To make a complaint about very senior spine consultant

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I'm in my late 30s. Loads of issues with my knees and numerous surgeries. I also have scoliosis. Over years the knee issues have really affecting my back. I'd been managing fine (lost a little weight, pilates, lots of walking) until I started having kids. I got a really bad episode of sciatica in my last pregnancy and ended up in A&E after my osteopath sent me there suspecting cauda equina. Thankfully it was just a couple of disc bulges and annular tears and I was able to get back onto my feet after a couple of weeks.

I've put on about 10kg since my pregnancies (BMI 26.5). I'm still walking loads (I don't drive) and working part time. I am a single parent to two toddlers, one of whom has additional needs. I ended up getting referred (on the NHS) to see a very very senior spine consultant at a private hospital. Anyway, he arranged an MRI and I had my follow up this week. Coincidentally, I've had a really bad case of sciata this week so was glad to be seeing him for a discussion about my MRI results. His clinic was running 30mins behind. When he called me in, he didn't actually look at me walking towards his room (I was limping). He also didn't notice my discomfort while sitting or my altered gait. I was out of the room within 60 seconds. He just told me my scans were fine, I needed to lose weight, he joked about sending me to bootcamp and throwing away the key, sorting out my diet. He suggested I walk more. He doesn't know I am a single parent, that I don't drive so walk a lot, that I have a child with additional needs. I am also awaiting knee surgery which I mentioned but he didn't seem bothered about that. He suggested both times I saw him that I should be attending with my husband without even establishing I was married/had a partner.

I am visibly Muslim woman. I am also a postgraduate professional working in healthcare. I find his manner with me so poor. He was dismissive, seemed to hold many unconscious biases. His clinical opinion aside (which I am definitely not challenging as a consultant of his experience), would IBU to make a complaint about the consultation?

Thanks!

You should absolutely complain, but unfortunately you won’t be the first, nor last. Women’s health is often dismissed as being too fat / pregnant / menopause. You didn’t receive the quality of care you deserve and you have every right to complain about that.

You dont feel heard so i would make a complaint, although unless he mentioned your race is unlikely to be relevent, just a dick consultant who thinks hes gods gift.. not sure about BMI stuff OP but in the kindest way are you big and that's what's causing your pain? If so and you cant increase your activity/clean your diet, would also GLP1 prescription help?
Back pain is the worst so do whatever you can to help if it is weight related. X

I don't think I'm overweight enough for a GLP1. I'm pretty tall and carry the weigh around my hips (not waist, no issue with hormones or insulin resistance thankfully). But I definitely could do with losing the pregnancy weight. It's difficult while I await surgery, and with the stress of taking care of kids (one with ASD) alone.

I suggest you report back to the practitioner who made the referral, ask for a referral to someone else and take someone with you to advocate for you at your next appointment. And yes complain about your last appointment but don't expect much to happen in response.

Your BMI is quite high, it takes your height into account. Weight is so damaging to the body. So his first step is to address that as your scans seem fine.

I am not challenging his professional opinion as I explained in my OP. I need to lose weight. I think I've mentioned that 3 times already!

Absolute bollocks, 26.5 isn't "quite high", it's barely overweight.

OP, did you ask questions of this chap or did he speak at you? Any follow up appointment to come? Definitely ask to have another appointment with another consultant.

It really isn't

He didn't give me a chance to ask questions, neither did he ask me anything at this 2nd appointment.

I don't think my GP will refer me anywhere else. It was hard enough getting this referral.

Thanks for the responses.

His bedside manner was clearly poor, so yes, feel free to complain.

It sounds like a fairly typical consultant interaction to me - which is to say, rushed, bad, rude. There is no reason not to complain but I doubt it'll make any difference as clinically he did nothing wrong.

If it helps at all, I know from doing research with consultants that many of them (not all) are under such pressure to get through patients that they develop a very mechanical way of thinking, where if you meet a certain threshold, they think about you clinically, but if you don't they just want to get you out of their office quick smart. That's what leads to the flippant, rude comments.

I was very impressed when a consultant surgeon wanted to change that and asked for my help with it. When I reported back what his patients needed, in terms of info and reassurance, it was genuinely news to him. He was so deep in his clinical tunnel that he had no idea how he was coming across.

I’d try and get it very focused on a complaint which you will be more likely to see a tangible outcome from, such as referral to another consultant because this one didn’t address your medical history. You have a valid complaint in him not taking into account your medical history, knee issues, current flare of sciatica, which he should be questioning - and what you don’t want is that valid complaint getting lost behind what’s likely to be interpreted as “the consultant told me I am overweight and I didn’t like hearing it.”

