IN his March column Halesowen and Rowley Regis discusses the success of Rowley Regis Hospital.

At the time of the last election all the in-patient wards at Rowley Regis Hospital had been closed down throwing into question the future of the hospital. Five years on and the situation at Rowley could not be more different. Following my campaign against the ward closures in 2010 I worked with local health chiefs to bring services back to Rowley and have urged them to ensure Rowley Regis plays a central role in their local health vision.

As a result of this work we have had nearly all of the in-patient wards re-opened. These wards now provide vital step down beds for people who need rehabilitation or help to get back home and Primary Care assessment and treatment for patients who need monitoring but not admission to an acute hospital. All this in the intimate, warm and caring environment which is so characteristic of Rowley Hospital. The staff at the hospital work incredibly hard and with great dedication to deliver excellent patient care. I was pleased recently to invite Matron Justine Irish to No 10 Downing Street as a way of thanking everyone at Rowley for their work. I know Justine enjoyed her visit and she was able to make sure that the work of Rowley Hospital was represented on the national stage.

The newly re-opened wards represent a significant new investment in our local health services. Last week the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust which manages the hospital started a consultation with local people on their plans to bring even more services to the hospital. This is great news and very much in line with discussions I have had with the Trust urging them to provide more and better care closer to people’s homes. New services being planned for Rowley include midwifery services, renal dialysis, oncology and other diagnostic services.

Over the last five years I have worked with the Trust to bring substantial new investment into Rowley Hospital and will continue to work to ensure that the planned services are introduced as soon as possible. Together with the go ahead for the new Metropolitan Hospital in Sandwell and improvements being made at Russells Hall we can all be proud of the excellent work done by our local NHS. Rowley Regis Hospital is very close to my heart. I will continue to work to ensure it continues to provide high quality, compassionate care local people deserve.