27/05/2014 Look East - West

European election results. That's all from the BBC News at Six - so

Now it's over to Susie for the rest of the programme.

And I will be here with all the day's news from the rest of the

region, including back on the ward, a year after safety concerns at

Bedford Hospital, junior doctors will be allowed to return. Why is it

our hospitals struggle to recruit our hospitals struggle to recruit

and retrain enough nurses? @nd one and retrain enough nurses? And one

of the country's Reverend Flowers is back for the first time in ` decade.

a moment, why so many nursing posts remain unfilled. But first, a year

after junior doctors were suspended from Bedford Hospital because of a

lack of qualified staff to supervise them comes the decision to `llow

them back on the wards. It was July last year when trainee doctors were

suspended along with childrdn's services because of a concern over

patient safety. Children thdn had to be sent to Milton Keynes for

treatment. But in January, the hospital was once again allowed to

take emergency admissions for under`16s. Today came the rtling

that there is now enough support and expertise on the wards for junior

doctors to return. But as Mhke Cartwright reports, it doesn't mean

business as usual. Are you feeling better now? Yes

You've been really brave. Charlie, aged three, stayed at hospital

overnight after arriving with stomach pains. His mum Jo stayed

with him. Pregnant, her second child will be delivered any day. Without a

children's ward in Bedford, she would have had to head to Milton

Keynes. The thought of going half an hour down the road, driving, just me

and my son, would have been a nightmare and I probably wotldn t

have gone into the walk`in. I wouldn't have taken him, or if I

had, I would have been in tears, I think, I'm so emotional at the

moment anyway. From August, junior doctors will work on the children's

wards here once again ` eight paediatric consultants provhding

proper supervision, say health managers. The approach for junior

doctors will be that they h`ve more people around to help sort out

problems that they might encounter, and that's sustainable, that will

continue in the future. Beforehand, junior doctors would have done all

the frontline care. They met the patients, they did the inithal

assessment. What will be different now is that all that will bd carried

out by consultants. July protests, after emergency treatment for

children was stopped, followed by a damning report from the health

watchdog. The chief executive now says treatment has been turned

around. This is the first thme in the country that trainees have been

returned to department once they have been removed by the GMC, and

that is a fantastic achievelent and shows that we are really improving

services and the environment for junior doctors and we are very proud

hospital. Children will havd to go elsewhere for long`term specialist

treatment, but for parents like Jo, there is relief that paediatric care

Meanwhile, hospitals across the region are struggling to find enough

Many are increasingly having to turn to Europe and even further `field

Earlier this month, the Royal College of Nursing highlighted

the importance of employing enough staff to guarantee patient safety.

But for many of our hospitals that's proving a challenge.

If we just take a snapshot of the region, you can see the Luton

and Dunstable Hospital have a vacancy rate of 3.5%.

At Kettering they've recently recruited 26 nurses from ovdrseas,

And at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, 10 %

Our reporter Ben Bland has been to Peterborough City Hospital

A three`day stay in the cardiac ward for Phyllis Johnson, and thd care

she received from the nurses was a vital part of her recovery.

Very important, they are very good, very kind,

Here on the cardiac ward they have 12 nurses

and healthcare assistants on duty, spanning the day and night shift.

To cover those shifts over the course of a week means they need to

employ 55 nurses, and that's just for one ward in one hospital in one

city, so you can see why qu`lified nurses are in such high demand.

At the minute we are looking to fill 150 posts.

Not all of those are vacant at the moment, some we have had notice of

people moving on to new and exciting other posts and then we havd filled

some of those and we are waiting for nurses to come and join us from

where they are currently working, but we cannot make up the ntmber we

We have been looking at overseas recruitment.

And they have just recruited more than 20 nurses from Spain,

They will start at Peterborough Hospital later this year, but some

think hiring nurses from abroad is only a short`term solution.

It doesn't solve the problel because we will still have a shortfall

We need to get more qualifidd nurses within the workforce and I do know

from talking to my other colleagues within the Royal College of Nursing

that Peterborough are a little bit later than some of our organisations

in looking abroad to recruit qualified nurses.

At this hospital, they parthcularly need nurses for the operating

theatres and emergency departments, but training and recruiting them is

The rest of the challenge is keeping good nurses and persuading

Earlier I spoke to Karen Webb from the Royal College of Nursing.

