Male Surgeons behaving like demigods!

You can still complain. I think we all have a duty to bring these things into the complaints system so that we and others do not have to continue to experience them.

Not good enough, beggers belief that this sort of thing still happens! On the plus side your surgery was successful, so all good there . Have a speedy recovery.

I had one who stalked round the wards wearing a bow tie. He was so vile to me on my follow up appointment that I burst into tears. At which point he left the room shouting "nurse!"

2507C0

You can still complain. I think we all have a duty to bring these things into the complaints system so that we and others do not have to continue to experience them.

Exactly!
Unless patients - and other staff for that matter - speak up, challenge and complain about these ill mannered individuals then nothing will ever change will it?

No one has the right to behave that way, regardless of their qualifications. I had surgery last year and the surgeon and Registrar were both lovely and behaved like perfect gentlemen, I couldn't fault them for the way they treated me and the other staff.

After months of struggling to walk I finally got to see a consultant. I mentioned to him that I’d been to see a chiropractor and he left me sitting in the room without telling me that the consultation was closed. When a nurse came in and told me I could go home she just seemed to find his action amusing. He did nothing to help me.

I really thought the era of arrogant consultants was past. I know quite a few who are all lovely - I wonder if they have a personality change when they get to work.

The most arrogant medic I know is a gp in our village and the reason we didn't swap surgeries when we moved here.

At the follow up appointment after my knee replacement surgery, a handsome young doctor walked into the room with his hands in his pockets and said, "What are you doing in my clinic?". "I was sent here" I replied. He looked me up and down, barely glancing at my knee (I had rolled my trouser leg up) and said "It's fine, you can go now". He looked SO arrogant and pleased with himself.
I did seriously consider reporting him, but decided on balance that it wasn't worth it, and the surgery had been very successful and for that I was grateful. But I often wonder....

There's chavinist pigs in all walks of life but medicine does seem to have more than their fair share. Sadly we seem to meet them when we are ill, in pain and vulnerable. The last one that I had a run in with I put in his place by suggesting he read my notes to save us both, valuable time. Im saw the nurse smirk which was most satisfying.

I hate the fact that I get intimidated by these people, I always intend to stand up to them but end up being spoken down to and patronised.
I recently had to have a small gynae procedure done in theatre under a local anaesthetic and the surgeon was actually whistling whilst carrying out the procedure!

Unfortunately this behaviour still exists and must be challenged. Some years ago I accompanied Mr J to see a Consultant who was rude and arrogant. He did not want to answer any questions or explain the procedure. His attitude was I am the Consultant until we pointed out to him that Consultation was a two way process. We made no progress with him and curtailed the appointment saying we would seek another Consultant who was prepared to have a two way conversation. Appalling that this sort of thing is still happening.

There are still a few Sir Lancelot Spratts around and I've come across a couple, arrogant and quite rude. However, there do seem fewer than there were years ago and some I've seen have been friendly and approachable.

When MrOops was taken to hospital in Portugal a few years ago, I demanded to see the Consultant, I was allowed into his office where he promptly turned his back on me, spoke in perfect English to another Doctor telling him what to tell me.
I was obviously unworthy to be spoken to directly.
Mind you when MrOops checked himself out to come home and see his own Consultant the nurse said that if he put his own clothes on he would die!
Not that this means our Consultants shouldn’t be held accountable, but it’s usually when we are too unwell to answer back.
Has anyone ever had a female Consultant or Surgeon?

I refused to return to the pain clinic after the consultant demanded to know why I was at his pain clinic on the north side of the River Clyde, when I lived on the south side. He told me I had no right to be at his clinic and should have attended a different hospital. This was followed by the comment that I wasn't managing my pain properly and it was my own fault.
He then castigated me for being unwell (COPD) and told me I should be in bed.
After finding out I was a teacher, another rant followed, telling me to change professions. His wife was a supply teacher and hated her job.
I have met many lovely consultants, but he was vile. I left the clinic in tears and swore never to go back.
Oh and he wore a bow tie!

When I was pregnant with my second child, the consultant, asked if a medical student could examine me.
I said NO!
He asked why, I said that the student didn’t look clean, he was unkempt, his coat was covered in ink stains as were his hands.
Consultant was furious with me.

