26/08/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. From ambulance to hospital bed,

delays in transferring patients cost the NHS �10 million in three

years. It is a bank holiday weekend, what

more could we expect? Flash flooding hits the Port Talbot area.

We were just enjoying our day, and a van went into the water, he was

basically swimming. Is this the future? The UK culture

secretary is in Wales to encourage bidders for a new local TV station.

Wind farm jobs on the horizon, but will there be a workforce to cash

We are also looking ahead to London 2012. Neil Hughes lost his legs

serving for the Welsh Guards, now he is training to get to the

Paralympics, and he tells us how it has turned his life around.

For I thought that was it. If it was not for this, or I would not

know where I would be forced -- Good evening.

Over �10 million has been lost to the NHS in Wales over the last

three years because ambulances are not getting patients into hospitals

quickly enough. Research shows tens of thousands of hours are wasted

when ambulances wait outside hospitals.

They provide a vital role and saved countless lives. But our ambulances

are being hindered from getting out there to do their job. When they

arrived at the hospital, they should be ready to answer the next

emergency call within 20 minutes. But a Freedom of Information

request found that tens of thousands of hours have been lost

in Wales. Three years ago, over 37,000 hours were lost as

ambulances waited over that 20 minute target. That had increased

to over 40,000 by the following year. Last year, the figure jumped

to over 54,000. A 44% increase in just three years. The ambulance

service calculate that each and were an ambulance is out of service

costs them �76. That would mean that over �10 billion have been

lost over the last three years. -- �10 million. It is not great for

the patients, when they need to be transferred. It also means that if

somebody is phoning for an ambulance, this calls are often

delayed, because they are stuck outside a hospital. One reason for

the increase is that ambulances cannot transfer their patients to

A&E departments. The A&E departments are full. It is a whole

system approach that is needed. The health boards, the ambulance

service and the social services need to get around the table and

discussed how they are coming to improve on their times. Schemes

like this may be part of the answer. When Bill Roberts had a fall on

Wednesday, he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. To avoid any

further calls, a charity working with the ambulance service put him

in touch with a carer. Had he fallen again, it would have been

another call, and it would have been another three hours before the

ambulance would have been able to get to him. He has had two strokes,

3 fours, and had he fallen again, it might have been a lot more

serious than the previous times. The ambulance service said that an

increase in demand is responsible. Patients should consider their

options before tiling 999. Could they phoned the local GP's out of

our service or NHS Direct? Could they pot-bound to the local

chemist? All of these options would free ambulances to do what they are

supposed to do, to be there when we beat them, but only in an emergency.

We know that budgets are tight, �10 million is money that the NHS

cannot afford to lose. It is a lot of money. This is not a new problem.

It is a problem that has been around for some time. It is caused

in the main by increasing demand in a Andy, and a 15% rise in emergency

calls made by the ambulance service. Exponentially, this increase puts

pressure on the service. You would expect a paramedic to be able to

transfer his patient to another health professional, but they

cannot do that if the other half professional is tied up with

another patient, because of the demand. It is very difficult. I

understand the frustrations, but the ambulance service has to be

risk-averse. Otherwise, they did not respond to incidents where they

need to respond. If A&E is getting busier, what is the solution?

solution, and the service has already started investigating

putting money into it, his alternative care pathways. If you

ring up 999, 90% of the journeys, you will end up in hospital. We

have to convince the public there are alternative pathways, in the

community, GPs, pharmacies, but regrettably, the ambulance seems to

have become the default service if you need an emergency.

A 22-year-old man who died after getting into difficulty in the sea

off Anglesey on Wednesday has been named as there was direct. An

inquest has been opened and adjourned. The search for his front

was called off yesterday afternoon at Cable Bay. The death of the man

has been felt throughout the Community.

I believe he has done well at college, said this is compounded.

It is hard to put into words, but our hearts go out to the whole

family. The leader of Pembrokeshire council

has admitted children have been harmed by a small number of

employees. In a letter to the bus government, the council says it is

liaising with the police on 25 cases -- Welsh government. Leighton

Andrews made allegations of shortcomings in the protection of

children and the education system in the county.

