Greetings and moods – patients and doctors
All humans have moods, and if you’re sick it’s natural to feel sad or grumpy.
Doctors, nurses and all health professionals are humans with moods too. They have to be caring and empathetic, but they aren’t robots!
It’s important that patients and NHS workers recognise this and greet each other in a friendly, open and caring way.
The doctor could start by saying ‘thank you for coming to see me today’ (at GP or outpatient clinics) or ‘sorry to see you in hospital, how can I help?’ (emergency department or hospital ward).
The patient can ask the doctor how they are too. Both sides should listen to the response – sometimes listening is more important than talking.
[Hint: you will get more out of your doctor by being nice to them (and vice versa!)].
