← All articles

Health Disparities Advocacy

Medical Gaslighting: When Doctors Dismiss Your Symptoms and What You Can Do About It

Dr Kennedy Umege10 min read

You left the appointment feeling worse than when you went in. Not because of the diagnosis -- because the doctor did not believe you.

If that has happened to you, it is worth taking seriously, and there are practical steps you can take.

I am Dr Kennedy Umege, a UK GP (GMC 7592446; GP Register from 31 January 2023). MB BS 2004, University of Port Harcourt. UK-registered since August 2018. This article explains what patients mean by medical gaslighting, why ethnic minority communities in the UK report it, and what you can do that stays inside NHS.uk and GMC rules. It is general health education. It is not personal medical advice. It does not represent the NHS or any NHS employer.

What Is Medical Gaslighting?

Medical gaslighting describes a situation where a patient's reported symptoms are dismissed, attributed to psychological causes without proper investigation, or handled in a way that makes the patient doubt their own experience.

It is not always intentional. Most doctors are not consciously dismissing patients. But bias can be implicit. It can operate without awareness. And the outcome for the patient is the same regardless of intent.

Common forms include:

  • Being told "it's probably just anxiety" without any physical examination
  • Being told symptoms are "normal for your age" when they are not
  • Being told chest pain is “just anxiety” without an appropriate physical assessment (for example no history that distinguishes emergency features, no examination, no ECG when one is indicated)
  • Being made to feel that asking follow-up questions is problematic
  • Being told your concerns are "health anxiety" before any tests are run

The Women and Equalities Committee’s Black maternal health report (Third Report of Session 2022–23, published 18 April 2023) documents racism, not being listened to, and stereotyping — including around pain — in maternity care. It is not a 2022 “Report on Women’s Health,” and it does not give a quantified “significantly more likely” statistic for pain minimisation in all healthcare settings. The 2022 document in this space is the DHSC Women’s Health Strategy for England (30 August 2022), which reported that 84% of women in a self-selected call-for-evidence said they had not been listened to — not an ethnicity-stratified prevalence study.

Burt et al. (BJGP 2016) measured GP Patient Survey communication scores, not a “feel dismissed” item. The largest gaps were in older female Pakistani and Bangladeshi responders, and in younger people who described their ethnicity as “Any other white.” The paper found few differences for African, Caribbean, and other Black responders. Do not hang a Black-patient dismissal claim on Burt.

Ethnic-minority people with long COVID in a qualitative study (Smyth et al., 2024; n=31) described not being believed. That is help-seeking stigma in long COVID. It is not general GP-gaslighting epidemiology.

Patients feeling dismissed is a recognised concern. The UK evidence named here does not give a single measure of how often it happens, and it does not show the same pattern for every ethnic group.

Why Some Patients From Ethnic Minority Communities Report Not Being Heard

There are several possible factors.

Symptoms That Do Not Follow the Textbook

Symptoms do not always follow the textbook pattern. NHS.uk describes heart attack chest pain as possibly feeling like squeezing, pressure, burning or indigestion, and pain that can spread to the arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back.

Pain Bias

There is documented evidence that some clinicians hold false beliefs about pain perception across racial groups. Hoffman et al. (PNAS 2016) is a United States study of white medical students and residents using mock cases, not UK GPs and not real-world prescribing. Half of the sample endorsed these false beliefs. Those who endorsed more false beliefs rated a Black patient’s pain lower and were less accurate in vignette treatment recommendations. That is not a uniform finding that “clinicians believed Black patients feel less pain,” and it is not “this affected prescribing.” For UK maternity, cite WEC 2023 (above), not a 2022 WEC women’s-health report that does not exist in that form.

How Distress Is Described

Some people describe emotional distress in physical terms, such as tiredness or low energy. If you think your tiredness might be linked to how you are feeling, say so.

If you are struggling with how healthcare interactions are affecting your mental health, Mind UK offers support and resources for people from all communities.

Time Pressure in the NHS

GP appointments are often short. Writing your symptoms down beforehand helps you use the time well.

Being dismissed is rarely deliberate, but the impact on you is still real.

Six Signs You May Not Have Been Fully Heard

Knowing the difference between a doctor who disagrees with you after a thorough assessment and a doctor who has not properly listened to you is essential.

  1. Your symptoms are put down to stress or anxiety without the reasons being explained to you.
  2. You are discouraged from returning. Phrases like "I'm not sure what else we can do" when you have only had one or two appointments.
  3. Your own description of your symptoms is reframed. You say "sharp pain in my chest" and the notes record "patient reports mild discomfort."
  4. You are talked over or interrupted consistently during the appointment.
  5. You leave every appointment without a plan. No investigation, no referral, no follow-up date, no clear explanation of why none of those things were offered.
  6. You are told to lose weight, reduce stress, or exercise -- without those recommendations being connected logically to your specific complaint.

Compare this to a doctor who genuinely disagrees after a thorough assessment. They will explain their reasoning, document their findings, give you a clear opportunity to return if symptoms change, and make sure you know you can ask for a second opinion.

Disagreement is medicine. Dismissal is not.

What To Do: A Practical Action Framework

Here is exactly what to do -- before, during, and after your appointment -- if you are concerned about not being heard.

