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

Yardley Wood Health Centre


Making an appointment impossible

I know there is a pandemic and staff are short, but I have tried to get an appointment through Patient Access on line for months, Ringing from my mobile I get to option 1 or 2 it cuts off that is before queuing for an appointment which are rare as so many people trying to get one. My calls cost 50p a minute. My friend rang for me, after 20 mins on hold she got me a telephone consultation who suggested to call at 8am for blood tests, I said I have problem getting through on mobile, GP said he would get someone to call, 5 days later no call, so my friend called again to be told there are no nurse appointments for another month. I even wrote a letter and put in suggestions box, I have heart condition, heart been out of rhythm for months, I have lost 3/4 of a stone, appetite gone, diarrhoea, fatigue, pain in side and ache under left breast, but don't really want to go to A & E as they have enough to do at the QE hospital. My good friend is going to ring every day until she gets me an appointment. I want to change surgeries but don't know if all surgeries are the same. It is not the reception staff fault it is the system to make appointments and there are no enough appointments given out per day to go round the community,