11/02/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: Five patients may have

died in the Royal due to staff shortages.

The Belfast Trust's medical director is here in the studio.

How safe is your child when they're on the internet?

We hear one mother's story. I then realised this was something very

serious and very worrying. I remember sitting thinking, I am

going to be sick, I could have lost my daughter.

The growing problem of the fatbergs that are clogging up the sewers.

Also coming up: Hi, I am Paul Mike ael Glaser, you probably know me, if

you can see me without the beard as Starsky.

Snow has arrived in many areas tonight. I will be back with the

latest details. The Health Minister says he didn't

know until today that delays might have been a contributory factor in

the deaths of five patients at our biggest hospital casualty

department. In medical terms the circumstances surrounding these

deaths are referred to as Serious Adverse Incidents. These don't

always involve death but in this instance the Minister's comments

follow a BBC Spotlight investigation into conditions in the emergency

department at the Royal Victoria Hospital. In a moment, we'll hear

from the Belfast Health Trust's medical director. First Declan Lawn

charts what Spotlight has found. Last month's major incident at the

Royal Victoria Hospital's emergency department has been the cat alist

for a number of startling revelations -- catalyst. At the

time, the health Minister was keen to point out that it had been an

unusual and unpredictable event that didn't point to a system that was in

crisis. Well tlas 100 people in and 42 on trolleys. The response was to

get more staff there to deal with the backlog. It was dealt with. We

had an unusual spike. An unreasonable spike in the numbers

that were coming through. But BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight's

programme has been speaking to doctors and nurses working in the

emergency department of the Royal Victoria Hospital who say that the

system is at breaking point. The medical staff we spoke to didn't

want to appear on camera but we have been shown e-mails from a range of

senior doctors to managers at the Belfast Trust. These e-mails date

back several months and they specifically point out how

understaffing and excessive trolley waits have been, at times,

compromising the safety of patients. The emergency department consultants

have also issued a statement to Spotlight in which they point out

they've been repeatedly raising concerns about patients' safety and

dignity at the highest levels of the Belfast Trust. Spotlight can also

reveal disturbing new evidence that patients have been affected. This

internal document describes how two patients died in serious adverse

incidents where one of the significant contributory factors was

how long they had to wait for treatment. Yesterday the chief

executive of the Belfast Trust admitted to us that there were more.

How many more serious adverse incidents have there been where

people have waited too long? Well, it's difficult, but it would be

single figures. Would it be - we have been told it could be nine?

It's not as high as nine, no. I think at this point it's about four.

But I don't have those figures in front of me. How long in the last

six months, the last year? That would be over the last couple of

years. That's in the context that over that period of time we would

have had about 160,000 attendances. Today, however, the Belfast Trust

amembereded that number, stating that there have been five deaths in

case where is waiting times has been one of the factors in the last year

alone. -- amended. The doctors and nurses we spoke to stressed that

most of the time the emergency department of the Royal Victoria

Hospital is safe, but that during out-of-hours periods and at weekends

that is not always the case. What they want now is urgent action.

The man in charge of the medical staff at A at the Royal is Dr

Toney Stevens. Let's clarify the confusion here. How many people have

died in the past year with a waiting times may have been a contributory

factor? In the last year we have identified five cases where a

factor, only one factor, may have been a length of time people waited.

It's a contributory factor which indicates there was a system

failure. How recent were those deaths? They were spread out

throughout last year. 2013. Would they have been after August last

year? Would any of those deaths have been after that month? I think two

were after August. Could those two deaths have been avoided because in

August the Trust was given a report by the College of Emergency Medicine

which was very worried about safety. It said the system wasn't working.

It put forward ten priorities to be addressed to resolve the crisis. If

it was a contributory factor in two deaths could those lives have been

saved? I think the first thing to say is that irrespective of the

college report we are not saying those lives would definitely have

been saved if patients had been seen more quickly. But let me pick up...