Sounds pretty unpleasant, but what is worth complaining about?

-running 30 minutes late - not really a big deal
-didn’t look up at you - rude, but pretty standard behaviour
-60 second consultation - sounds unacceptable. But you could have sat in your seat and asked your questions. Unless he said La La La get out after a minute?
-bootcamp jokes - sounds tactless and unprofessional

Your other points about working in healthcare, being a busy mum etc are irrelevant. He said your scans are fine and you need to lose weight. You’re entitled to a second opinion if you think he has missed something.

Regarding the comments about a husband - this seems rude, bizarre, maybe unconscious bias / racism as you say? I’d understand that as a basis for complaint. But don’t dilute it with the other stuff which isn’t significant.

what was the result of the MRI? Have you got access to the report? I wouldn’t give the consultant’s bedside manner much thought personally as I’ve met so many who are utterly ghastly. But did his findings agree with the report?

Jeez this sounds like the consultant I saw recently about my hip. Rude from the offset, his face looked like thunder when he walked in the room at my first appointment. On my second appointment after my MRI I was dismissed in seconds too, my scan was normal and it wasn't him I needed to see.
I know from my hip replacement on my other hip that I was showing signs of wear etc and the consultant then said I would eventually need it replaced. To go from that 12 years ago to a scan that was perfect? I know it was wrong.

I'm so sorry you had such an awful consultant. I hope you managed to get something done about your hip.

I've requested my images and radiographer report. I suspect they'll be disc bulges and annular tears as has been the case for years. I think "fine", "normal aging changes" (I'm 36!) just meant nothing that required surgical intervention, which I'm not contesting at all. It would have been nice for him to mention the findings in more detail however, even if no follow up was indicated.

It’s at least a stone over the healthy weight range.

I think the consultant would like that addressed before moving on to other factors that may be causing OPs issues. Losing the weight might relieve some of the symptoms and they can see where they are at, at that stage.

If I had a bmi of 26.5 I’d be two stone heavier than I am now and I’m currently a size 10/12, so I’d be fat and would expect to be told to lose weight if I was going in with knee and sciatica problems.

I get how you feel OP.. I had pain under my arms so was referred to a breast clinic where I saw a male breast surgeon.. who then said oh, women your age all like to take hrt so they can have breasts like 20 year olds!!!! I was quite shocked! But as I felt a bit vulnerable I didn’t really respond, just got dressed & got out of there. I should really have complained but I was just relieved that he didn’t think I had cancer.

I'd be interested to know what area you're in OP, as I had similar with a senior Neuro Consultant in Dundee. I had to make a complaint about his dismissiveness, me being overweight (yes, I'd put weight on since I hurt my back), and he then went 'oh, it might even be MS, but I won't see you again'. WTAF?
I ended up having 4 spinal surgeries - but absolutely refused to ever see him again. I ended up with a spinal fusion after developing cauda equina. So, that was nice.
Don't let these arseholes away with it. I got a mealy mouthed half apology. It was NOT a resolution, but I suspect I was also not the first complainant.

I would definitely complain about the husband comment.
I wouldn’t necessarily complain about the late running appointment other than to suggest that it may have contributed to your rushed appointment and that he may have felt it is easier to dismiss you due to the bias you mentioned.

Only because PPs mentioned- the BMI range for South Asians is different (although, of course, you may not be).

Lastly, hopefully it’s not the radiographer reporting your scan.

I am European (not SE Asian). For reference I weigh 80kg and I'm 175cm tall. I was around 70-72kg before getting pregnant and felt much better, although I still experienced sciata pains, not as bad as the pain I'm getting post pregnancies.

Also I wasn't bothered in the slightest about his clinic running behind! I just mention it because it was likely the reason he rushed through my appointment.

Thanks again for the responses

Oh gosh. I hope you're managing better now.

I'm in SE England.

You sound like an intelligent person who will be able to explain the situation well in a letter of complaint so yes, do it.

The description of your experience clearly demonstrates how this health professional failed to see the whole patient. His standard of care was sub parr.

I meant that, as you are a muslim woman, you may have been more readily dismissed and he probably felt more inclined do so due to already running late.

They may not like it or you any more, but one way to tackle this is to take a printed doc with you with your name DOB GP brief para outline your issues - bullet points
and list your questions.

Don’t start by waiting for him - stick your hand out or say how do you do and make him look at you. Tell him that you want to maximise efficiency and save time so have prepared this brief summary for him. Hand it over look at him quizzically and get your pen and paper out…

Prepare prepare prepare. I wear a work suit and am fairly intimidating anyway. I tend to get reasonable service.