Post 23 The best consultant in the world

The time has come for me to introduce you to Sir William who will feature in several of the tales that I have lined up for you.   He is the doctor I have most admired, the best boss I had when I was training and a wonderful colleague when I became a consultant.   He was loved by his patients, respected by his juniors and was the darling of all the nursing staff.


His full title was Sir William Frederick Warrender but he was known as Sir William by one and all.   I’m not sure why he was knighted but rumour suggests that he chanced to be on duty many years ago when a minor Royal visited the city and developed appendicitis.   The knighthood was his reward for removing the offending organ and avoiding all complications.   The anaesthetist and nurses came away empty handed!

When I first met him, Sir William was in his early fifties, a bachelor with a genial face and a twinkle in his eye.   Despite his years, he carried himself well and was invariably smartly dressed.   Generally he wore a classic charcoal grey three piece suit, a starched white shirt accompanied by a bow tie. The shine on his black leather shoes  would have passed muster by even the most demanding sergeant major.   In the summer the lapel of his jacket sported a single rose, red in colour, not to support any particular political party but to show his pride in his Lancashire roots.


He was always formal and polite.   He held the door, not merely for nursing sisters but for everyone he passed in the corridor, be they visitors, cleaners or porters.   He never forgot to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and invariable expressed his gratitude to the nurses and junior doctors at the end of his ward rounds.  Wouldn't it be nice if all consultants did that? A stickler for courtesy, he regularly reminded his staff that they should not ‘order’ investigations from the laboratory or x-ray department; they should be ‘requested’ with a full explanation of the reason for the request.   He explained that if you supplied the pathologist or radiologist with full clinical details they would understand your diagnostic difficulty and reward you with a more thoughtful and helpful response.

He was considerate and polite with his patients. He took the time to put them at their ease when taking a detailed history or performing a careful examination and always provided them with a detailed explanation of their condition and their management plan.  His behaviour and demeanour was in sharp contrast to the other consultant on the unit, Mr Leslie Potts, who was a tyrant feared by doctors and nurses alike -- but more of him on another occasion.

Although by nature a gentle man, he had a disconcerting habit of jabbing medical students and junior doctors with a blunt forefinger just below the collar bone as he emphasised a point.   ‘Always remember’ he said to me, jabbing furiously, when I once misdiagnosed a case of appendicitis, ‘common things occur commonly.’   The result was a collection of bruises on my chest. When I returned home the next day after a night ‘on call’ in the hospital, I had difficulty explaining to my wife that they were not love bites!

‘No one should be too proud or haughty to perform a humble rectal examination’ was another of his favourite expressions.  If you don’t put your finger in, one day you will put your foot in it’, was another.

Undeniably he was as perfect a consultant as one could hope to meet but it was this perfection, his attention to detail that could, at times, be an irritation to his juniors.   His ward rounds dragged on for hours, and standing at the bedside with aching legs and a list of jobs as long as your arm waiting to be done, whilst he repeated to yet another patient the causes of a groin hernia, was frustrating in the extreme.   He was also an extremely slow, though very careful and safe, surgeon in theatre; another reason I suppose for the varicose veins that I developed in later life.   His surgical speed was not helped by the slight tremor that he developed in his advancing years.   This led the junior doctors, at the Christmas revue, to sing (perhaps a little unkindly) the following lyrics to the tune of  'My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean'.

Sir William’s a mighty fine surgeon,
He tackles his patients with zeal, 
His tremor makes speed none too easy, 
As fast as he cuts them, they heal!

The words create an image in my mind of a wound healing at one end even as it is being extended at the other!

Perhaps it is fair to admit at this point that Sir William is not actually a real person.   He represents an amalgam of the best characteristics of the many consultants I have known during my medical career.  He will emerge from time to time in stories that will appear in future posts in this blog.
Sir William is a principal character in THE FIRST CUT and subsequent novels written by Peter Sykes. They are available from Amazon in paperback or e form. Details on the Home Page


Thoughts for the day
‘He’s a gentleman – just look at his boots’
George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

 A good leader leads the people from above them, A great leader leads the people from within them.                            
 MD Arnold 1822 - 1888

`Do you have a favourite story about a senior doctor - the sort of tale you might relate to a friend over a cup of coffee or a mate in the pub?   If so, do get in touch using the ‘contact me’ tab on the Home Page.