Before the Appointment

  • Write your symptoms down. Include when they started, how often they occur, what makes them better or worse, and how much they affect your daily life. Bring this on paper or show it on your phone.
  • Say clearly how much the symptom affects your daily life, for example: "this is stopping me working."
  • Ask a trusted friend or family member to accompany you if you feel you may be rushed or dismissed. NICE guidance on patient experience (CG138, recommendation 1.3.10) says staff should ask whether and how you want a partner, family member or carer involved in decisions about your care. It is not a blanket legal right for every appointment.

During the Appointment

  • Ask directly: "What investigations are you offering, and why are you not offering others?"
  • Ask: "What would need to happen for me to be referred to a specialist?"
  • Ask the doctor to document your concerns in your records -- specifically that you raised them and that you believe they need further investigation.
  • If the appointment feels dismissive, say: “I understand your current view. I would like a second opinion. How do I ask for that?”

After the Appointment

  • Review your medical notes. Under the NHS Constitution, you have the right of access to your own health records and to have any factual inaccuracies corrected. Request them via your GP surgery or the NHS app.
  • You can ask for a second opinion. NICE CG138 (recommendation 1.3.9) says healthcare staff should make sure you know you can ask for a second opinion from a different healthcare professional, and how to do it. That is not a right to be assigned another clinician on demand.
  • Raise a formal concern if needed. If a pattern of dismissal continues, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to discuss your options and, if appropriate, raise a formal complaint through the NHS Complaints process.

This Is About Partnership, Not Conflict

I want to say this carefully, as a doctor.

Advocating for yourself in a clinical appointment is not the same as not trusting your doctor. Good doctors want informed, engaged patients. When you come in prepared, with written symptoms and specific questions, you make the appointment more effective. You help us help you better.

Some communities have historical reasons to be wary of healthcare systems -- that is real and valid. But the tools in this article are not about suspicion. They are about being an equal participant in a conversation that is about your body and your life.

You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to push back. You are allowed to take up your full appointment time. You are allowed to feel heard. And if you are not feeling heard, you are allowed to escalate.

Red Flag Symptoms: Do Not Wait

If you have any of the following symptoms and you are being told they are nothing, do not wait. These lines follow NHS.uk, checked 28 September 2026. They are general education, not a personal triage of you.

Call 999 or go to A&E (do not drive yourself) if:

  • You get sudden chest pain or discomfort that does not go away, pain that spreads to an arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with feeling sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath (NHS.uk chest pain).
  • You are coughing up more than a few spots or streaks of blood, or you are coughing up blood and finding it hard to breathe, have a very fast heartbeat, or have pain in your chest or upper back (NHS.uk coughing up blood, reviewed 13 June 2024).
  • You are bleeding non-stop from the bottom, or there is a lot of blood — for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots (NHS.uk rectal bleeding, reviewed 12 April 2023).

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:

  • You have coughed up a few small spots, flecks or streaks of blood (NHS.uk coughing up blood).
  • You have blood in your pee, even a small amount, even the first time, even if you are not sure it is blood (NHS.uk blood in urine).
  • Your poo is black or dark red, or you have bloody diarrhoea (NHS.uk rectal bleeding).

See a GP (do not accept reassurance without being heard) if:

  • You keep losing weight without changing diet or exercise. NHS.uk does not use a public “5% over 3 months = urgent” rule. If weight loss comes with other symptoms, see a GP as soon as possible.
  • You notice a new lump you are worried about, or a lump still there after 2 weeks. Many lumps are not same-day emergencies. Breast or testicle lumps: see a GP promptly. Do not accept reassurance without an examination.
  • You have been feeling tired for a few weeks without knowing why, or tiredness is affecting daily life. Tests may be offered; they are not mandated at four weeks on NHS.uk.

These are clinical red flags. If you are told they are "probably nothing" without a proper assessment, that is the moment to push back hardest.

A companion video is in production for The Educating GP YouTube channel. This article is the live written version.

References

This content is for general health education only. It does not replace individual medical advice. Always consult your own doctor for personal health decisions. This is independent educational commentary. It does not represent the NHS or any NHS employer.

If you have emergency symptoms, follow NHS.uk — call 999 or 111 as that page says, not as a catch-all “same-day GP.”

Dr Kennedy Umege, UK GP (GMC 7592446; GP Register from 31 January 2023). MB BS 2004, University of Port Harcourt. UK-registered since August 2018.

Get health evidence in your inbox

Clinical clarity. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe on Beehiiv

Get the free guide by signing up, or download the PDF directly.

Open Beehiiv signupDownload the guide PDFPreview the free guide

We use your email only to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy. We never sell your data. It is processed by our newsletter provider (Beehiiv) as described in our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

More from The Educating GP

Diabetes and EndocrinologyWhy South Asians Face Type 2 Diabetes Risk From a Younger Age: A UK GP Explains the Risk, the Science, and What to Do Now10 min readHypertension and CardiovascularStroke Prevention in Black Adults: What Every Black African and Caribbean Person in the UK Needs to Know8 min readMental Health in Ethnic MinoritiesBlack People Are Nearly 4× More Likely to Be Detained Under the Mental Health Act in England: What the Data Show7 min read