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

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Original feedback for

The Swan Medical Centre


I am a stage 4 cancer patient

I was told by the cancer alert line to phone my doctors for an emergency appointment as my temperature was 38.7 and I felt really unwell admittedly it was 10 in the morning I was told there were no appointments and told to ring 111. When I phoned 111 the told me to phone the doctors back as they have a duty of care for me to be seen by someone. I phoned back to and was told it didn't matter what 111 said I wasn't getting an appointment very rudely I then had to phone 111 back and they managed to get a doctor to phone me and send me some antibiotics to my local chemist HAD IT BEEN LEFT TO YOUR RECEPTIONISTS I COULD BE REALLY ILL OR DEAD never felt so left down after being at your surgery for the last 40 plus years