To receive future stories (free of course) at your email address simply, SIGN IN on the Home Page

  Extract from a doctor’s letter: 'Patient was present when the suppositories were inserted'.

Comments

  1. I'm curious to find out what post platform you have been utilizing? I'm having some minor security issues with my latest website and I'd like to find something more safe. Do you have any solutions? website marketing

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't appear. Grrrr... well I'm not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog! seo expert in singapore

    ReplyDelete
  3. After I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now each time a remark is added I get 4 emails with the same comment. Is there any means you'll be able to remove me from that service? Thanks! best online store singapore

    ReplyDelete
  4. My brother suggested I might like this website. He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You cann't imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks! Improve Your SEO Insights With Google 

    ReplyDelete
  5. I enjoy what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work and reporting! Keep up the fantastic works guys I've you guys to our blogroll. hire a professional web agency

    ReplyDelete
  6. Excellent blog here! Additionally your web site quite a bit up very fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate link in your host? I want my site loaded up as fast as yours lol SEO Tips You Need To Know

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i am happy to convey that I've a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make certain to don’t forget this web site and give it a look on a constant basis. in-house SEO associate

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello there, simply became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative. I am going to be careful for brussels. I’ll appreciate in the event you proceed this {in future}. A lot of folks will probably be benefited out of your writing. Cheers! best eyelash extension Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  9. There are some interesting deadlines on this article however I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There may be some validity but I'll take maintain opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as wellnomos watches sydney

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return. Stainless Steel Tube

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am not sure where you're getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this info for my mission. scandinavian interior design singapore

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pretty good post. I recently stumbled upon your blog and wanted to state that I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I really hope you post again soon. Singapore funeral services

    ReplyDelete
  13. I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I'll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road. Cheers. Luxury Furniture Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  14. Howdy! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!
    queen size mattress

    ReplyDelete
  15. I expected to put you that smidgen of word to offer gratitude as prior to with respect to the wonderful methods you have examined on this site. It's unquestionably hugely altruistic with you in giving broadly all that various individuals might have sold as a digital book to acquire some benefit for themselves, and specifically since you might have attempted it in the occasion you chose. These thoughts moreover worked like a fabulous method to understand that another person have a comparative craving a lot of like my own to sort out great arrangement more concerning this issue. Unquestionably there are a huge number of more pleasurable occasions ahead for the individuals who read cautiously your blog entry.

    event cleaning services

    ReplyDelete
  16. My mate and I totally love your blog and discover practically the entirety of your post's to be the thing definitely I'm searching for. Would you offer visitor essayists to compose content for yourself? I wouldn't see any problems with making a post or expounding on a considerable lot of the subjects you compose concerning here. Once more, wonderful site!

    gold vault

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. Thank youperfume online

    ReplyDelete
  18. Unquestionably consider that that you stated. Your favorite reason appeared to be at the net the easiest thing to keep in mind of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed at the same time as other people consider worries that they plainly don't understand about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as neatly as outlined out the entire thing with no need side-effects , other people could take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thank youdigital rights management

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey there, You've done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I'm sure they will be benefited from this website.buy planner online

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web site is very cool. I'm impressed by the details that you’ve on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a great web site.Generator maintenance

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever before.instant loan singapore

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for picking out the time to discuss this, I feel great about it and love studying more on this topic. It is extremely helpful for me. Thanks for such a valuable help agaidentures in alabama

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great info and right to the point. I don't know if this is in fact the best place {to ask} but do you people have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thank you empresas de criação de websites

    ReplyDelete
  24. We're a gaggle of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with helpful information to work on. You have performed a formidable activity and our entire community shall be thankful to you. local home insurance agencies

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment