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

* Required fields

Original feedback for

NHS 111


Spent 48 hours ringing 111 numerous times.

Spend 48 hours liaising with 111 health advisors due to my mum being unwell. 1st call resulted in Ambulance service calling us back and asking us to go to an urgent care centre, after we explain my mums symptoms to her. I wish I got her name because she kind of just palmed us off and told us to get there before 8pm, didn’t tell us an appointment time or anything. When I turned up to the centre they wouldn’t see my mum. Called 111 again and spoke to someone else (who was lovely) explained what had happened and she advised to call 999 and speak to the ambulance service since they should have liaised with the urgent care team. When I called 999 had to explain what happened again. They apologised and adviced to go to a&e. Due to it not being an emergency it we didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. We went time and the symptoms you worse. Around 9.30pm called 111 again and spoke to a health advisor, explained the situation for the 3rd time and she was helpful and empathetic and advised a clinician from the 111 service will call us. We didn’t get a call till 4am from a Nurse. She quite rude and abrupt with no empathy towards my mum or me. We explained everything again and she did the same thing and referred us to the ambulance service again. She said i will refer you to an emergency ambulance, I tried to explain my mum doesn’t need an ambulance and that’s we went through this beforehand. She was quite blunt with me and made seem like an ambulance would be coming and that we need to be alert so we can let the ambulance crew into the property and we have been waiting hours no one called or came. Until 8am another clinician called from the ambulance service. I explained to them that I have already spoken to a clinician from the ambulance service and I don’t think it’s an emergency all she needs is antibiotics. They were kind and helpful and explained how the service actually worked My mum and I are absolutely exhausted as we have been back and forth trying to get her seen by someone that can get her a prescription. I am just truly appalled by the lack of communication between 111 and the ambulance service. The nurse I spoke to has no regard for people’s feelings, and I can appreciate she was probably doing a night shift and was tired to but there is no need to speak to people in that tone and actually just get them to Go round in circles again when clearly on your systems it shows what has been happening for the past 48 hours.