Adjectives used in consultants' letters. What do they mean?

[GoodnessKnows]

I've had a few letters written regarding health matters over the years. In each of them, I've been described as 'this pleasant young lady'. My most recent just described me as 'a lady'. Just out of interest, IS there a secret code with these adjectives. I once heard that there was. Just interested.

I'm a consultant. No code that I'm aware of. Just being polite. I always wonder why come people write that though - would they say unpleasant too if they met someone who was?

It just means the doctor is patronising, that's all.

I am the mother of a severely disabled child & my group of friends when he was younger (all with disabled kids themselves) thought that 'this delightful child' was code for 'run away' or 'omg this child is a nightmare' because consultant letters always started 'I met this delightful child', no matter how hideous they'd been at the appointment. We used to say 'oh dear he's been described as a delightful child - we know what THAT means'

Saintly, that's just it. Lol
I wondered this time why I'd not been described as 'pleasant' despite having felt it to be slightly patronising/ possibly insulting before not being described as 'young' any more is to be expected though. Lol

They used to have codes like FLK (funny looking kid) and NFN (normal for Norfolk) but would not use them these days. My understanding is that they were widespread once upon a time.

NFN! That's funny!

DH was once described as "an affable chap" in a consultant's letter. He was delighted with the description :o.

Hilarious. NFL and FLK. Any others? Imagine if they'd been found out.

The one that always made me laugh is GROLIES - Guardian readers of limited intelligence, ethnic skirt.

FLK was sometimes followed by ' look at Dad' to stop unnecessary investigations into why said DC was funny looking.

We've been told we must not even use 'lady' or 'gentleman' it must be man or woman.

PFO - pissed, fell over is one I remember my ambulance man uncle talking about.

I was a 'charming scrub nurse' in one once, shame they dont treat me like that at work!

I was pleased to be described as a 'young lady' on my recent notes. It was re investigations to do with piles. Perhaps my arse looks younger than my face

I wouldn't normally comment on age or pleasantness but did used to say lady and gentleman for everyone until the latest directive. I'm a psychiatrist so may have had a slight chuckle when writing 'I saw this gentleman with an antisocial personality disorder'

DS gets 'pleasure to see miniyouare' which I've always translated as sarcastic as he's usually checking all the equipment out and asking how it works whilst she's trying to carry out tests!

Although I was pleased with the one that said 'his mother is very sensible'

I used to believe it when they said ds was charming! I've recently had a letter stating " denies anxiety", as though I was somehow lying, I AM NOT FUCKING ANXIOUS though I may be a little irritable

Sometimes it's flagging a relevant point. I always used to get 'this lovely lady who is a nurse....' it was flagging 'medical background'.

Pleasant is fine. The warning is if you don't get pleasant or delightful about you as consultants used to be told never to say anything bad in writing.
Basically means they are taking you seriously. Not sure how it works if they are now told not to use such terms.

I did ask one consultant why he described me as "well-educated" and he said it was to warn his colleague not to be a patronizing git!

'Denies' is just shorthand for 'says she doesn't have/do' - its not a loaded term in medi-speak.

Denies is definitely just medi speak. I remember one colleague being given a dressing down by a patient after he was presenting her case to someone else whilst she was there. He said she 'denies anorexia' meaning she isn't suffering from poor appetite. The patient was most offended.

I got rather pissed off when ds1 was once described as "somewhat irritable" in his notes for the ENT clinic. It wasn't in a letter but the standard notes that I looked in between going from one department to another.

I could well have described the junior doctor that wrote it as somewhat irritable as his initial approach was to turn round and demand in a grumpy voice "what's wrong with him then?", I suppose "nothing" wasn't the answer he was expecting! He responded "well there must be or you wouldn't be here". In actual fact we were there for a random check up due to another condition, there was nothing "wrong with him". Ok, so we didn't hit it off but not necessary to describe DS as irritable, the poor kid didn't say anything!!

Not that I'm bitter at all

An anaesthetist friend of mine did say that NFN was in common usage a while ago.

I've been described as 'very pleasant' and 'intelligent'!!!

There used to be the acronym TATSP = thick as two short planks. These were for patient notes not letters. This was before patients had the right to actually read their own medical records.

Gosh - I think I've got off lightly! I'm not particularly offended (at 41) of no longer being described as 'young', but there's now a distinct lack of intelligence or 'pleasantness' noted or rather, not in letters. It's true. I HAVE turned into a stupid, old bag. Lol

I was once described in a referral as 'this extremely pleasant patient'. I took it to mean 'she bothered to greet me and ask me how I was'.

Poor DS has "difficult patient" on his electronic record. He is 2, has had a previous bad experience in hospital and is now terrified of drs and nurses (I'm an HCP and he is even scared of me in my uniform). All he does is cry and struggle when they try to examine him and he does get rather upset which I thought was fairly normal for a lot of 2 year olds.
I know as soon as we go into the drs room that they have seen that comment on his record because they immediately start treating him (and me!) like there's going to be a major problem before we even start which only makes him more upset. Frankly I wish they'd remove that comment altogether.