My GP made a joke about 'bitty' today - I need to complain don't I?

[cyanarasamba]

Gah - I hate complaining!

DD is 15 months old and has a serious medical condition. I mentioned to the GP that as a side-effect of her new meds she is now breastfeeding a lot more than she was. Dunno if DD understood me but she then started crying to be fed, 'butting' at my breast etc. It was then that the GP uttered the immortal words 'haha, reminds me of Little Britain, y'know, bitty".

I'm not very good at thinking on my feet, so just said 'mmm, lovely...' in a totally unamused tone.

I am very sleep deprived. Am I having a sense of humour failure? If I do complain, what do I need to say?

No way!!! I can't believe that a so-called health care professional would say this!! Shocking. I would totally complain. I also hate complaining - perhaps do it in writing if you don't want to do it face-to-face to the practice manager or whoever you complain to?

No, you're not having a sense of humour failure. Think what that remark might do to a mother who'd been struggling and was feeling proud of what she'd done. I'm not sure what to say, but do complain.

Get over yourself! Just a joke, re you breast feeding for too long.

I would be deeply unimpressed.

Not sure who you would complain to so can't help in that respect but if I was in your situation I would probably be on here posting the same.

Very unprofessional. Yes, you should complain.

Don't let it put you off continuing to bf.

You need to complain, yes. That is not on at all.

So your GP makes a light hearted joke and you want to complain? Really? Thats sounds a bit mean. Actually that sounds really quite mean. You are having a complete sense of humour failure and im sure its just down to sleep deprivation unless you are this po-faced all the time :)

A joke that has absolutely no place in a GP's consultation room from a GP.

I think it depends on your relationship with the GP. If he's normally supportive/nice/helpful etc, then perhaps you should call and ask to speak to him, or send him an email saying something along the lines of "I know you mentioned 'bitty' as a joke, but I actually found it really offensive and I'm worried that it might have put less confident women off feeding..."

If he's usually and arse, then complain away, and move to another practice.

You are not having a sense of humour failure. WHO recommendations say BF for 2 years and beyond so 15 months is not 'too long'.

I think the practice manager might be the person to write to, you could just outline your concern about your GP's lack of knowledge about the WHO guidelines and ask that he/she be reminded of them. Not a complaint as such, just a constructive suggestion

But she hasn't breastfed for too long Busty.

And the punchline of the joke is that breastfeeding her child is disgusting and socially unacceptable. Which it isn't.

It wasn't funny on LB, but it is unacceptable coming from a hcp.

I would have been unamused too and probably said the same thing to him. I think there's no harm in writing him a note to say how unimpressed you are and why - perhaps it will make him think twice before saying it to someone else.

I would complain. It's not a lighthearted joke, and if joking about 'bitty' which was used for a sketch about an ADULT breastfeeding is seen as a lighthearted way for a GP to comment on a FIFTEEN MONTH OLD breastfeeding then no wonder the UK has such rubbish breastfeeding rates! 'Just a joke re you breast feeding for too long'. Too long? Really!?!?!?

OP - you are not having a sense of humour failure, your breastfeeding is fab, and I think a complaint is well in order.

Not appropriate at all, not funny. In the way that repeating a catchphrase from humour based on race, religion or sexual preference to a patient would not be remotely acceptable.

Oh Dear God, that is painfully inappropriate of him ! Did he appear embarrassed after he said it? I would say he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed at the prospect and tried to clumsily make a joke out of it,...

But no, it's very, very wrong of him, I think I would want to point it out to him how damaging a comment like that could be.

And BustyStClaire - words fail me, what an utterly stupid comment.

I would complain, being told you remind her of a little britain character is really not on. Imagine if she worked in a tiny village and said to someone that they reminded her of little britain, you know the only gay in the village.

Not a funny 'joke' at all.

I fed DS until he was 2- too long according to some and would not tolerate comments like that.

Pisses me off a lot that breastfeeding mums are treated like they are doing something weird or unusual if their child is over 2 months old.

You're doing great, and if you feel you should complain, then you would not be unreasonable to do so (I know this isn't AIBU!)

Although it wasn't appropriate, I think you should lighten up.

Out. Of. Order.

Ask at the surgery who official complaints should be directed to, and how to lodge one.

I would write a letter direct to the GP saying that you feel that she did not respect you and your parenting decisions. You need to tell her that you feel the "biity" joke is is hurtful and inappripiate.

The problem with a formal complaint is that it messes up the GP relationship. If you don't get an apology then a formal complaint is the next step.

Utterly inappropriate coming from a GP. There is no place for making jokes about a patient during a consultation.

Would he compare a wheelchair user to the wheelchair user sketch in Little Britain?

NickNacks, rootie, Busty - did you miss the part about my DD being seriously ill? Walk a mile in my shoes...

Thanks for all your other comments, I think a letter to the GP himself rather than the practise mgr is a good idea. He is normally a lovely GP, but I have noticed before he can be a bit too 'jokey'.

Yes, letter to him, I agree.

Nah, I think you ought to go above the GP and make a formal complaint. He may well be making inappropriate comments to others, and even if he isn't, the practice needs to know about your experience as obviously it affects your view of the practice as a whole.