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

Heartlands Hospital


Bad experience

I am a first time mother to my daughter who was born on 21st October 2014 despite my waters being broke on the 19th. I was in a lot of pain leading to the birth and was not given the care and attention due to lack of staff and "other emergencies". Eventually I underwent a C Section as my daughters life was at risk due to her being out of fluid for more than 48 hours. The epidural given was inserted in my back 3 times before the nurse got it right causing me severe pain and pain till this day. A day after my baby was born she vomited on her mattress which was turned over to the other side by a nurse instead of the sheets being changed. Then she had a poo which also leaked on to the mattress and this was not changed until my partner arrived the next day and noticed. (I was drugged up on tramadol due to operation) I have this on video. The staff were intimidating so I was made to feel afraid of using the buzzer for assistance as they would snap at me in my state. I was put on a catheter as I could not walk to the toilet which leaked from being overfull as no one came to change it despite me asking many times. I have had a distressing and upsetting experience at this hospital and am appalled with the lack of care and compassion shown by staff here. Each time my baby cried she was trollied away to the nursery where she would cry to sleep and lose her voice the next day from doing so.