. I’ve been called a fucking bitch this morning already (by a patient who hasn’t turned up for any of his transplant work up investigations over the past six months, and so isn’t on the transplant waiting list).

My point is that some people are ‘looking for things’ to complain about. With the state of the world as it is I would hope people felt there were bigger issues to be upset about.
as an aside, ear syringing is quite risky and at one stage was the biggest thing practice nurses were being sued for hence why it is no longer carried out in most practices, so not quite the simple remedy for deafness it is thought to be.
the patient who complained was not advocating for anyone, just looking for something to be unhappy about which seems to be a common pastime nowadays!

That's dreadful.

I dunno, maybe there a lot of naive mumsnetters, or maybe I've spent too long on the internet, but it definitely has an uncomfortable, pornified feel to be me. But it could have been entirely innocent I guess, the problem remains that the OP was made to feel uncomfortable at a vulnerable moment- wouldn't any decent doctor want to be aware of that, so they could avoid it in future?

Of course not; making fun of foreign names, though ...

If you don’t say anything at the time then sadly I think you’ll simply come across as a bit mad.

But I do feel it is a hideous phrase and I feel the rage every time I see the advert for Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl eau de parfum.

I fear you will not cope well in a real crisis!

It was odd and inappropriate but the time to say something was at the time. I think written complaints are for major issues, minor ones you deal with at the time. I'm a GP and have some male patients call me love darling or dear which I find patronising and inappropriate and I tell them this at the time. They don't say that to male GPs in the way that this GP probably wouldn't say "good boy" to a male patient. He'd maybe had a surgery of listening to children's chests though and said it as a reflex not fully engaging his brain.

It's very odd and inappropriate. I work in healthcare and I would be really shocked to hear a colleague use those words, especially in that situation. I'd raise it myself if I heard it.

This is person will be an educated professional, absolutely they should know not to be calling someone good girl during an examination. It's inappropriate and unprofessional at best.

BobbyBiscuits · 31/12/2024 22:32

"I have never heard a medical professional saying that. It's so patronising and sexist. Imagine him saying 'good boy' to a grown adult man. It simply would not happen.
I think it's totally reasonable to say to the manager by email that isn't an appropriate phrase and that they could do with some equalities training. The practice manager needs to know and so does the doctor who said it. It's bad form and unprofessional."

Agree with this. You can complain politely.

Maybe when Drs are replaced with robots and they give stock replies you will be content. I couldn’t get worked up over this. Saving my energy to be outraged with rape gang crisis.

There isn't any new rape gang crisis. Just Elon Musk raising a two year old report to get at the Labour government.

Quite. You are stating the obvious. Nonetheless I defend my right to be outraged with regard to the rape gang crisis continually since it was exposed.

And of course the same things went on in the 20th century - but was then called a "problem of promiscuous young girls" rather than a rape gang crisis. So I suppose we have made some progress.