My doctor doesn't "do female problems"

[Polkadotbikinininii]

Phoned to book a Dr's appointment for my daughter about her periods. After going through triage with the receptionist (for literally 10mins) I was told that the Dr who is on this week "doesn't do female problems" and I need to phone back next week to make an appointment with a different doctor. I can't book that appointment today though.

Can you imagine a female dr deciding she doesn't want to deal with problems potentially affecting half the population?!

On the other hand, at least he won't be dismissive or try to mansplain

I mean if that’s not their specialism that’s not their specialism.

I don’t see what the issue is? I remember having to see a doctor as an emergency to deal with a gynaecology issue. I insisted on booking with a female doctor but she was not one who dealt with “women’s healthcare”.

And honestly - she was fairly useless.

It’s probably be worded wrong. Like when you can only book certain doctors for contraception because that specific doctor is more knowledgeable.

A lot of confected outrage about nothing. Again, on Mumsnet.

It's sensible for doctors in GP practices to be responsible for specific areas of practice, and to keep up more intensively with the latest practice in that area. It's ALWAYS been like this.

I wondered this, maybe the receptionist was trying to help by avoiding the dr who would not be sympathetic or helpful?

Mrsloverlovers so what happens if you are single,divorced ,widowed or simply prefer to be on your own then!this is crazy are we back in the 60s now ffs

You need to raise this with the practice manager.

GP appointments are in short supply. They cannot refused to treat 50% of the population and push them into next week as someone else's problem.

I hope your DD is ok.

But it’s likely she won’t book with him
because it’s not his speciality. What’s the point seeing a doctor who cannot help you? They just end up referring you.

This. Maybe he's been told not to. So many male doctors are utterly unhelpful to put it mildly with women's health it's better to see one who is sympathetic.
For what it's worth there's one GP at our practice who should absolutely be banned from dealing with anything of a psychiatric nature. She just doesn't get the riske associated with modifying/ combining medication.

Sometimes it's best for them to have areas of specialism.

The reason the receptionist asks what the problem is, is so they can book you in with the correct dr. It has nothing to with them being make or female, it’s because GP’s can specialise in certain areas and they want to give you the best person to help with a particular problem

No you are wrong. Doctors deal with most things but can specialise in one particular area

I was thinking this too. We are directed at my surgery to one in particular when it's about perimenopause.

However for urgent female problems, eg a UTI, given appt with anyone.

This is an appt that can wait a week, not urgent.

As an aside, your surgery booking system is rubbish.

Have a friend who is a male GP. He says he very rarely does gynae issues as understandably a lot of women book in with a female GP to discuss.

Every now and then he'll get a female patient turn up who clearly hadn't realised they would be seeing a male GP and a significant number don't want to go ahead with the appointment. If they do, he does his best but it's honestly not something he does often.

A practice up front booking you with the doctor that is good at gynae sounds a better solution.

It is awful. The silver lining is that you will now be able to ask for a female doctor. I would never go to a male GP for that sort of issue.

I still don't understand why women in UK don't have direct access to gynae...

There’s probably a GP at the practice who specialises in female issues. It’s more likely to be a thick receptionist expressing themselves badly than that the doctor refuses to treat menstrual issues, they’re trained in general practice after all.

I would question whether he should be practising at all, if that were true.

Aren't GPs supposed to deal with most things though? Otherwise what's the point in them? What if they all decided to opt out of anything they don't specialise in? And if the other GP does specialise in "female problems", why didn't they just say so?

I would wait and see whoever is recommended this time, and then ask them whether it's only them you should see in future and what to do if they aren't available. That may help clear things up since it's not possible to be 100% sure what the receptionist meant.

I would make a formal complaint with the practice manager and re-register with a different surgery.

I think so too. She's probably just trying to match you with the best doctor for your needs. It's an advantage of having a larger practice with doctors with different specialisms.

Yes, I saw a GP recently as I wanted to have some marks on my skin checked so the receptionist gave me a dr (I’d not seen before) because she was the most knowledgable about skin.

The receptionist should really have worded it differently and suggested you wait for the doctor who is more specialised in that area. That would have left me feeling reassured we were going to get a useful doctor, so worth the extra wait.

I can’t believe people are replying to this saying it’s ok, all GPs should surely have basic enough knowledge of all issues to do a referral. At my doctors, there is no “specialisms”, everyone has a “family doctor” and you’re only ever booked to see them. So if they said they don’t deal with “women's issues” you’d be a bit screwed!

if they are going to accommodate a doctor who doesn't "do women's problems" they need to make sure that they have someone available who does.

I would be making a very strong suggestion to that effect to the practice.

This is really quite shocking! I would complain. fwiw though after 10 years up and down to the gp (always saying can I see a female please) and getting fobbed off I out of desperation saw a male gp about my periods. He listened and sent me for an urgent scan and referral. I was diagnosed with pcos. Afew years later I returned as things were getting worse and saw a different male. Again he was so understanding and kind and got me an urgent appointment where I was offered a full hysterectomy aged 33. It’s so bad how the experiences vary but my experience has been the males are better!

Some GPs have specialisms, often based on what area of medicine they practiced in before becoming a GP. I have GPs refer me to their GP colleague who specialises in the issue I have, or receptionists book me with a GP who specialises in my issue even if it means waiting longer for an appt.

It may be this was a clumsy way of the GP/ receptionist saying that they have another/ other GPs with more specialism in this area.

Its much better to see a GP with knowledge/interest in what you are presenting with.