Doctors!!!!!!!!!!

[Country4eva]

I think doctors should have to have a yearly compassion class because somewhere along the way they loose it. Saw a new dr yesterday and he ask me was I a professional patient!!!!!😤

[Jay66]

Maybe trying to crack a joke - it is an unremittingly grim and serious career.

There was a very sweet, sensitive 3rd year medical student attending a little operation I had this week. When the dermatologist pointed out the layers of skin, fat and muscle/fascia, she was overcome and had to go sit on the floor to avoid fainting. I suspect that in order to do the job effectively, many of them have to push compassion and empathy to the back a little.

You could have asked him if he was a professional doctor...

[pikamonster in reply to Jay66]

10/10 for that suggested response.

Also there is a programme on the NHS for long term patients to use their experience to shape care which is sometimes referred to as professional patients - may have been a genuine question!

But I do feel for your OP, it can get to the point where you're so used to misunderstanding that you are prepared and on the defence for what they say to be slightly rude. Try to bear in mind all doctors are individuals, as are patients, and we wouldn't want them to assume we're lying or aggressive just because one patient of theirs is.

Give them the benefit of the doubt, try not to be cynical, and if - despite this - you have experiences where you're mistreated or don't treat you with dignity then submit a concern to the practice manager or CCG for GPs and to PALS or the formal complaint process for consultants and other hospital staff.

[cyberbarn]

My first thought too was the professional patient programmes, which we have in the UK. It is usually called the Expert Patient Programme. Here is the background to it.

webarchive.nationalarchives...

I don't know if you have them in America or other countries, but it is a world wide move towards empowering patients. It might be called something else in other counties though.

In the UK we now have Patient Executive Directors in some hospital trusts. They don't represent patients as such, they make sure that the patient view is embedded into everything they do. They are people who have long term conditions who might not be able to work full time any more, but still have skills at executive level that they can use to advocate for the patient position.

We also have experts by experience where patients become advisors due not to their clinical training but by their extensive experience of managing their disease or condition.

Having said that, maybe he had had a bad day, or maybe he was trying to lift the mood with a joke. I was speaking to a GP yesterday who tried to make a joke with a patient, you know, laugher is the best medicine, and they tired to report him for misconduct. When that happens all the doctors around them start to practice defensively and it kills compassion even further which is really sad.

[0101]

Jay66 pikamonster and cyberbarn all make really good points. However, can I give a bit of detail to see what you all think about the following? About 8 months back a gastroenterologist put an EDS diagnosis in writing and we're waiting for things to happen following an appointment at UCLH in January where inpatient rehab was recommended.

I have found a great team and am very positive. I/we managed to arrange a multi-disciplinary (MDT) meeting a few weeks back while I was an inpatient in my local hospital. It took months to finally happen and was rearranged twice by my GP but the hospital team said fine, we may as well do it here! My GP had declined invitations (by phone and in written invitations or clinic reports) to speak to or liaise with consultants and doctors and from charities and my local hospital, over months. Then when we got everyone in the same room, after a lot of effort from the ward staff, consultant, physical disabilities team in my local council, a care company director and registered care manager, OTs and a physio etc...the GP just didn't turn up. Again.

The consultant and everyone there were great and suggested I clearly should change GP practice as they were not 'supporting' me or even engaging with others, like her, who are. She was friendly, professional and polite, but said openly that I was being failed repeatedly.

There were several actions (key was the GP team) and I waited to get out of hospital. I worked with the ward team to do this.

So I'm discharged and this week a carer brought my post to me, with a very short (hand delivered) letter from the practice manager removing me from their practice list. I have previously received recorded delivery letters from the practice stating I hadn't turned up to appointments (that I had), or had rearranged through ill health (pain, fatigue, immobility, you guys probably can fill in the rest) with as much notice as possible (that I had).

I am open, honest and very engaged in my health and getting as well as possible. Yet...this surgery can do this and it is unremittingly grim to be a patient experiencing it. Speaking to people, on here and to friends and others, it is apparently really too common. I've put up with a lot, yet I remain polite, respectful of doctors and their skills and experience and with the necessary sense of humour, patience and diplomacy.

I can't restructure the parts of the NHS that aren't working well on my own and I know lots are trying from within. I will try other recommendations for more sympathetic GPs. But this seems so cyclical and the process of complaining is so adversarial. There's so much blame of patients AND doctors. I know this happens with many ('chronic' or 'complex' 'conditions') and is purportedly behind all this 'bed blocking', delays and lack of resources.

Thanks for posting Country4eva and for other replies. What I read on here is invaluable negotiating this. If any of you had any thoughts I'm very open to hearing them!?

0101 x