But it was a contributory factor so it indicates it may have been the

case and does indicate a system's failure. I accept that. We have

taken it very seriously. One of the reasons we know about this is

because the Belfast Trust now reviews all deaths in its hospital

and including the emergency department. Whether a person comes

in and is expected to die, or whether it's an unexpected death we

review that to see if there is any learning. This isn't evidence of -

picking up on the college report which is an important report to us,

there were a number of actions recommended, the most important of

which was an expansion of the medical staff. They recommend that

we appoint I think 11 additional consultants between the Royal and

the Mater. We have already moved to do that. Moved to do that? How many

recommendations have been implemented to solve this crisis? A

number of them have been. What's a number? One, two? Four, five?

They're all in train along with a lot of other recommendations. The

important thing in this report, the absolutely important thing was the

number of medical staff that we have. Now we recruited six

consultants at the beginning of this week. We hope they'll all take up

the posts. That's a move towards the 11 we need. These people are not

readily available. Either in Northern Ireland or the UK. Sorry to

interrupt, we are short of time. Consultants have told the BBC, I

have a press release from consultants at the Royal, that at

times, especially at out-of-hours and at weekends, it's not safe for

patients at the A at the Royal. Do you believe that? It's not safe at

times? Nor do I believe they said that. Are they making that up? At

times, they didn't say out-of-hours it was unsafe. Let's face it, if I

am going to the accident and emergency department at all times I

want it to be safe. Well, I believe it is safe. We come under pressure

at key moments and at those times there is some increase in risk and

we have identified that. The fact that we have reviewed these cases

has helped to identify and confirm what the college is already saying

and we are working to fix that. The public have - it's really important

the public have confidence in the Royal's emergency department. I

agree. How can you allay fears that more people will not die because of

contributory factors relating to waiting times? How is the Belfast

Trust performing over all? When you compare its performance with other

Trusts in the UK... We are looking at accident and emergency, not the

Trust in total. That fits in with our totality of mortality, the

number of people who die in our hospitals and the Trust performs

very well. We tend to take longer to see patients than they do in

England, but actually the outcomes for the vast majority of patients

are as good if not better. How much of this do you take on board as your

personal responsibility that the system is not working? It's a

failure on your part? It's a fail failure for every patient. You are

the medical director. I take my responsibilities seriously as do all

the other directors in the Trust and we are held to account by our board

of directors and by the public health agency and the health and

social care board. We are very clear about our accountabilities and we

are working hard to improve things. We are working very hard with these

consultants to deliver the service. I was working side by side with them

last week during the incident at the Odyssey when we did a fantastic job.

We recognise challenges and we are working hard with our colleagues to

make things better. Thank you for joining us on BBC Newsline.

You can see that Spotlight programme at 10. 40pm tonight after our late

Newsline. The mother of a teenage girl who was

groomed by someone on the internet says she felt sick to the stomach

when she found out. A survey published today shows only half of

parents have safety settings on their children's computers and

tablets. BBC Newsline's Tara Mills reports.

Stranger danger used to be something parents had to warn children about

when they went outside. These days that danger is much more likely to

be in their hand, and with access to the internet 24/7 some parents say

they're finding the whole thing pretty hard to deal with.

Parents like Samantha Shaw. She was shocked when she realised her

daughter was being groomed online. I then realised this was something

very serious and worrying. I remember thinking, I am going to be

sick. Coy have lost my daughter. Her -- I could have lost my daughter.

Her daughter didn't want to appear on camera but said the man wanted to

meet up. I added him on Facebook. He asked us to put up photos and meet

up, pup we didn't meet up with him -- but we didn't meet up with him.

