Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Fillers Observing patients

The knock on the door

BMJ 1999; 318 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7175.40 (Published 02 January 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;318:40

Rapid Response:

Observing patients

Sir,

I could have written Professor Ward's "Observing Patients" (BMJ, 2nd
Jan 1999) so I am sure that he will be relieved to find that he is
notalone.

He refers to the knock on the open door being used by patients on the
Eastside of Sheffield. To a southerner that means little, but my
ownexperience of the knock is that is administered by patients of what
might be termed, with political incorrectness, from a lower social class.
It is
not uncommon. I suspect its origins lie in some below stairs or
tradesmen's etiquette and I have always seen it as an expression of
deference rather than unease.

It is, in these parts, often accompanied by a frequent and
unnecessary repetition of one's name, usually prefaced by "Mister" rather
than "Doctor". I suppose that it is preferable to the usual "innit",
"y'know" or "Knowwha'imean" that appears as a "habit" interspersion,
although I find
it irritating. If they know who I am, why do I need to?

Yours faithfully,

Dr Andrew Bamji
Queen Mary's Hospital
Frognal Avenue
Sidcup
Kent DA14 6LT

Competing interests: No competing interests

07 January 1999
Andrew Bamji