Should I complain about this doctor?

[fluffydressinggown]

To preface, I have named changed and I don't want compensation or anything just to make the doctor aware of how she made me feel.

I cut myself (self harm) yesterday afternoon, it was a longish and deep cut so I went to A&E.

After a 3 hour wait I saw the doctor. She stitched my leg with 10 normal stitches (the amount is relevant), I expressed concern that as the wound was gaping quite a bit it might not close very well. I also did not feel that she had given me adequate local anaesthetic because I could feel the needle going in as she did the stitches and it was pretty painful. At this point she said "well you shouldn't have self harmed then." She also asked me my job. I am a teacher and in response to this she said "it is just playing with children and not very stressful."

I had to dress the wound myself, she did not wash her hands at all throughout the procedure and she seemed to really struggle with actually doing them and they looked really loose and the wound was left gaping inbetween the stitches.

Got up this morning and 7 of the stitches had opened up and come out and the wound was gaping. Rang A&E and they said to come back. Seen again by a different doctor who referred me to plastics straight away. 10 internal stitches and 20 normal stitches later my leg is properly closed up, I had to have the wound re-opened and the edges cut open again so they could close properly and it took about 2 hours for them to sew me up.

My husband is fuming that the first doctor did such a shoddy job and she said what she said to me. The doctor I saw today also suggested I complain.

Part of me thinks that I should just get over it and because it was self harm I kind of deserve everything I get. The other part of me is frustrated that she did such a poor job of managing the wound and I had to go back again today and spend another 5 hours at hospital being treated.

AIBU to complain or just being fussy?

I always think in these situations you almost have a duty to complain because next time she could treat someone like this who is even more vulnerable, who doesn't have a husband/family to support them and therefore could be affected even more seriously by her nasty treatment.

I'm very sorry you had such a traumatic experience OP.

Everyone's so rightly appalled at this doctor's ghastly attitude (and incompetence) that they haven't even got round to commenting on her saying teaching is "just playing with children and not very stressful", I mean... wtf? That doctor has some very peculiar views indeed...

OP, I hope you can see that her harsh judgement of you was very much of a piece with her poor stitching. She's no good at the treatment and she's no good at the people skills either. You DO deserve better. Everyone deserves better. Yes, "even" you! You're a much nicer person than you think you are, but even if you weren't, you should still be treated right.

Complain, she needs to be dealt with. She should not be working as a doctor if she can't leave her own predjudice in the staff room, and her mismanagement of what sounds like a serious wound is unacceptable.

I know plastic surgeons can get frustrated with patients who self-harm but luckily I have yet to work with one who is a cock to the patient about it. I know they exist though, I recall one poor girl who was distraught at "wasting the surgeon's time" because of the way she'd been treated at a different hospital (our lovely surgeon gave her a hug and told her just to concentrate on getting better).

Hope the crisis team can help you OP and that you feel better soon.

This is super super long but this is the letter I have drafted.

Dear [consultant]
I attended A&E on 6th March 2012 with a cut on my leg following an episode of DSH.
I was seen by Doctor , an F2 grade doctor and I feel that her care fell far short of what is expected of an A&E doctor.

She did not introduce herself to me and then took me through to a treatment room where she asked me if the cut was bad, an assessment I did not feel able to make. She looked at the cut and decided that it needed suturing, and left to get the equipment that she needed. On returning she asked me to sit on a trolley, I took my trousers off and she offered me nothing to cover the rest of my legs with and did not cover the surface of the trolley before I sat down on it. At no point during the procedure did she wash her hands or use alcohol gel.

Prior to inserting the sutures Dr administered a small amount of local anaesthetic and waited for it to take effect. During the sutures Dr seemed to struggle, her hands were shaking and she took many attempts to tie the knots in them. I commented that the wound was very wide and asked whether she could close it as last time I had a similar injury I had to been seen by a plastic surgeon, Dr did not answer this question.

Half way into the procedure I commented that I could feel the stitches going in and it was painful, Dr's response to this was ?well you shouldn?t self harm.? She added more local anaesthetic but it did not appear to work, I asked for more but Dr was reluctant to take her gloves off and leave the room to get more and asked if I could bare it. I felt unable to say that I felt I really needed more pain relief.

Dr also made an unnecessary comment about my profession, stating that as a teacher my job was ?to play with children.? Once the sutures had been applied Dr appeared unable to dress the wound, I had to instruct her of the appropriate dressings to use and in the end I dressed it myself and said I would then re-do it at home. The wound was left gaping between the stitches and upon returning home my husband was shocked at how badly stitched the wound was.

Throughout the procedure Dr kept asking me why I had done it, I felt uncomfortable telling her. At no point was I asked whether I had current mental health support and at the end of the consultation Dr suggested I get counselling, I explained I already had it and she told me off for not telling her beforehand.

In the morning I removed the dressing applied the night before and some of the stitches had already come out, I had a shower and once I had dried myself 7 of the 10 stitches applied the night before had fallen out. I attended A&E on 9th March and I was seen by a different doctor who asked a senior colleague for advice, they agreed that the wound needed suturing again. I had to have the edges of the wound cut away so it could be re-sutured and the doctor then gave me internal and external stitches (30 in total) and applied steri-strips. I was also given advice on after care and the doctors were very patient and sympathetic, they also ensured that I did not feel any pain throughout the procedure.

I do not feel that Dr was intentionally uncaring or incompetent but I have serious concerns about her treatment of me. I feel that she did not assess or manage the wound appropriately. Some of the comments she made were also inappropriate and upsetting for me. It was also frustrating for me to have to attend A&E the next day to have the wound properly treated and it felt like a large waste of time for both myself and the medical staff when it could have been resolved the night before if treated properly.

Ok thats my letter - too long I think and I am not sure of how to end it.

I think the letter is fine apart from the last para. In particular the line 'I do not think the doctor was intentionally uncaring or incompetent' because TBH you don't know her or her motives, it is not your job to judge/excuse/reason why her care was substandard but to raise the fact that it was. It sounds like you are making excuses for the doctor.

I would prob ditch the whole final para and just put something like 'I would like to know why the treatment I received on the first occasion was so poor and I trust you will respond to me at the earliest opportunity. I would also hope that steps will be taken to ensure that other people who have to be admitted following self harm are treated with greater compassion, expertise and professionalism than I was.'

Well done for writing it, I think you are fabulously brave doing that. My DS2 had terrible care once and I was too stressed to complain. I regret that now.

seems far too gentle to me- you give her too many excuses.

especially the bit where you say "I do not feel that Dr was intentionally uncaring" because actually, I don't think you'd have written your post if you had felt supported by her, no matter how rubbish her suturing was.

which was very rubbish!

If she's F2 (second year of work after qualification) she probably doesn't have the experience to deal with lacerations that need internal stictches, and should have asked for more help.

but at no point in time are you allowed to treat someone with distain or a lack of compassion. which she did.

I think it's good - and although a bit long, it's clear and specific.

But as you say, it needs an ending. Could you explain what you would like the consultant to do?

For example 'To me, the behaviour of Dr X indicates that she should be prevented from treating patients presenting with self-harm injuries until she is able to demonstrate that she is able to provide an acceptable level of wound care and to display appropriate behaviour towards patients who self harm. I would like an asurance that Dr X will be receiving the necessary training in wound management and communication skills to enable her to acheive this.'

Hi, we've moved this into General Health. Thanks.

Thanks for the replies (and moving it :)) I will definitely edit that last paragraph using your ideas, reading it back it does sound a bit apologetic.

I am seeing my therapist today so we can chat about what happened and I think that will help me a lot.

Again, I cannot say how overwhelmed I am by the kindness and support posted on here for me :)

Hi fluffy,
(lurked on thread yesterday). well done on drafting the letter. This is just a suggestion and I understand if it's too much to re-do it now.

I would recommend separating the issues in the letter clearly into the medical treatment/inadequate suturing on the one hand, and secondly (but no less important) the inappropriate attitude of the doctor. This is not from experience but I imagine the two problems might have separate channels of resolution, eg. for the first the doctor needs to be referred for additional practical training, the second might actually be a disciplinary/HR kind of issue.

I think it might help your case to separate them as you will come across as more in control and having insight into your own situation - please don't take this the wrong way, you already do, but I just wonder if the narrative account comes across as slightly more unconsidered, iyswim.

I do hope and believe that you will get a serious response either way though, I think at the level you will be complaining to there surely is more understanding of what is appropriate. Best wishes.

Fluffy if you have not left already, take a copy of your letter with you.

I think it is a great step that you are prepared to make a formal complaint. Really shows that you are treating yourself with value. Well done you!

But, please stop making everything an appology. You are almost saying I am sorry for bothering you with something so silly, and i know it was my own fault for being hurt (when the local didn't take) and I know I probably made the doctor nervous by bleeding, and that's why she couldn't stitch properly, and I am sorry for having to come back and get another doctor to do it again.

You DO NOT need to appologise you are owed an appology! Deep breath and you can find some selfworth and indignation!

All the best

Don't make ANY excuses for her. There are none. At best she failed to recognise the limitations of her own practice, at worst she's dangerous and uncaring.

Hope you feel better for seeing your therapist today and well done for getting the letter drafted.

I don't really understand why this thread has to be moved into general health

well, moving it really quietened things down!!!

what has happened since your last update OP? I'm sure it's too early to get a response, but have you submitted the complaint? Good luck with everything.