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"Lack of tact from doctor"

About: Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Outpatient Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My daughter attended an appointment recently. At the end of the consultation, the Doctor pointed out that my daughter is morbidly obese according to the NHS BMI chart. This would be contributing to her pain. The doctor asked if I was happy with this. I stated that no one is happy with their BMI. I myself am obese according to the NHS Chart and under the same category as a bariatric patient. This makes me laugh, I'm a size 16 and my daughter is a size 14. I am sensible enough to not take this so seriously but to a teenage girl, this is massively insulting and now keeps saying she is fat. I now am concerned that this is going to be an ongoing issue and I really don't need this as well as everything else. 

I think this Doctor should be mindful of teenagers, especially who are still developing physically and mentally and could have an eating disorder when speaking to them. I'm actually disgusted that this has been said to my daughter and typed to my GP and to cc another consultant in this. I myself work in the NHS, and we go on many courses on how to be tactful and be aware of patients' mental health. I personally think this Doctor needs to update their skills in this department.

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Responses

Response from Mhairi Stirrat, Senior Charge Nurse, Outpatients - Royal Hospital for Children, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 5 hours ago
Mhairi Stirrat
Senior Charge Nurse, Outpatients - Royal Hospital for Children,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Submitted on 06/11/2025 at 16:58
Published on Care Opinion at 16:58


picture of Mhairi Stirrat

Dear Popps78

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I am truly sorry to hear about your recent experience and the impact it has had on both you and your daughter. We understand how important it is to approach conversations about health and wellbeing with sensitivity, especially when speaking with young people who are still developing physically and emotionally.

Your concerns regarding the language used and the potential effect on your daughter’s mental health are completely valid. This is not the experience we want for any of our patients, and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

I would like to investigate this matter further and ensure that appropriate steps are taken. Please feel free to reach out to me directly by telephone on 0141 452 4077 or via email at mhairi.stirrat@nhs.scot I am more than happy to discuss this with you in detail and work towards a resolution.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve the care we provide.

Kind regards,

Mhairi Stirrat

Senior Charge Nurse

Outpatients RHC

0141 452 4077

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