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 Swan Medical Centre


Appalling

To start on a positive note, the nurses at the surgery are genuinely lovely and caring. However, booking an appointment in advance—especially for those who work—can be extremely frustrating. The standard wait time is at least five weeks. On several occasions, I’ve experienced cancellations just a week or two before the scheduled date. When this happens, you're left with two options: wait another five weeks for a new appointment or go through the triage process again. If you're trying to see a doctor rather than a nurse, the wait is often even longer. What’s more concerning is that this cycle of booking, waiting, and last-minute cancellations can repeat itself. If you try to raise a complaint, don’t expect a timely resolution. I lodged a complaint back in July 2024 and have yet to receive a response. Unfortunately, many of the reception staff are not helpful. Rather than offering support, they can be quite dismissive, often responding with phrases like “please don’t use that attitude with me,” even when their own tone is far from courteous.