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

Kingstanding Circle Surgery


Took too long to refer

My cancer journey started with my GP. I spend weeks trying to get appointments with my GP over a period of nine months. This was for a persistent sore throat/suspected tonsillitis/throat infection that would not resolve after repeated and numerous treatment with different antibiotics. I was also telling my GP how rundown I was and how tired I was all the time. Refusing to give more antibiotics and telling me it was an unusual but long-standing persistent viral infection that would not respond to antibiotics. I spent a week upset and unhappy and went back to the GP practice and demanded that some type of assistance or help was given. On this occasion, a different GP made a fast track referral. What went well with the service was in the end I was given a fast track referral. What didn’t go well at the GP service was the extended unacceptable length of time it took For a referral elsewhere to make further investigations.