Right to Respond

As part of our commitment to providing an honest and transparent view of health and social care services, Healthwatch Birmingham encourages providers to respond to comments the public have left.

Alongside ensuring providers can have a fair say in discussions about their services, replying to reviews demonstrates evidence of responding to patient feedback for the CQC, who regularly monitor our Feedback Centre. It is also an effective way to recruit service users for any wider engagement work at your organisation.

Guidelines for provider responses:

  • Keep language appropriate and civil
  • Remain professional and treat people’s comments fairly
  • Engage with the content of the review by addressing specific points and avoid cut and pasting a standard response
  • Don’t disclose the service user’s personal details or any potentially identifying information
  • Where appropriate leave organisational contact details e.g PALS or patient engagement teams for people to get further information

Remember: your response will be seen by everyone who uses the Feedback Centre, not just the original reviewer. All responses are moderated in accordance with our moderation policy.

For full terms and conditions, including a guide to how right to reply works for service providers download this guide.

Your reply

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Original feedback for

Ashfield Surgery


I shouldn't be dismissed.

Spoke to my gp on the phone with a concern about an itching inside the breast I’ve already had cancer in, and asked for a mammogram. She went through a tick list of accepted symptoms and mine wasn’t on that list. She said if I didn’t have what was on that list my request for a mammogram would be thrown out. Now when I was signed off from the hospital after my treatment was finished I was told that absolutely anything, any changes, any concerns I was to get booked in for a mammogram. So what’s going on? My concern is genuine. When I previously had breast cancer it was found during a normal mammogram, I had no noticeable symptoms. In fairness to my gp she’s examining me this week, but if she finds nothing?? What is the point of your tv adverts “if something doesn’t feel right” if we’re to be dismissed when something doesn’t feel right??