She told me why hospitals h`ve little choice but to recruit

To put it bluntly, we would need to recruit every single school leaver

in the country at the moment in order to staff the NHS to the state

that it is at the moment, so frankly we have to go overseas at the moment

to find enough people with the qualifications,

experience and skills to fill the nursing vacancies in thd East.

But what could we be doing better or more of in this country,

Is it training? Are we not training enough people?

We need to invest more in nurse training places through

There are no shortage of young people wanting to train to

be nurses but there are shortages of commissioned places

There isn't a single area in the East of England

at the moment that isn't crying out for qualified experienced ntrses

It takes four years to prep`re a nurse to be competent

for practice, and clearly over the years the investment has not gone

Does that mean patients are being put at risk if we are

so desperate and so short of those trained nurses?

Of course patients are being put at risk.

If patients go to any wards now they will be able to see how many

nurses and what skill mix there should be in the clinical area and

they will be able to see what there actually are in the clinical area.

Any time a patient or a pathent s visitor goes to a ward and there are

four nurses instead of five, you know your relative is being put at

risk because if that is the assessed number of staff there should be,

there really isn't an excuse for why they are not there,

other than cost`cutting and saving money on nursing posts.

A couple from Northampton who were extradited

to America last week have had their application for bail refused.

Paul and Sandra Dunham appeared at a court in Maryland this afternoon

They face 13 counts of fraud totalling $1.4 million

The Dunhams have been told their trial is unlikely to be heard

Now for something that's not been seen in this region

for more than a decade. It's blue and white.

But now the Fen Violet has returned to Cambridgeshire and Wicken Fen.

Wicken fen, it believed to be the oldest nature reserve in England,

internationally recognised for its conservation. And we have jtst heard

conservation. And we have just heard a cuckoo. Last year they fotnd 3

a cuckoo. Last year they found 53 new species. Now they have

discovered the fen Violet, found deep in the heart of the reserve.

That's what all the bosses `bout. `` That's what all the bosses about. ``

all the fuss is about. They last saw it ten years ago. We know as here it

likes disturbed ground, we know it likes boggy ground and we know that

it doesn't compete very well so it doesn't like a lot of agitation.

doesn't like a lot of agitation This is just a tiny fragment of what

was once a great friend, most of which has been drained and farm.

Conservationists say this l`nd is Conservationists say this land is

vital to protect rare specids Conservationists say this l`nd is

vital to protect rare species that vital to protect rare specids that

survived on this unique habitat. survived on this unique habhtat

Those are your top stories tonight. gramme.

Today, Labour leader Ed Milhband came to Essex, vowing to win back

And some of the region's Lib Dems joined calls for their leaddr

In a moment, a live debate with senior politicians.

That's after this from Andrew Sinclair.

These are the headline figures for the East of England. Three seats for

UKIP, three for the Conserv`tives UKIP, three for the Conserv`tives

and one for labour. Dig a little and one for labour. Dig a little

deeper and it is clear that you get by definitely the winners. Their

share of the vote up from 19% last share of the vote up from 18% last

time to 34%. Where has it come from? The Liberal Democrats are down, but

they also take seats from Labour The Liberal Democrats are down, but

they also take seats from L`bour and they also take seats from Labour and

people who have never voted before. Labour are notably up, but it seems

that most of that vote came from former Liberal Democrats. There are

stories that in some places many Labour supporters did not turn out

to vote. If that is true thdn Labour supporters did not ttrn out

to vote. If that is true thdn that is worrying for the party, so close

to general election. It was dire for the Lib Dems, they got fewer votes

than the Greens. That is whx the Lib Dems, they got fewer votes

than the Greens. That is whx some councillors from this region have

signed a letter for Nick leg to stand down. The big debate hs

signed a letter for Nick leg to stand down. The big debate is how

stand down. The big debate hs how seriously to take UKIP. `` Nick

Clegg. In parts of Norfolk and Clegg. In parts of Norfolk `nd

Cambridgeshire they could easily Cambridgeshire they could e`sily

influenced the outcome of next influenced the outcome of next

year's election. But becausd influenced the outcome of ndxt

year's election. But because UKIP are appealing to voters across the

political spectrum, how do other voters adjust their policies? Or do

they just say, this is a protest vote that will go away next year?

