Budget constraints may worsen relationship between patients and medical staff 

Irish Medical Council president Suzanne Crowe said: 'I think humanising both doctors and patients is very important'. Picture: Moya Nolan

The president of the Irish Medical Council has said she is worried about how the relationship between patients and medical staff has deteriorated since the pandemic.

Amid predictions the situation will get worse as services are hit by budget constraints, Dr Suzanne Crowe said she is concerned by patients' anger at long delays and the level of burnout being faced by medical staff.

Dr Crowe, who said she has been on the receiving end of abuse herself as a consultant in paediatric intensive care medicine at Crumlin Hospital, said patients and doctors need to "humanise" each other.

“I think humanising both doctors and patients is very important,” she said.

“Once we start leaving behind those human aspects, we run the risk of not being compassionate to either the doctors or the patients.” 

Last month, a Medical Protection Survey revealed doctors were punched, spat at, and held at gunpoint by patients in the past year. 

Nurses have also given evidence to the Oireachtas Health Committee of being abused.

Dr Crowe said there is "a lot of anger out there" among patients and families who have been left waiting a long time and that is reaching a head, particularly in acute medicine, emergency departments, and GP practices.

“We are so resource-stretched it is very normal, in ways, that patients will voice frustration that they can’t access things.

“The doctor or the nurse is often the one who takes the brunt of somebody voicing that. It is perfectly reasonable for somebody to voice that, but when it comes to being abusive or intimidating it will clearly increase the stress levels in the situation.” 

The Medical Council recently instituted changes to fitness to practice hearings to better support participants during investigations of potential standards breaches.

“Open disclosure really happens naturally as part of a good relationship between the doctor and patient,” she said.

“If it has become adversarial it is going to be difficult to communicate openly, people are going to be nervous.”