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!

Sorry I misunderstood you!

It really isn't. OP is 175 cm. A BMI of 26.5 would make her 11 lb overweight, not "at least a stone", and actually she has now clarified that she weighs 80 kg, which puts her at a BMI of 26.1, or 8 lb overweight at her height.

26.5 is JUST overweight, in what way is it big? I was a size 8 when my bli was 26.

Finally dear OP be kind to yourself. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate as well as being in pain.

I think you were expecting a lot, a discussion of your other health issues, your social situation, walking habits. It was an appointment to get your MRI results for your back and he told you the scans were fine, which was good news, but did you then tell him you were still suffering with sciatica? I would think he might see some damage causing that. And he thought you needed to lose weight to help your back, which you seem to agree with. I'm not sure that your impending knee surgery was relevant to the discussion. It is often suggested to bring someone with you to these appointments and he wrongly assumed it would be a husband or partner and it seems he didn't have a good bedside manner but is that sufficient reason to complain?

GLP-1 would categorically not be prescribed to a patient with a BMI of 26! Neither NHS nor privately!

I'm so sorry to hear there's more than one of them. Take care. Rubbish backs are the worst.

Hes a rude unprofessional man who is probably longing for retirement on his big fat pension

You are far too passive and shouldn't have left the appointment until you had the answers you wanted

This is outrageous OP, you are only slightly overweight and pretty fit by the sound of it.
I hate this kind of 'consultation' which is simply a sign that the man can't see a way to help you and therefore wants you out of his office asap, regardless of what you need or how you feel.
He is probably right that the scans show nothing that he, personally, can fix with surgery. There may be another branch of medicine that can help (I hope so) and he should have signposted you to another referral, if only by telling you to go back to your GP.
It sounds quite possible that the problem is coming from your knees. For years I had repeated bulging lumbar disk episodes that used to cause me severe back pain, and they stopped completely when I had a knee replacement and was able to balance my weight better ( I was quite a bit heavier than you at the time, but the weight just needed balancing evenly.)
I'd suggest asking your GP for a referral to a knee specialist. You could complain about this consultant, he deserves it, and/or you could leave him a negative review.
The NHS is sometimes worse than useless these days.
Good luck.

I was attending a cardiologist at one point who was either pleasant or grumpy and dismisisve. One day I was in the waiting room and another lady said 'I hope he's in a good mood' I said 'oh I thought it was just me' and she said 'oh no'. It was a standing joke among his staff that his mood depended on whether he'd had his coffee and chocolate biscuit. Shocking when I think about it now. I would complain to PALS

Hi op what was his ethnicity? I find the opposite to you Muslim dr or consultant don’t show me any respect white female. I just wanted to ask what yours was.

He was SE Asian! Not Muslim though.

My last consultant was English and he wasn't much better (I actually paid to see him too).

ETA I'm Caucasian myself btw.

Thanks op. I was just curious if it was a female thing no respect unless with a husband. Sometimes consultants make you feel like you’re wasting their time so I get the frustration.

Not disputing that his manner was poor and of course you can complain about that but what were you hoping for from him? He is there to say if you should have an operation or not and he thinks not based on the scans and that a less invasive option of losing weight needs to be tried first. That seems likely to be a valid opinion.

You do really need to speak up and advocate for yourself in appointments. If he was rushing you out you need to say I have some questions I want to ask you, don't just leave. I don't think there is anything there seriously to complain about. Ive contacted pals multiple times in the past and it really can have a negative effect on your future care. Its not something id be doing lightly.

He didn't give me a chance to ask questions

Are you saying he walked out on you? Or shoved you out the door?

I always take a list of questions with me to all my medical appointments and don’t get up to leave until I have the answers I need. If the HC professional I’m seeing can’t provide helpful answers, I ask who should I see for XYZ.

Having said that, were you expecting more than this specialist was able to provide? It seems the consultation was just to go over the MRI results. Maybe you need a physiotherapist?

I had an orthopaedic consultant like this once he also told me to loose some weight I’m 5 3 and weigh 10.5 stone so not terribly overweight , I could hardly walk as I was bone on bone in my hip but he said you’ll manage and when he spoke he spoke to my husband not to me. After a couple of appointments I refused to see him again and got in touch with patient liaison services and told them as much. I paid £300 saw a consultant at a private hospital who told me I needed a new hip asap and did it me on the NHS 8 months later he was the perfect gentleman and couldn’t of been nicer and kinder . Some of them are absolute nobs .

Can I ask how contacting PALS can negativity effect your future care?

I tried twice to ask questions but he got short with me and kept repeating my weight. The second time I tried to I interject, he made the comment about putting me in a bootcamp and throwing away the key. I gave up trying at that point.

This is disgusting! Why should you take a husband (many people leave their child with him even if they are married)?
Your BMI is only just over healthy, and there are lots of people without any obvious problems who have a BMI of 40 (and BMIs are porblematic anyway-this was meant to a population measure, not an individual). If he thinks you as an individual should lose weight for your personal health situation, he should discuss this politely.
So sorry. Do complain. And maybe take someone with you next time, a friend or anyone-you shouldn't have to, but...

Because the dr will either refuse to see you again and blame you for it as they will say we'll your obviously not happy with my care which is fine if you live some where that has a lot of that speciality not so much if you don't. Drs also lie a lot so will deny everything you have said and its left your word against there's which means either other drs will also refuse to see you as they won't want complaints on there records from a difficult lying patient. Or if its like one of my drs they will continue seeing you but will repeatedly bring up the fact you made a complaint about them even years later. I've had all these outcomes. Complaining about nurses is much easier as they will soon stab each other in the back so the truth comes out. Drs is like a boys club they will completely back each other. Just to add i spend my life complaining about nhs staff but I've spent my whole life in and out of hospital im currently under 7 consultants under 4 different trusts so things happen. I've also only ever complained about things that have put my life at risk.

That was supposed to say i don't spend my life complaining about nhs staff it won't let me edit

Ignore the poster who said, 'your BMI is quite high'. It's just in the overweight range, and as we know, BMI alone is unhelpful.

This surgeon's attitude and inability to actually be a doctor is appalling. Please complain, and also, more importantly, ask that you are seen properly. You getting proper care, especially with everything else on your plate, is the most important thing.

I am a senior consultant myself (NHS only), and would never normally suggest a complaint as the first response, but a 60 second consultation is inexcusable. Good luck.

I'd disagree with this as I've contacted PALS multiple times over the years for the same team and I think if anything it means the team has a grudging amount of respect for me as I'll only complain when I believe something is wrong . I am known by one of the drs as the girl who complains but it's said as a joke and has meant if anything he's more through going things with me and he will ask my opinion . If I hadn't complained my care would have simply not have happened which is the on going issue.

I think this is just standard nhs consultancy. I had similar from a colorectal surgeon recently. I also paid to see a private surgeon, the appointment was very different, although the advice was the same. I think the key difference was the private surgeon had time to talk to me properly as I was paying for his time.