What does this letter say? This is a response to the letter that

Leighton Andrews and Glenda Thomas sent to the council, complaining

about a number of things. The key sentence that the government wanted

to see was an admission by Pembrokeshire that children had

been harmed by members of their staff, and that is because,

following the publication of two reports, Pembrokeshire gave the

impression that this was about potential harm, that children have

not been harmed. This contradicts that. There is an exploration.

Pembrokeshire were trying to say that nobody had been harmed because

of failures in their disability procedures. But those procedures

have taken place because children have been harmed. You can think of

it as pedantry or whatever, but at last we have a straightforward

admission, children were harmed by employees at the authority, and in

25 cases, the incidents was serious enough to be reviewed by the police,

which begs the question, why were they not reported in the first

place? To be no any more about the sort of cases we are talking about?

What we are talking about his physical abuse. I do not want to

downplay that, but because of the stomach-churning case about the

headmaster sexually assaulting pupils, people might have thought

there was some connection, that it was something of that nature. It is

not, it is physical. We are probably looking at things like

hitting, in appropriate punishment, and the bulk of these cases are to

do with the education department. The Culture Secretary has been in

Wales Today, chairing a summit on plans for local TV. Earlier this

month, 65 towns and cities across Britain were invited to bid for

licences. Here, Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Bangor

and Mold were named as areas earmarked. �40 billion from the BBC

licence fee will go towards start- up costs. -- �40 million. The rest

of money will come from advertising. Chairing a summit in Newport,

Jeremy Hunt says he wants to mirror the American model, where cities

have their own television stations. He says there is a gap in the media

market for community-based television. We have very popular

local radio stations and newspapers, but this is a multimedia age, and

it seems crazy that we can have local information on Al iPod but

not on our TV. It does not get much more local than this. Mon TV run

from a stable block, and it could be the model for this new breed.

They can read the broadcast on the internet, but the directors believe

they have got a winning format that could transfer to local digital TV

anywhere. It is a huge growth area, people want to see their own lives

on their own TV, and we feel that the system we have built and the

way we do things has really worked and is booming. People really do

want to know what is happening in their own area, not their own

region. We are starting to channels in Ebbw Vale. Members of the

Committee of invited to help produce the content. This team also

film at local events, which date have promoted on there, providing

advertising revenue. Open days and events are great, and it is that

advertising that we really specialise in and target.

Advertising will be the key to the survival of these services. At this

Agency, they believed achieving enough revenue will be tough.

job will be to demonstrate to agencies and advertisers that they

do have the numbers of people watching of the by demographics

that will then attract the advertising revenue in. Back at Mon

TV, they believe the simple local video advertising they have

pioneered will provide adequate revenue. It is just local shops,

local butchers, they say, come and buy my sausages. Local services

could be in English or Welsh, with Ofcom deciding which will be best

for the area. The BBC licence fee will provide �40 million towards

start-up costs. The licences will be up for grabs later this year,

and anyone with a business plan can apply.

Jeremy Hunt met members of the Welsh Language Society, protesting

that S4C had been unfairly targeted for spending cuts. The UK

government plans to cut its budget, with the BBC taking over much of

its funding from 2013. Jeremy Hunt told them that the Welsh language

channel would be protected. I think we have got a good plan in

place, we are totally committed to Welsh-language broadcasting, but I

hope that the partnership with the BBC, combined with operational

independence, will mean that S4C can be more successful in the

coming years than it has been in There has been a flash flooding in

Port Talbot today. I can tell you that between Cardiff

and Port Talbot, it took two hours and the driving conditions were

appalling. If you take a look through this and a pass behind me,

it is absolutely flooded. One man tried to go through on his mobility

scooter this afternoon and had to be rescued by fire crews. Those

fire crews have been busy this afternoon. They have had to pump

water out of homes and businesses. This was not the start to a bank

holiday weekend that anybody would have hoped for. A burst of heavy

rain was enough to lead areas of Neath and Port Talbot under two

feet of water. Residence in this street have faced similar problems

in the past. It started this morning at 10:30am. It went on

until midday. This is the first time we have seen the boys come out

from the fire service. They are doing a good job. As the water

level rose, driving conditions became increasingly difficult.