But given the result of the sport, can the parties continue to say

that? `` this vote. Here in the studio are Norm`n Lamb,

Liberal Democrat MP and Health Minister, and Richard Howitt,

Labour MEP. Conservative MEP Vicky Ford is

in Cambridge and newly elected UKIP Congratulations on that restlt for

UKIP. It is it a good result for the region? Are you intending to do work

for us in Europe? Yes, but we have to look at the big issue on the

doors, which is immigration. We are the only party with a plan to take

back control of the Borders. The other parties may say that they want

to do that whilst being in the European Union, and that is an

impossibility. The only way we can take control is to leave thd EU Are

UKIP speaking the language of the ordinary working people that Ed

Miliband said today that Labour is not reaching? I am grateful and glad

to see Ed Miliband in Essex delivering that message and I think

that there is a big difference between understanding concerns,

concerns about the health sdrvice and access to that, whether children

can get jobs, and also homes. UKIP's prescription is to stpport

UKIP's prescription is to support the health service and to rdmove

the health service and to remove people's appointment rates, which

will increase job security. The very things that voters are worrhed

about, Labour has the prescriptions that UKIP does not. 30% of voters

chose UKIP over you at the Duropean chose UKIP over you at the Duropean

election. The disillusionment is not just with the government, it is with

you. There is an anti`polithcs you. There is an anti`politics

disenchantment, and labour's job is to Windows people over. In Norwich

and Cambridge Labour had thd majority and it looks like we will

wind at the general election next year. The Labour vote went tp. It

wind at the general election next year. The Labour vote went up. It is

the first time in 20 years hn the the first time in 20 years in the

European election that Labotr has beaten the Conservatives. It was a

good election for Labour. But you good election for Labour. But you

did badly in places like Grdat did badly in places like Great

Yarmouth. Is it over for thd Lib Yarmouth. Is it over for the Lib

Dems in this region? You did not even bother to put up some Lib Dems

on some of the council elections. We do you go from here? It is

absolutely not over. We have do you go from here? It is

absolutely not over. We havd faced absolutely not over. We have faced

this question many teams and be always bounce back. Our focts has to

be rueful sleigh on focusing to get this country back after really

difficult times `` ruthlessly. You cannot get the country back if you

do not have any MPs? We have cannot get the country back if you

do not have any MPs? We havd many do not have any MPs? We havd many

MPs in Parliament and we are do not have any MPs? We have many

MPs in Parliament and we ard in do not have any MPs? We havd many

MPs in Parliament and we are in the coalition government. We have to act

in the national interest. It is critically important that wd

in the national interest. It is critically important that we have to

critically important that wd have to listen to what the voters said last

Thursday, that we treat people with respect for the decisions that they

take. The way that the EU operates, it has let people down. We need to

devolve power, make it more democratic and accountable. I want

the Lib Dems to make fat reform argument. Little stock about

reform. Your party is under pressure to spell out what it wants to

change. What will you be arguing for ? The Conservative vote held up

quite well. The people have spoken. They want reform and a new

relationship with Europe. That is precisely why the Prime Minister

relationship with Europe. That is precisely why the Prime Minhster has

gone to Brussels today to start that renegotiation. On my list of things

that I want to see be negotiated renegotiation. On my list of things

that I want to see be negothated is that I want to see be negothated is

that issue of immigration and freedom of movement of people and

how the controls of that have not been strong enough for certain

how the controls of that have not been strong enough for cert`in parts

been strong enough for certain parts of the East of England. There are

also issues to do with human rights and decisions on home affairs and

justice. Those have been on our list. But a key difference between

ourselves and UKIP is that I want list. But a key difference between

ourselves and UKIP is that H want to see every negotiation that looks at

the detail so that business and British businesses will not be left

with uncertainty, because wd British businesses will not be left

with uncertainty, because we need to with uncertainty, because wd need to

make sure that we support British businesses, British jobs, through

this renegotiation. Can I just ask this renegotiation. Can I jtst ask

you... Very briefly, this is a vote for a referendum, and I support a

referendum, 52 Conservative MPs in this region support and want a

referendum so that people can referendum so that people can

choose. How concerned are you? You did well in the European vote but it

is not looking so good for the Conservatives in the first past the

post elections and that could be the big problem for you in this region.

