Where does a doctor usually place their stethoscope?
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Original post by Anonymous
I will do that definitely. Thank you.
And I will request that but my family do plan on changing the GP. Honestly, the health service from the place is very poor generally speaking.
And I will request that but my family do plan on changing the GP. Honestly, the health service from the place is very poor generally speaking.
I think it's still better to change the doctor at your current health service for your own personal sake
Original post by DedicatedWizard
I think it's still better to change the doctor at your current health service for your own personal sake
That's another thing about the service. They used to have a fixed doctor but now it's a different one everytime. All the good doctors have left.
But I will definitely change the GP centre I'm registered with.
Original post by Mr Optimist
You're welcome. And whether he had malicious intent or not, it is something that made you very uncomfortable. Healthcare professionals should at minimum have the common sense to explain exactly what they are going to do and if you're okay for them to do so.
I wish you all the best and once again, I am sorry for your experience.
I wish you all the best and once again, I am sorry for your experience.
Exactly. I've always had doctors who explain what they are going to do and went in believing I would experience the same thing. Which was foolish of me but I've been with the GP my whole life and assumed it would be a doctor I have already seen. I hadn't realised that they change the doctors every so often so it was a shock and definitely a bad and uncomfortable experience.
Thank you so much. It really does mean a lot.
If you have to see the doctor again ask for a chaperone. You could always speak to another doctor if you are concerned ad get a medical opinion on whether what he did was necessary as he may have been listening to your lungs or it could have been malicious
Original post by PsychStudySarah
If you have to see the doctor again ask for a chaperone. You could always speak to another doctor if you are concerned ad get a medical opinion on whether what he did was necessary as he may have been listening to your lungs or it could have been malicious
I definitely won't be booking an appointment at the centre itself anyways as they're just really bad.
I will definitely ask another doctor for their opinion, but it's just I've never had doctors place their stethoscopes directly on my breasts. I've been to the doctors for similar symptoms as I get the same ones ever winter and they have never placed their stethoscopes where he did.
Original post by Anonymous
This is probably not the best place to post this but I wanted advice on what to do.
Basically I had an appointment with the doctor and it was a male doctor. He examined me with a stethoscope and first placed the stethoscope just where my heart would be and then proceeded to place it on the left of my left breast and then slightly lower. He did this to my right breast too.
I don't know whether this is unusual but I've been to the docs for the same symptoms and none of the doctors I've had before have done that. They've never placed the stethoscope on the side of my breasts.
I just want to ask if this is normal or should I send in a complaint?
It did make me feel incredibly uncomfortable and I didn't know what to say because I was so shocked. I'm sure doctors usually state that they're going to place the stethoscope whenever it comes to sensitive parts such as the breasts. My doctors before have always done that. But he didn't do that and really dug into the flesh.
I'm just stumped and don't know exactly what to do.
Basically I had an appointment with the doctor and it was a male doctor. He examined me with a stethoscope and first placed the stethoscope just where my heart would be and then proceeded to place it on the left of my left breast and then slightly lower. He did this to my right breast too.
I don't know whether this is unusual but I've been to the docs for the same symptoms and none of the doctors I've had before have done that. They've never placed the stethoscope on the side of my breasts.
I just want to ask if this is normal or should I send in a complaint?
It did make me feel incredibly uncomfortable and I didn't know what to say because I was so shocked. I'm sure doctors usually state that they're going to place the stethoscope whenever it comes to sensitive parts such as the breasts. My doctors before have always done that. But he didn't do that and really dug into the flesh.
I'm just stumped and don't know exactly what to do.
Hiya. I'm a little late to the party, but I just wanted to check in to be sure you've got what info you need now.
It sounds to me like they were most likely trying to listen to a specific area but your breast got in the way a bit (they are in a bit of an awkward place) or that they missed the mark slightly (I assume your breasts were covered at the time). I've had exams before where stethoscopes have been placed on or very near to my breast and it can be quite uncomfortable especially if unexpected.
It's not an ideal situation at all, but I would expect it's most likely a mistake rather than a genuine inappropriate act.
That said, I obviously can't know exactly where it was or the general context etc and either way it's clearly got you somewhat worked up so if you would like to bring it up with appropriate people go for it. You could contact the practice manager or call the NHS for advice.
I would think that an appropriate course of action here would be to write anonymously to the practice manager, explain the situation and that it made you feel uncomfortable. Not in a way that's like accusing them of shifty behaviour (I get the impression you don't think it was actually shifty- just that it felt like it could be), but in a way that puts it out there that he perhaps wasn't as delicate with the situation as he should/ could have been. Hopefully that will lead to him altering his approach a little or if there are other similar messages about it him being investigated.
In the future please do feel free to ask for a female dr when booking, ask for a chaperone or bring in a friend/ family member and to ask if you're ever unsure what's going on. It's absolutely something you can do and any decent doctor shouldn't mind a little bit of questioning/ curiosity from patients.
Doctors appointments can be a bit of a rush and a little daunting though so I can totally understand why you may not have thought about those things or felt comfortable doing them at the time.
I hope that helps and that you're feeling a bit less shaken about things now.
If you are fat/floppy-breasted OP then yes, sometimes you do need to get very close to or even over the breasts to listen properly. Its quite possible that previous people just haven't bothered to listen properly, prioritising your comfort over actual medical need.
Another possibility is that he didn't make you remove your top (as he is supposed to to get the best exam, but to preserve decency many doctors simply skip that), and if you were wearing something baggy he may have been a bit inaccurate with where he listened.
Or its possible he deliberately sexually assaulted you. We can't tell we weren't there. You said he didn't touch you at all though so he must be a bit odd to get a kick out of just pushing a stethoscope into someone though!
Wait what?! That's such a leap - there's absolutely nothing the OP has said that suggests that at all.
Another possibility is that he didn't make you remove your top (as he is supposed to to get the best exam, but to preserve decency many doctors simply skip that), and if you were wearing something baggy he may have been a bit inaccurate with where he listened.
Or its possible he deliberately sexually assaulted you. We can't tell we weren't there. You said he didn't touch you at all though so he must be a bit odd to get a kick out of just pushing a stethoscope into someone though!
Original post by Mr Optimist
He may have had malicious intend, it's impossible for anyone (other then him) to know. Either way, he comes across rather lazy and incompetent anyway.
Wait what?! That's such a leap - there's absolutely nothing the OP has said that suggests that at all.
I mean technically to listen to the heart properly, the doctor should lift the breast out of the way with the back of the hand - the doctor perhaps thought that would be considered even more inappropriate?
I imagine the most likely explanation is that the doctor was listening for heart sounds/breath sounds, but obviously it is difficult to comment accurately without being there.
I imagine the most likely explanation is that the doctor was listening for heart sounds/breath sounds, but obviously it is difficult to comment accurately without being there.
Original post by Anonymous
Wait what?! That's such a leap - there's absolutely nothing the OP has said that suggests that at all.
Wait what?! That's such a leap - there's absolutely nothing the OP has said that suggests that at all.
What's the "leap" here exactly? The fact that I said he may have had malign intent? I have already explained that he is probably just lazy. However, are you going to claim you know for sure he did not have a malign intent? Nobody here can know for sure. But still, his conduct was not appropriate regardless of his intention.
(edited 5 years ago)
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