Lanes on the M4 were close for a time this afternoon and even after

the reopened, the knock-on effect was clear. The sheer amount of

water took many by surprise. Earlier on, there was an old man

and he went straight down here into the water and he was basically

swimming. The police came first of all and he went into a car and

somebody gave him a blanket. outlook for the weekend does not

make promising reading. Rain will continue into the weekend. Some

showers will again turn heavy. The rain has not stopped yet

tonight. There is concern. Crews are still in the area. There are

warning of a particularly high tide in this area this evening. It has

not been a great start to the bank holiday weekend.

Still to come on Wales Today: Just a teenager, but Ellie Simmonds is

playing a starring role in the build up to next year's Paralympics.

They have turned into a cartoon character. It will encourage

children to get into sport. He And this save earned them a draw on

the weekend. Now Swansea go looking for their first home win in the

Premiership. Schools and colleges in North Wales

are being urged to gear-up for a jobs boost in renewable energy. It

comes as work is about to begin on a third wind farm off the North

Wales coast, and with long term plans for another massive

development between Anglesey and the Isle of Man. Here's Roger

Pinney. For this job, you need a head for

heights. It is one of the 25 turbans which makes the wind farm

five miles from Abergele. This will be intensively developed for wind

energy. The wind farm of Prestatyn was the first UK offshore wind farm

and work on the new Gwynt y Mor is due to start later this year. A

massive area north of Anglesey is already in the sights of developers.

The message is that with the right training there are jobs to be had.

It is about developing the right skills and developing an interest

in an industry like Engineering and the opportunities that can provide.

For schools, they can get their kids interested at an early stage

and parents can support that. Universities can help with specific

training and courses appeared to this type of industry. It is a

great opportunity. James Jones from Llandudno has already seized that

opportunity. He works, skippering one of the support vessels. At the

moment, around 40 people work here. The larger Gwynt y Mor would imply

100. -- employee. People should take note of the opportunities. The

industry is expanding and is struggling to find people to

qualify to do the various jobs. These are massive projects in terms

of cost. Gwynt y Mor is worth �2 billion. Out here, you get a real

idea of the size of the Serb lines. They will be using exactly the same

technology on the new Gwynt y Mor wind farm. But there will be more

of them and there will be further out. -- they. Onshore, work at the

sub-stations is already well advanced. Critics of wind power

question not just the visual impact but whether the industry can be a

significant run -- reliable source of electricity. Despite local

opposition, Gwynt y Mor was going ahead. It will generate electricity

in around three years. 160 turbans. There will be capable of powering

400,000 homes. Let's get the sports news. Tomos

Dafydd is here. Football, and to growing tensions

behind the scenes at Wrexham. The Supporters Trust, which wants to

take control of the club, says it's found it difficult getting the

information it needs from club bosses in order to complete the

deal. In a leaked e-mail, it's also suggested that Dean Saunders could

walk away from the Racecourse. Days after voting to proceed with

the takeover of Wrexham, and e-mail it lays bare the tensions behind

the scenes. The supporters' Trust says information about the

financial set-up at the Racecourse has not been made available and in

the e-mail, members of the supporters' Trust suggested that

manager Dean Saunders could quit the club. Tonight, he has been

backed by the Trust. It is disappointing that anybody could

say that about the club and me. But what can we do? I am getting used

to hand-grenade been thrown at me. I will plough on like I usually do.

I can't control anything so I will just concentrate on the football.

Elsewhere, after the disappointing defeat in the Carling Cup, Swansea

City are aiming for their first win in the Premier League. They welcome

Sunderland to the Liberty Stadium. The performance as good and that

helps our confidence level. We did well against Wigan without getting

that finishing touch. But the sooner you can win, the better.

With just days left until the transfer window closes, Cardiff

City midfielder Peter Whittingham has ended speculation about his

future by signing a three-year contract extension at the club. The

Bluebird's play Portsmouth tomorrow. I am delighted he has committed his

future to us. I have made commitments it -- to him in terms

of how much we're Going To push him in training. He is a top player.

Former Cardiff City striker Craig Bellamy's move out of Manchester

City is a step closer after his manager admitted there is a

possibility he could be allowed to live -- return to Liverpool.