If people want a new relationship with Europe, which is suggested in

last week's vote, then they need to make sure that they have MPs that

are in favour of a referendtm. If there is a vote that splits the

pro`reform, pro`change votes, they could end up with a Labour LP.

pro`reform, pro`change votes, they could end up with a Labour MP. And

those Conservative seats th`t we won those Conservative seats that we won

in the last election, if thdy those Conservative seats th`t we won

in the last election, if they go in the last election, if thdy go

back to labour you will not get you in out referendum. You are planning

to stand in Thurrock. This region is high on UKIP's target list. But it

will not just be about Europe, it will be about the economy, housing,

welfare. Do you really think you can persuade voters to vote for you to

be at Westminster? Absolutely. We won the popular vote at the council

elections and in the European elections. What you have he`rd

elections. What you have heard there, completely misrepresdnting

UKIP's position on NHS, particularly a cheap shot when Labour introduced

public private partnerships. We have a comprehensive platform to bring

change. If the Tory's best `rgument is vote for the blues to stop the

red then they are all the s`me. is vote for the blues to stop the

red then they are all the same. Let red then they are all the s`me. Let

me put to you that we must have a balanced debate about immigration

and recognise that immigration has in many respects done an enormous

amount of good for this country If amount of good for this country. If

you think about the NHS... Let me finish this point. Let me make this

finish this point. Let me m`ke this point. If you think about the NHS

and you think about our card and you think about our care

service, the whole system would collapse without extraordinarily

dedicated people from across Europe working and caring for our frail

older people. You have to answer the question about where does that here

come from if we send all those people back on? Last time UKIP good

result in the European elections they went down to 3% by the general

election. I was debating whether election. I was debating whdther

UKIP candidate this morning he said that yes, it is a protest vote. Next

year the alternative is Labour and that is why Labour is on cotrse to

that is why Labour is on course to win that general election. We have

spoken to many voters who did win that general election. We have

spoken to many voters who dhd vote spoken to many voters who did vote

UKIP and they said that thex spoken to many voters who dhd vote

UKIP and they said that thex do not know if they will vote UKIP in the

general election. They want to see you prove yourself. You will be

under a lot of scrutiny. Exactly. We have shown in the areas where we

gained on Thursday, we'll acted one councillor in Thurrock in 2012, and

people have seen the great work that that councillor has done and they

have elected five more `` wd elected one councillor. We will see places

where we can make real breakthroughs, where we can actually

sure that we can give up on the Punch and Judy of reds, bluds

sure that we can give up on the Punch and Judy of reds, blues and

sometimes he was, and actually get real change. The truth is that

nobody knows how it is going to play out at the general election, it is

uncharted territory, which is uncharted territory, which hs

dangerous for the party in power. If you vote UKIP and we end up going

back to Labour then remember what it was like when we took over, with the

country in deep financial crisis, we run out of money and it has been

enormously painful getting this country's economy back together. A

country's economy back together A lot of people have felt that pain.

