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

The Old Priory Surgery


Not given information on medication

Told over phone I had diabetes. Waited 3 weeks for appointment. Then takes to Diabetic Nurse who covers huge area, gave metphormin but not told when or how to take. Not offered a meter until I explained that I took steroids daily because of auto immune disease, they alter frequently and alter my blood sugar levels. Finally given meter to test but told me my level would be 7.4 but she didn't check no help on food, no instructions on eye check, or feet check or anything else. If it had not been because of my mother had Type 2 I would not have a clue. When I checked my blood sugar as I had not eaten anything it was 23.4 I rang Diabetes Nurse and she upped meds immediately and added gliclazide so 2metformin plus 1 gliclazide in morning then 2 metformin pm. Compared to 1 metformin in the morning. I also inject tocilizumab which also alters blood sugar once a week. I put myself in low carb diet and have lost 3 stone which made zero difference to blood sugar but have now reduced steroids to 5 mg daily instead of 10 mg daily that has brought my Hba1c down from 65 to 44 pre diabetic but when flare ups occur of my auto immune disease everything will change again. I have come off the gliclazide and now take capo something as I was getting Hypers and Hypos as my steroids slowly reduced in my system.