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

Heathfield Family Medical Centre


GP is OK, the receptionist is very abrupt

GP is OK, it's the receptionist that is very abrupt. I made a complaint spoke to the practice manager 4/5 years ago and recently it's happening again. It was awful. Very unprofessional, very ill mannered, cut off the phone to you, screaming on the phone. I am asking for my son's referral as he's having antibiotics. I am trying to explain to the receptionist, she's trying to just get me off the phone. Not sense of professionalism. I asked to be passed on to someone else as the doctor knows about the referral, but she said NO. The GP practice manager is going to call me back. Every time it's just an apology, sorry is just a word. Twice I have tried to resolve this with the practice manager. Also he doesn't call me back, I always have to call him back. They don't call me back. Her answer when you calling is 'what do you want now?'. This just not professional. It's not a family business or a social club, just do the job you are supposed to do.