Gavin Henson has held talks with the Ospreys over a possible return

to the Liberty Stadium. Henson, who'll miss the World Cup through

injury, could return after 10 months away. But he's not expected

to be fit until mid November. This time next year, the Paralympic

Games in London will be set to begin. Last time around in Beijing,

Welsh athletes won a quarter of all of Team GB's medals, returning with

10 gold, three silvers and one bronze medal. One man, who's hoping

to make it next year, is Neil Hughes. A former soldier from near

Aberdare, he lost his leg while serving with the Welsh Guards. But

now he's hoping to qualify for the volleyball event.

Training for a place in the Paralympic Games, Neil Hughes looks

in good form. But that has not always been the case. While serving

in Northern Ireland in 1992, he leapt over a 4 ft wall which has a

12 ft drop the other side. He shattered his leg and had to face

26 operations. I was in so much pain, I could not do anything. I

was putting on weight and getting depressed. I had my leg amputated

in April 2005. I was fine for seven months but then I started to get

depressed again. It was a vicious circle. I was getting lazy. It was

horrible. He heard about how the get involved in sport through a

neighbour and is now a member of a sitting volleyball team. I am 40

years old so I honestly thought that was it. If it was not for this,

I don't know where I would be. It is amazing. Following the success

of Welsh athletes in the Beijing Paralympics, he now has his sights

set on next year's Paralympic Games in London. If I am going to do

something, I am going to give it 110 %. It is not worth doing it

otherwise. I will do my best. would it feel to be involved?

would be amazing. The best thing ever. A dream come true.

Ellie Simmonds knows all about competing at the Paralympics. Ever

since winning two gold medals in Beijing, she's become one of our

best known athletes. After passing nine GCSE's at school in Swansea,

the 16-year-old is now focusing on her training for 2012. Here's Matt

Murray. A gold medallist, and a sports

celebrity, all while still just a schoolgirl. Now, Ellie Simmonds has

become an animated star too. Ellie joins some of Britain's greatest

Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls starring in this new cartoon

adventure. It's screened around cinemas before some of this

summer's blockbusters. It's all part of the build up to London 2012

and designed to try to get more young people into different sports.

And this morning ,Ellie with help of the 2012 mascots, was happy to

swap the pool for the paps. It was really great to do it. This

cultured me and turned me into a cartoon character. It is an honour

to be in there with so many talented athletes. It is going to

be a big event and hopefully it will inspire people to get into

sport. What inspired you? Watching the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.

Ever since winning two Paralympic gold medals in Beijing three years

ago, Ellie has rarely been out of the spotlight. From TV appearances

to endless accolades. But now the focus is back on training. The 16-

year-old swims 40,000 metres a week. That's 25 miles. It is like the

biggest event of my career. It is going to be amazing. It is also

scary because it is coming up soon and there will be a lot of pressure

on us all to do really well. I have just got back into training and I

am going to train hard. But the training is fitted in round the

studying. Yesterday, Ellie picked up her GCSE results. More reason to

celebrate after she passed nine. It's A-levels next, but she'll be

glad to see the back of one subject. I will never have to do maths ever

again because I hate it! So from revision to the red carpet, this

16-year-old is already a star and will shine even brighter in a

year's time. In the south, we have seen heavy

showers. But there is some hope. It will become dry and brighter as we

go through into the latter stages of the weekend. Some heavy showers

at the moment but they will gradually fade away. There will be

a few showers across the northern and western districts. That north-

westerly wind means it is not going to be a desperately chilly night.

This is the chart for Saturday. A deep low to the east of the UK.

Very unstable so we will have some showers but they will not be as

intense. In the south and east, a few showers and more in the way of

brighter weather. Temperatures will be a few degrees higher than today.

Tomorrow night, one or two showers dotted around but most people will

have a dry night. Feeling a little bit cooler. For Sunday, slightly

lighter winds. We will still have one or two showers, particularly

across the north and east of the country. To was the South West,

more in the way of sunshine because of a ridge of high pressure

building in. For the Bank Holiday Monday, the driest day of the

weekend. Enough of a breeze to stop temperatures shooting up to much.