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.

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Original feedback for

Handsworth Wood Medical Centre


Unhelpful prescription review

Prescription Review. This was done by the GP's/Medical Centre Pharmacist. There is a trend in parts of the medical community to remove Prescription pain medications from patients. This was initiated by a group of psychologists who have given many lectures, written papers and podcasts on the matter. Which is basically, 'Mind over Matter'. This is that the body is overreacting to pain or perceived pain. This can be seen by patients, at best ill-conceived and at worst, 'gaslighting' and trivialising the lives of patients living with pain. I nonetheless was prepared for the appointment as this has now become an unacceptable trend with this GP service. The Pharmacist went through my prescription list (14 medications). The first was a pain medication and the Pharmacist spent some time (5 minutes) talking about the medication. The Pharmacist was patronising and bullying. I was asked several times if I had read the medication leaflet. I finally explained my job role and post graduate qualifications and that I could not only read the leaflet but fully understand it. Pharmacist then quickly went through the other medications until they got to another pain medication. The Pharmacist did the same again. I explained what debilitating conditions they treated and that they were prescribed by an NHS Pain Management Consultant. I would not have been able to go to work or even get out of bed on most days without these medications. We finished the list. I told the Pharmacist that I was having reactions to a blood thinner and could I be referred to a specialist. The Pharmacist said no. I said that I did ask the receptionist whether the Pharmacist had the GP Practices' authority to refer me to a specialist if necessary to which I was assured of. I did request a GP for the prescription Review because I was having issues with the blood thinners. I informed the Pharmacist that this particular blood thinners (using the Pharmacist's own words regarding the pain medications on my list) Is 'very dangerous'. The Pharmacist then stated they would get a GP to call me. A GP phoned 3 days later and agreed the referral to haematology.