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

South Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre - Selly Oak Katie Road


Unacceptable waiting times

I had to take my daughter who has learning disabilities to Katie Rd on Saturday as she had become unwell overnight. We went to the Walk In centre as I knew she should be able to see a doctor there. Upon arrival, the waiting rooms were crammed with people, several were standing and more were waiting in the exit lobby. I was informed by the reception staff that the wait would be in excess of 2 hours. I asked if there was any system of triage as my daughter was feeling extremely unwell at the time and was unable to sit down due to the lack of space - as there was no way of avoiding a 2 hour + wait, I made the difficult decision to leave. The building was over heated, patients were having to sit too close to each other and I estimated that it may have been an hour before a chair became available. I think there were possibly 50-55 people in the waiting room at 2.45 pm. I have used the service myself in the past, I had to wait 1hr 20 mins but was happy with the treatment I received and I know that our experience yesterday is not within the remit of the staff to deal with, however if patients do not complain, nothing ever changes. I took my daughter back home after this, called 111 and was advised to attend the pharmacist in Boots, Harborne (on the understanding that he would be able to prescribe). We attended at 3.40, he was very helpful but unable to prescribe and he escalated her case back to 111 for further assessment. I was called back by 111 who reassessed her and eventually advised attendance at the Badger centre in Selly Park. She was eventually seen at 5.20 pm and prescribed antibiotics. I was given a pharmacy address in Kings Heath - which was closed- and finally got her medication dispensed from alloys pharmacy on Hagley Rd, Quinton. I did 5 assessments yesterday, 2 with 111, 1 pharmacist, 1 nurse at Selly Park and finally the GP at Selly Park. It took 4 hours to finally get treatment prescribed and required me to drive to 3 different places then cruise Birmingham in an effort to find an open pharmacy, all with my daughter who really should have been in bed.