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

Longbridge Health and Community Centre (CMHT)


Ignored and fobbed off

I was told that I'd be seeing the psychiatrist on a monthly basis at least until I'd had my first appointment with the psychologist. I was seen TWICE. My medication was upped at the second appointment and then I was left to my own devices for FOUR months. The medication isn't working at all and I don't know what to do since they haven't given me any options, am I supposed to call them and ask for a review? Or am I supposed to wait the 4 months - it's been 2, my next appointment, with an 'advanced nurse practitioner', is still 2 months away -wasting NHS money on tablets that aren't helping me? There's no point in taking the medication so I guess I'll just save up for a rainy day. I would give everything I have for an assessment because I don't think it's possible to treat something if you don't know what it is you're treating but perhaps they know something I don't. Perhaps they've decided it's easier to take my doctor's word for it, I fit depression so therefore that must be it and it alone because its not like depression often exists alongside other mental health issues. This service is yet another let down, I don't know why I'm even surprised.