"OutPatients Consultation at vascular clinic"

I recently had an altogether unpleasant and hostile experience during a Consultation at a Vascular clinic After my name was called a student doctor came to meet me and then the consultant met me in the corridor. “Mr Lawley it looks like you have all the time in the world, well I haven’t, walk faster!” he remarked. At that point I thought, Should I tell him I’m still recovering from an arthroscopy on my right knee, which I had been done recently. But I just grinned and borne this unkind statement, that set the tone for the entire appointment. The consultant's manner was one of a haughty headmaster. Speak when you’re spoken too and just answer my questions, quickly, without interfering any causality or providing any more information than has been asked. As I have two disk hernias that are the cause of Chronic Low Back pain which I have to take constant medication for I thought I’d just let him known this. His response was “ I’m not an orthopaedic consultant and I’m not here consult on your back problems”. I was going to explain that I also get pain in the side of abdomen which is related to these hernia’s. But after receiving such a reprimand for speaking out of turn I just shut up and only provided the briefest responses, only when asked to do so At one point in the consultation I remarked that when I had been lived in France, it was quite normal for me to be given Xrays, Ultrasound and MRI scan copies to take home. The response then was “well why don’t you go back to live there then, we’d very much wish it if you would! I have never been treated this way by any Doctor or Consutant. I don’t feel there is any excuse for the condescension and unempathetic manner, that I was subjected to during this examination; simply appalling is the only way I can describe it.