Just returned from having seroma drained yet again at the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath, and I’m feeling very cross. A very disrespectful doctor marched in with someone I have never met before, and proceeded to prod my seroma, without asking if I minded the other person being present. Frankly, I didn’t want an uninvited audience, and so I asked the unknown person why they were there. The doctor examining me clearly was of the opinion that patients have no right to privacy or discretion, and just said, he is newly qualified and in training - as though that made the discourteous behaviour alright. I just wonder if he treats his private patients that way?
When I was first diagnosed, the treatment offered at PR was so minimal that I went elsewhere, and thank goodness I did.
thats a disgrace!! On my first appointment at the breast clinic there was someone else in the room sitting at the back. I asked who it was and the doctor had the decency to look a bit shamefaced." Oh, i am sorry I should have said, that is a student, etc etc" but at least he mad a big fuss about asking me if it was alright if they stayed to watch and when i said yes, made a point of saying thankyou,
There is another post on here somewhere about radiologist disgussing your scan with other people without telling you what they have found first. “can you see that shadow there? and the thickening of the node there?”
Makes me so cross.
Disgraceful - and I understands that part of the interview process for medical students is about relationships and ethics - think your doctor needs retraining. Are you going to complain through PALS. I have about a couple of issues and have been pleasantly reassured by the apologies I’ve received - think this is the only way to get problem medics identified.
Hope the draining was at least successful
How awful! Horrible for you and for the trainee who probably felt uncomfortable about it too.
What a poor example this man is. This is now 2011 I’d have hoped that kind of behaviour had been eliminated through training but obviously not. He should realise that of all things this would be particularly sensitive. What a dinosaur! Elinda x
LG, I suggest a letter to said doctor letting him know how you feel, copied to the PALS people. His behaviour and attitude falls well short of what is to be expected.
I was told my my chemo nurse last time when I was sitting in a room with a male patient that they could get fined £1000 for not asking if I minded being treated with a man in the room, and I suspect there’s something similar regarding asking permission etc etc.
I’m fuming for you, and the others on the thread who’ve been treated with a lot less dignity than we should expect.
There has been a student in the room every time I have seen a professional. Without fail, I have been told who the person was and asked if I minded. That is obviously what should happen.
Hi there,
I think a letter to PALS would be in order, this is a very insensitive way to treat a patient. When I was first diagnosed at the PR I was left in a consulting room, told to strip to the waist and then had to wait about five minutes while I could hear the ‘team’ in the next room discussing my case . Eventually two people came into the room looking very grim and gave me the bad news, by this time I was shaking (with cold and nerves). I am not a particularly modest person but I felt so exposed and vulnerable it has been the worst part of my BC experience to date and one I’ll never forget. The PR def need to improve the way they deal with people. We deserve some dignity.
best wishes
Caroline
I’m really shocked by this. I had a student watch when I had my very first breast biopsy. I was asked by the doctor if it was ok for him to be there, before he came into the room. I said it was no problem and they were very thankful.
Sorry for my earlier rant - have calmed down a bit now. I suppose I just expect the medical profession to be a bit more sensitive, and a bit more courteous.
Normally I’m quite assertive, and would complain, but in the case of the PR, I really don’t think they take a blind bit of notice of what their patients think. Last August I made an official complaint, and have never even recieved a reply. I was taken to their casualty after a serious fall, and despite explaining that I have, metastatic cancer in the bone they just X-rayed my sternum, and sent me home. When I told my Oncologist at Charing Cross he arranged scans which revealed I had fractured my T12 and L1 vertabrae. Hopefully my experince isn’t typical.
Lemongrove don’t be sorry for your rant - you should not have experienced this and am hoping that sharing your feelings has in some way helped. It also makes me feel more assertive about how I deal with the medics - but this is so hard when we feel vulnerable that I don’t always follow through with my intentions either. Something about the “power” relationship can be so managing to a patient when misused.