My mum got involved. I think it was somebody random trying to contact

girls our age and meet with them. I was afraid about it because I

wouldn't like a man trying to stalk my profile or anything. I was

afraid. It's something the police are taking seriously too. Coleraine

High is one of the first schools to see a new campaign highlighting the

dangers. We look at sexting in the first instance and issues around

that and legislation around that and how important it is for the kids to

actually know that it's illegal. Fundamentally it's the possession

and distribution of indecent images of children which few of them

actually know. The students realise they are at risk. At this aiming --

age we are vulnerable to this. I know many friends who have been

targeted and it's not very nice and sometimes I feel that we haven't got

a very good education towards it so it's been very good to get this

presentation so we can learn more about this issue. Despite repeated

campaigns and warnings, experts say children don't have the emotional

maturity to realise the dangers involved. Samantha Shaw says she's

now watching her daughters like a hawk. I know it's a bit of, you

know, I am going to stalk my children on Facebook! But to me it

makes me go to bed with peace of mind knowing they're not active at a

certain time of night because they know mummy is still watching. But

those are measures I have to take. Today's survey shows half of all

parents here have no safety settings on their children's computers and

the majority admitted their children know more about technology than they

do. If that's something you are

concerned about, the BBC has some tips on its website.

Next we have another twist in the dispute between the Justice Minister

and the Policing Board over the way the next Chief Constable is to be

appointed. Board members have now been asked to provide their legal

reasons for rejecting the Minister's proposal. David Ford wants to remove

a rule stating applicants must have served at the rank of Assistant

Chief Constable or above for at least two years outside Northern

Ireland. Our home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney

reports. The Policing Board appoints and

holds the chief executive to account. The rules to be used to

appoint the next person to hold the post are the subject of a tussle

between the board and the first and Deputy First Ministers on one side

and David Ford on the other. Members of the board last week shoet voted

to reject the -- last week voted to reject the Justice Minister's rules.

That flew in the face of legal advice from the board's chief

executive. In a paper to board members he pointed out that similar

two-year rules have been dropped by other police forces in England,

Scotland and Wales. He said senior PSNI officers who

wanted to apply for the chief executive's position would be

uniquely disadvantaged if the two-year rule is retained. He said

his advice was of such a position would be indefensible.

The day after the board's decision, David Ford wrote to it asking

members to justify their actions. He attached core respondence to his

department from the equality commission which said the two-year

rule may be indirectly discriminatory unless it could be

objectively justified as an essential requirement for the post.

The chairman has written to individual members asking them to

justify their decision. That means they're being asked to spell out the

reasoning in detail and not simply say they don't want change. The

deadline for responses was lunchtime today. David Ford will bring his

proposed rule change to the executive on Thursday having been

told that the first and Deputy First Ministers will have the final say.

The Ministers and their legal advisers will want to closely study

the response from the Policing Board.

A bomb has been found during an alert in Craigavon. The device was

in the Carrigart Manor area this morning and was made safe by the

army. The police have condemned those responsible saying they have

little regard for human life. The local economy has been through

tough times during the past few years. But new figures suggest

Northern Ireland was the UK region hardest hit in the recession. With

the details, our economics and business editor John Campbell.

Linda Smith has a typical recession story. She lost her job in retail,

found it hard to get new work and is now retraining. That experience has

meant some big changes in lifestyle. It's difficult, obviously I have

been working in full-time work for over ten years and now I am back at

home and live living on benefits and it's difficult. It's hard as well

with the negative press. You see a lot of these programmes where people

on benefits and we are not all like that. Like some of us are really

looking hard to find work. Linda is not alone. Research by a think tank,

The Resolution Foundation, compared economic output per person in each

part of the UK. The measurement is known as GVA per

head. It allows for a rough comparison of living standards

across different regions. At the start of the recession in 2008, here

it was just under ?18,000. Five years later, it had slipped to

just over ?16,000. That's a 10% fall. In the UK as a

whole, the drop was closer to 6%. In the prosperous south-east of

England, the fall was just 3. 3%. How come things got so bad here?

Obviously we experienced our fair share of the UK recession but allied

to that we had a housing boom, more like that in the Republic of Ireland

and also Northern Ireland has experienced austerity measures from

the UK disproportionately compared to other UK regions. There are still

signs of recession around us, like boarded up shops or repossessed

building sites. The economy is recovering but today's figures

remind us just how much damage was done in the recession, damage which

we still -- which will still take years to repair.

