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


Shallow understanding of Mental Health Issues

Better than other treatment I have received from GP’s for mental health support. Health care professionals not surprisingly, but disappointingly, don’t seem to have a good understanding of depression. Other than that it means prescribing antidepressants and referring to a mental health service that offers some sort of therapy. I have had worse GP did not know what the leading mental health charity “Mind” was. Didn’t feel completely listened to and GP made assumptions. Good in terms of medication prescribed, increased when needed and monitored. Extreme difficulty in making appointments with surgery, waiting 45 / 50 mins when you are depressed and have no motivation is not good enough. Moving from Birmingham to Coventry and back to Birmingham, I had no continuity of care for my mental health and had to start all over with referrals / explaining myself. Also no united understanding of high functioning autism / Asperger