Tess C.

Dr Bonnefoy, dermatologist in Roanne

After waiting two months for an appointment with this doctor, and travelling to meet him, I arrived at his office on time.

I took a note written in French, to explain that i wanted him to look at, and remove if appropriate, some skin moles and lesions. I said sorry that I did not speak French. He barely glanced at my note and immediately replied that I had to come back with someone who spoke "perfect french and perfect english." He said this in perfect english.

Confused about the need for this and annoyed at his dismissive attitude, I asked why this was necessary and he merely repeated that it was. I said that this was quite a simple thing that I needed and I could explain further by using iPhone translate. He became quite angry and jumped up insisting loudly that I bring someone who speaks perfect french etc

I asked again, but can you do it? Because it was clear I was being dismissed and because i was not at all sure that he could, or would, do what was needed, and because I did not wish to bring anyone to be present while I was being examined or telling this doctor my troubles and my history, and because I had already waited many months for this appointment and did not want to wait again, I wanted the answer to this question.

I motioned to my english translated into french on my iphone and turned it towards him asking if he could do what I wanted. It was a simple question in French. He did not want to read it.

He waved his hands around and said no repeatedly and vigorously while waving my phone away. No to the procedures or no to using my translate app? I didn't know.

But then he repeated his demand for the third time for me to come back with somebody who speaks "perfect french and perfect english." Even though my app was able to translate very efficiently, my question of whether he could do it, went unanswered, and it began to seem like his biggest problem was that I did not speak fluent french.

However I preserved with my question because I needed to know this, and now pointed to a very dark lesion on my face which he waved away with barely a glance and I began to remove my scarf to show him one on my neck when he jumped up and strode pointedly towards me and said into my face, in perfect english, loudly and firmly, that my needs were aesthetic only. He had not even looked at them.

Shocked, I said they were not and that I was concerned because I am from Australia and there is a harsh sun there and it is dangerous to ignore these, and, as I had already written, in French, in my note, I have a history of removal of cancerous moles and lesions. I said that in Australia the doctors know that these skin lesions are dangerous…

He cut me off. No no no he said now waving at me, dismissing me, refusing to even examine me, he was moving towards me and almost pushing me to the door and was beginning to feel very threatening to me as he said swiftly and in perfect english "go back to Australia then!"

Furious, by now, and absolutely shocked and angered by his attitude, I swore at him and called him a pig, as I left, never to return.

This practitioner's behaviour was extraordinary and almost unbelievable. Other practitioners have agreed it was way out of line, very unusual and not acceptable.

This should not go unreported.