Sylvia Heal MP has today announced her decision not to contest the forthcoming General Election.

Commenting Sylvia Heal MP said: “It has been a great privilege to have been the Labour Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis since 1997.

After considerable thought and agonising I have decided not to seek re-election. I am confident that whoever takes over from me as the Labour candidate will have every chance of holding the seat for Labour and helping the party go on to win an historic fourth term. I do not wish to continue working a 12-14 hour day, six days a week for the next five years. My commitment to my constituents means I could not do the job in any other way.

I am proud of Labour’s achievements during our thirteen years in Government. We have made record investment in the NHS and our schools, introduced the first minimum wage, equality legislation, help for families and pensioners, which have made such a difference to places like Halesowen and Rowley Regis.

I have worked and campaigned for the Labour Party for over fifty years and will continue to work as hard as I can to retain the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency and to keep a Labour Government at the election.”

Following inaccurate rumours surrounding the future of Rowley Hospital I want to categorically state that Rowley Hospital is not closing.

Rowley Hospital treats some 12000 patients a year and will continue to do so.

The GP led ward – Eliza Tinsley – which was a pilot project in partnership with Sandwell Primary Care Trust has closed because it was not possible to provide continuing GP medical cover. However having spoken to Rob Bacon Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust, I understand they are continuing to look into the availability of other medical cover.

McCarthy ward is currently a rehabilitation ward and following a consultation, the services may move to the Sandwell site. This is based on the idea that all rehabilitation services will be in one place and will allow for other services to move to Rowley such as diagnostic services and Ophthalmics. These proposals are based upon designing and providing the best services for local people and having spoken to Chief Executive John Adler I have been assured that there will be no redundancies for people based at Rowley Hospital and that Rowley is still very much an important part of delivering healthcare services for local people.

Rowley Regis hospital is not closing and it has already been established that new services will be moving to the hospital site, therefore the “Save Rowley Hospital Campaign” that Conservative Parliamentary Candidate James Morris has launched is completely disingenuous and shameful politicking.

It is a matter of public fact that there are plans to move services to Rowley Regis hospital and therefore this blatant scaremongering is wrong. I am very surprised that James Morris would go to such a low level to score cheap political points and attempt to claim credit for services that are already in the pipeline.