But look at where we are now. We have cut the deficit to bring the

economy back under control. 1.5 million new jobs have started,

economy back under control. 1.5 million new jobs have startdd, .5

million young people given apprentices. Let us not get this

country get back into financial disaster again. This has been done

by the coalition. And it is two parties working together. You are

not getting the credit, is that what you were saying? Yes, the smaller

you were saying? Yes, the slaller party does not get the credit

you were saying? Yes, the smaller party does not get the credht that

you were saying? Yes, the slaller party does not get the credit that I

party does not get the credht that I think in time we deserve. But

party does not get the credit that I think in time we deserve. Btt I

think in time we deserve. But I think it has been criticallx

think it has been critically important at a time of incrddible

danger to this country for two parties to work together, and our

clear message has been that we work for a stronger economy, but also a

fear society. Can I just... We have achieved massive tax cuts for people

on low pay, a punk your costs. We on low pay, a punk your costs. We

have reformed pensions in a way that have reformed pensions in a way that

gives the money to people on low incomes. These are real achievements

in government and that is what we should focus attention on. Xou

in government and that is what we should focus attention on. You have

lost your identity in doing so. In your constituency the Lib Ddms

lost your identity in doing so. In your constituency the Lib Dems were

your constituency the Lib Ddms were down more than 12%, UKIP up 16%. I

down more than 12%, UKIP up 16% I do not think we have lost our

identity. I think that we have fought very clearly for a stronger

economy and a fairer society. fought very clearly for a stronger

economy and a fairer societx. It is economy and a fairer societx. It is

extraordinarily difficult for a time of economic people that we have been

working with the party that have not in our natural allies. Economic

dislocation is not just in Britain. Look at what has happened across

Europe, French, right`wing parties, like UKIP, in France, in Austria, in

Denmark, all gaining. It should be worrying to people. Let us talk

about this region. There is some suggestion that Labour voters did

not turn out, for example in Luton. Just 28% turnout. Are your voters

staying at home? There were not local council elections... The

turnout was higher than where it was just the European election. But in

Luton we have to greet Labotr MPs Luton we have to greet Labour MPs

and we're on course with victories in Norwich, Cambridge, Watford, for

Labour to be winning key se`ts that Labour to be winning key se`ts that

it needs to win. 110 since `` one sentence from all of you. What will

you achieve for this region next year? We're on the road to economic

year? We're on the road to dconomic recovery, let us not ruin it. If you

vote UKIP you could end up with Labour and you will get back to

financial disaster and you will not get a referendum on Europe. The old

three parties, you cannot tdll get a referendum on Europe. The old

three parties, you cannot tell the three parties, you cannot tell the

difference between them. If you want back control of your borders,

sovereignty and democracy, vote UKIP. The austerity policies have

gone too far, we need to get that European money into the Easter think

in. I am the only MEP that works for that and we need to deal with job

insecurity and not slash employment rates. What are we missing out on?

Jobs and the economy. We will work in the government to rebuild this

economy after an incredibly different time and I think we are

achieving a real difference. Thank you all very much for joining us

this evening. It has been up pretty grotty day weather`wise, so we sent

Alex outside. If we kick off with the pressure

chart we can see the culprit, which is an area of low pressure out over

the continent. That will mean the continent. That will mean

further outbreaks of rain this evening and overnight, but ht will

evening and overnight, but it will improve, so hang in there. The radar

chart shows us where the heaviest of chart shows us where the heaviest of

this rain has been and some of it has caused problems with localised

flooding. Some heavy rain in a short space of time. Looking at tonight's

chart you can see the track of this rain. It is starting to clear

westwards through this evenhng and westwards through this evenhng and

overnight. It brings us heavy pulses of rain. By the end of the night it

looks as though the main rahn of rain. By the end of the night it

looks as though the main rain band looks as though the main rahn band

will be sitting on the north`west of it. For many counties it will be a

dry end to the night. A good deal of cloud temperatures will rem`in

relatively mild, around ten, 13 degrees. We kick off tomorrow with a

lot of cloud around. If you live in northern counties, northern parts of

Cambridgeshire or Norfolk, ht northern counties, northern parts of

Cambridgeshire or Norfolk, it will be cloudy but it will start to clear

northwards. That is where the main focus of this rain will be `cross

the country tomorrow. If you're focus of this rain will be across

the country tomorrow. If yot're off to the Suffolk Show you may well see

a glimmer of brightness. It may well remain quite cloudy across the

region, but rarely get any brightness or sunshine, which could

be in short supply, but we lay get some, temperatures may claim to

around 15 or 16 degrees. Moderate north to north`easterly wind. But

there will be limp through than by the end of the day. The chart shows

just that. This is going to give you some hope, because this is the

pressure chart that we will end with, which shows how presstre

with, which shows how pressure building for Friday. It is `n

building for Friday. It is an improvement. Before we get there,

looking at the outlook, we have closed with outbreaks of rahn to

closed with outbreaks of rain to come on Thursday. It becomes

gradually drier and brighter and then for afraid he entered the

weekend we have later when sent brighter spells and some sunshine

around. It is looking like a brighter spells and some sunshine

around. It is looking like ` dry forecast for the weekend. Let

around. It is looking like a dry forecast for the weekend. Ldt us go

back to Suzy. That is all from us after a very

lively debate on the issues surrounding the European elections.

I and sure that that debate will continue in the coming months.