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

Hockley Medical Practice


I have had to wait 10 months

As I am a carer its most important that professionals are on board to assist. During Covid it was particularly difficult for general practitioners to provide services necessary, however it should be possible by now to alleviate some duties by full staffing . Not time spend waiting to get through by phone calls. It has become rather sad for the nation to be told you are in the queue of 21 waiting and then told we have no staff. Also I have had to wait 10 months and still have not seen a specialist for my condition of Arthritis. As you can fully understand for a carer to be unwell and looking after a terminally ill patient, it’s more than difficult. Liaising with other medical providers needs more attention than is presently. It will accomplish far firmer relationship and strengthen the health service.