While the economy fights back, there is perhaps an even greater battle

going on in the sewers that run beneath us. Huge blobs of congealed

fat and waste called fatbergs are clogging up the drains. They can

cause flooding. Some are so difficult to remove the roads have

to be dug up to deal with them. As Helen Jones reports, millions of

pounds are being paid out to combat this growing problem. I have to warn

you that if you're of a delicate disposition or eating your dinner

right now, you may want to look away.

Deep under the feet of the people in Newtownards something is stirring. A

monster is growing. It was pretty pungent, I have to say. The gag

value was about ten. If it's not taken out, the fatberg will cause a

right stink. Not to mention flooding. Here's one, a 15 ton solid

lump of congealed fat and waste such as wet wipes. The size of a double

decker bus in the sewers of London. Northern Ireland's full of them.

With 9,000 miles of sewers, NI Water has a battle on its hands What we

see in this one man-hole, all the sewers in this street are basically

going to be the same. We are going to have to put in a big exercise to

clean this all out and get this restored back to an operation again.

This operation isn't a one-off. It happens every day somewhere in

Northern Ireland. Here's a man relieved to get this particular

fatberg out of his system. The toilet area has been - gassy smells

coming up through the drains and it's not really acceptable for

anybody in the health profession. It's a dangerous job but someone's

got to do it. What happened? You were down the

hole and then you came up quickly. The gas monitor went off showing

levels that it's not right for anybody being there. Just get out.

You see that smell, it's putrid. Do you like doing this? You get immune

to it, does you no harm. Probably got the best um immune system of

anybody -- immune system. They're The Dirty Dozen, things you should

not put down your loo. Nappies, other bits and pieces, cotton buds.

It's like Supermarket Sweep. Face wipes will clog it up. Cotton buds.

And even razor Blades. The advice is to think twice before

you pour grease down the sink or flush those dirty dozen down the

loo. Some news just in: The Education and

skills Authority - EESA - moved a step closer today with the

announcement of backing from grammar schools. EESA has been blocked by

politicians for seven years and one reason has been the opposition of

grammar schools. Now the Governing Bodies Association, which represents

52 voluntary grammar schools, says it no longer has any objections and

has called for the umbrella body for education to be formally created as

soon as possible. He's best known for leaping into his

Gran Torino car in the 1970s cop show Starsky and Hutch. Now, at 70

years of age, Paul Michael Glaser is dancing and singing in a gruelling

run of a musical show. Our arts correspondent Maggie Taggart has

this exclusive television interview for BBC Newswline.

Paul Michael Glaser has lived his life, triumphs and tragedy in the

spotlight. His most famous role was 40 years ago in a TV series Starsky

and Hutch alongside David Soul. People seemed to really appreciate

Starsky or what I did on that show. So, that's a nice thing to whatever

extent I can help people's lives, give them a little joy. Now he is

touring the UK as the lead in the musical Fiddler on The Roof. When it

was offered to me I didn't know how well I could do it. I knew I wanted

to try. So... Now you are singing and dancing. Singing and dancing and

having a good time. His CV covers many film and television roles but

he has a strong link to Fiddler. He played a different role as a tutor.

He is a writer, director, author, artist and a campaigner for Aids

research and treatment following the death of his first wife Elizabeth

and his daughter. Elizabeth contracted Aids from a blood

transfusion and it was then passed on to her two babies. It was a hell

of a thing to find one self's dealing with in the public eye on

one hand, and on the other hand, to the extent that Elizabeth needed to

and wanted to accomplish the things that she accomplished. The show is

completely booked out all week and with seven performances it doesn't

need much time -- leave much time for sight-seeing. The most I get to

do is look at the beautiful Irish women. As I am right now. Oh, you

have made my day! You are sweet. He will have to come back and see

around the place! Ulster's rugby players are flying

high in the league and the cup but now the future of both competitions

is in doubt. Stephen Watson is here. We've been hearing consistently

about the uncertain future of the European Heineken Cup because of a

dispute between the clubs, the organisers, and the governing

bodies. But now it's the Pro 12 league which is also in doubt.

