"Found the doctor rude"

I saw the duty doctor at Guernsey house, who I found to be abrupt, rude, and disrespectful. It was the first time I had met the duty doctor, he did not introduce himself, did not welcome me in- he started the interaction with the following statement, “are you forgetful?” His tone of voice and manner suggested to me that he was making a negative judgment about me.

He continued to ask about my engagement and late arrival to appointments- I explained the reasons for arriving late and explained that I was having problems and that I suffered from asthma. I explained that I often have to walk to appointments (which are quite a distance) and my asthma can hinder my walking. I felt that the doctor did not take these things on board or seem very sympathetic. I do understand that the GPs are busy and I do take precautions to avoid being late. I felt that the duty doctor was flippant and told me to see my GP about my asthma.

What concerned me the most about the interaction was that the duty doctors’ attitudes and tone of voice, he gave me the impression that he was not worried/concerned about what was happening in my life or what was causing me problems to engage/ arrive on time but more concerned about this affecting him.

In addition to this the duty doctor changed the way I pick up my medication from 3x weekly pick up to daily pick up. I think the reason for doing this was not medical but because I have been late to appointments in the past- changing the way I am getting my medication has nothing to do with patient care but is a way of punishing me for being late. I explained that having to pick up my medication daily would cause me considerable problems as the chemist I obtain my medication from is situated on a steep hill, which takes me 15 mins to climb, which I have difficulty climbing due to asthma. To which the doctor show no concern/didn’t take this into account.

I usually like the service and the staff are understanding.