After the consultation I asked if I would be having a second C section, he said no, I told him my previous obstetrician had said a natural delivery would be too dangerous, he said nonsense.

6 weeks later he allowed me to labour for 19 hours, my uterus ruptured and after failed forceps I had another emergency section, he refused to come from the RVI to the maternity hospital in Jesmond to see me.

His registrar had been told to let the the labour continue, our son was born blue, spent time in SCU and we were told ther could be brain damage.
When his registrar saw me she was crying and shaking. The consultant came to see me 48hours later he said “so you got your own way”.

He was a nasty arrogant man.

I would certainly never speak up BEFORE surgery' After (hopefully successful), definitely.

As a student nurse I had a placement at a BUPA hospital, we had a 50 year old lovely lady who had suddenly developed a strange neurological condition causing uncoordinated movement.
The consultant sat, holding her hand for a good hour reassuring her that the he could resolve her problems
The lady’s insurance ran out and she was transferred to an NHS neurology ward where I was subsequently placed
The same consultant followed by a team of students visited her on a weekly ward round .
He did not acknowledge her at all and was scathing and dismissive of her condition.

I have worked with many consultants and most have been dedicated and empathetic but this particular one disgusted me.

I have both bad and good experiences.
We carry these with us forever.

This is exactly how it used to be when I was working in hospitals 40 years ago. I had thought that things had improved - it would seem not.

I will now give you a very positive story.

In my mid 30’s I got follicular cancer, I went to the hospital appointment alone not having a clue it was so serious.

The consultant told me I needed some tests there and then to determine the nature of the tumour, he asked who had brought me, I told him I had driven alone.
Oh you poor girl, he said,I will ring your husband and explain, he called my husband who got a cab to the hospital, in the meantime he made sure I was never alone.

He conducted the surgery a few weeks later, unfortunately I had a nasty incident in the hospital, a male patient put a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me, this was within 2 hours of surgery.

The consultant came from home to see me that evening and to talk to my husband about safety, the man was arrested so I had 1 night safe, unfortunately he was released and the Police never informed the hospital, the crazy knifeman returned to the ward!
At 7.00 am next day the consultant was sitting on my bed, he held my hand and told me they would transfer me to another hospital, I refused to go, I needed to be home, he arranged for nursing care at home and did something highly illegal to ensure my safe passage from the hospital!

All my follow up appointments with him were at a small cottage hospital where he did another clinic, he knew it was too traumatic for me to return to the main hospital.

He was a big bear of a man with a kind face and a lovely manner, he only did NHS work!

I had a female consultant for an appointment regarding radiotherapy after breast cancer surgery. Her surname was Whipp. I felt it should have "lash" at the end because she was horrible.

Has anyone ever had a female Consultant or Surgeon?

Yes.
I'm trying to think of an unpleasant, arrogant female Consultant but failing. There was one dreadful Registrar who left all the patients sobbing in clinic one day but the (female) Consultant said later that she had gone off to another hospital as Consultant in a different speciality. She intimated that everyone was much relieved at her departure.

I was a hospital social worker and was on a surgical ward one day. I was by a man's bed and he was upset and talking about some distressing things.

The nurses were all scuttling about creating hospital corners and generally in a tizz as one of the consultants was arriving.

The patient and I were talking (very quietly) when he arrived - he exploded and told me to get out. To my utter delight the patient said (very loudly) something along the lines of: "Who is that arrogant bastard!"

I had a female consultant called Strict. She looked very scary, but was actually a very sympathetic and kind lady.

20 years ago I had a female consultant who marched in to the examination room with 4 male students having asked the nurse to prepare me for an internal examination. Legs apart etc etc!! She didnt ask if it was ok re the students and proceeded to do the internal and discuss my insides etc with students. She then tapped my leg and told me to get dressed. That was her only acknowledgement of my presence!! Just to add to this experience the curtain was not drawn around the cubicle and the door to the corridor was slightly ajar.

I am most definitely not someone who is slow in saying what I think and I still cant quite believe that I said nothing but as I was recovering from a life threatening condition and in the middle of pretty aggressive treatment I suppose that might explain my silence to some extent.

I did submit a formal complaint and requested an immediate transfer to the care of another consultant. My GP backed that request.

Still seems unbelievable