West Midlands Hospital, part of Ramsay Health Care UK (Ramsay UK) was delighted to welcome Alex Ballinger, MP for Halesowen, for a return visit to the hospital. As the only hospital in the Halesowen constituency, West Midlands plays a vital role in supporting both the NHS and the local community by meeting local healthcare needs.
During the visit, Mr Ballinger met with hospital leaders to discuss ongoing investment in high-quality patient care and opportunities to further strengthen community engagement. Mr Ballinger had the opportunity to observe a post-operative joint class, where patients recovering from joint replacement surgery were taking their first steps toward rehabilitation, and was introduced to the handheld Cori Surgical System, illustrating how cutting-edge robotics are improving patient outcomes and enhancing surgical precision.
Hospital Director, Harry Wallace, highlighted the hospital’s commitment to delivering first class care for patients, whether accessing services via the NHS, private medical insurance or self-funding treatment. West Midlands Hospital provides a comprehensive patient pathway from outpatient consultation and diagnostic imaging through to treatment and recovery, underpinned by significant planned investment including theatre refurbishments and advanced equipment upgrades.
Mr Ballinger also toured key departments, where staff shared how the hospital works collaboratively with local residents to rent driveway space for staff parking, an initiative supporting the local community while helping to relieve congestion around the hospital site.
The visit also included discussion on NHS patient funding, particularly the challenges created by the hospital’s location on the border of four Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), which can sometimes impact patients’ accessing services at the hospital. Mr Ballinger expressed strong interest in exploring this issue further to support more consistent access to care.
Following the visit, Alex Ballinger MP for Halesowen said:
“It was a pleasure to visit West Midlands Hospital this week. I was impressed by the quality of the facilities and the cutting-edge equipment, as well as the professionalism and care shown by staff to every patient.
It’s clear that patient experience sits at the heart of everything they do. My thanks to Harry Wallace and the whole team for such a warm welcome and for giving me an insight into the vital work taking place at the hospital.”
Harry Wallace, Hospital Director at West Midlands Hospital said:
"We were delighted to welcome Alex Ballinger to West Midlands Hospital. It was clear how strongly he values the needs of our community, and it was a pleasure to share the important contribution our hospital makes to local patients.
We truly appreciate the time he took to listen, engage, and understand both our achievements and the challenges we face. We look forward to continuing this positive and constructive relationship for the benefit of our patients.”
About West Midlands
West Midlands Hospital, part of Ramsay Health Care UK, is set in 3.5 acres of pleasant grounds at Colman Hill, Halesowen, ten miles from Birmingham City Centre. Offering a wide range of treatments and services, West Midlands cares for patients from initial outpatient consultation and diagnostic scanning through to surgical treatment and recovery.
Specialty areas include:
- Orthopaedics
- General Surgery
- Ophthalmology
- Diagnostics: X-ray, ultrasound and mobile MRI and CT scanning