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

Tower Hill Partnership Medical Practice


Lack of empathy for a sick child

I called up to get Calpol for my 4 year old daughter. I spoke to receptionist who said I had to pay for this and if they NHS carried on like this giving free prescriptions there would be no NHS, I found this very rude and insulting as I work and pay my taxes, further more my daughter was ill. I felt as a patient that I should have no received that type of attitude, it was almost as though the receptionist was blaming me for the current state of the NHS when I only called for Calpol. She was not helpful and her customer service skills were poor. I was very shocked at her lack of empathy for a sick child. There was a time and a place for that discussion, but that shouldn't be for patients or with them at the time when they are looking for help from their doctors surgery.