Italian club Treviso have said they are they pulling out of the

competition from the start of next season. The four Welsh clubs are

also undecided whether they will continue to take part. Thomas Kane

reports. 12 has become 11, and may yet be

made up of ten should Italy's involvement in the league end. A

statement on Treviso's website said: They cite indecision over the

organisation, participation and regulations of the Pro 12 as their

main reason for leaving. The organisers of the Pro 12 have

refused to comment on the statement but it's understood they're

continuing to speak to the sports governing body in Italy. It seems,

though, that the biggest threat to the league's future lies a lot

closer to home. The club game in Wales could hardly be more different

than the model here. Three of Ireland's four provinces are amongst

Europe's top eight sides and are battling it out for top spot in the

current Pro 12. While disagreements over player contracts, funding and

the potential Anglo Welsh league breakaway have left the domestic

game in Wales in total turmoil. So much so, that it led to a Question

Time-style debate broadcast last month. I think the understanding we

have with the English clubs is quite solid. Whilst not underestimating

the enormous hurdles in the way of that happening. The cross-border,

etc. What other option do we have playing in this, all respects, much

reduced European competition, and the Rabo, it's not going to be,

don't have a sponsor, the Italians claimed they were pulling out, so

what competition do we have? Is your preferred option to stay in Wales? I

would love to see a solution sorted. It does become difficult from a

planning point of view. Obviously, from recruitment, as well. To bring

players in and go - we don't know what competition we are playing in.

Ulster's next two games are against The Scarlets and Treviso twoshgs

fixtures that might not -- two fixtures that might not be taking as

frequently next season. That's a story that will run.

Now to a story that we had hoped to bring you, but we are running out of

time. Tomorrow we will hear from a local swim swimmer who is training

in Texas in preparation for the Commonwealth Games later this year.

The weather has got to be better in Texas than here. Guess what,

tonight's local football game with Warrenpoint and Glenavon is off.

There's one game this evening. Ballinamallard take on Crusaders.

Some of our pictures, snow has been falling this afternoon. These are

our latest pictures from the Glennshame Pass in the last hour or

so, tricky conditions for any drivers out there this evening --

Glenshane. The latest forecast is snow.

Yeah, snow is moving south and east. It won't be as heavy as in other

places earlier today. There is a snow warning in force at the moment.

Twitter has been going mad the last couple of hours, we have loads of

pictures if you want to see them. There is even a picture of two

snowmen. There is enough snow in places to make things very

difficult. Several centimetres on the hills by the end of the night.

Icy in many places, too. Roads do bear that in mind -- do bear that in

mind. It will be nasty on the roads, particularly this side of midnight.

By the end of the night a lot of the snow showers will have eased.

Temperatures will be subzero. Tomorrow we are starting cold with

frost and ice. Then we are waiting object the next area of wet and

windy -- on the next area of wet and windy weather. During the rush hour

the next area of rain and snow will move northwards and eastwards across

many parts of Northern Ireland. Temperatures will below. It's likely

to be icy in many places. Again, some tricky travelling weather

through the rush hour tomorrow. The snow initially will befalling over

the hills. It could get down to lower levels for a time. Then it

retreats northwards by the end of the morning. Also strong winds to

come tomorrow, especially in eastern counties. Winds could gust in excess

of 60mph. A lot going on in the forecast tomorrow. Stay tuned

through BBC breakfast. During the later part of the day the rain will

turn back to sleet and snow in places, so again we could have snow

in some areas tomorrow evening through the rush hour. A lot going

on tomorrow. Snow, ice, heavy rain and strong winds. A quieter day to

come on Thursday with things becoming dryer before we head to

Valentine's Day on Friday. That was BBC Newsline. Bye.