16/01/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

A coroner has said that the North Cumbria Hospitals Trust showed

"shambolic implementation" of policy and a "total absence of leadership"

following the deaths of two patients, after neglect

Michael Parke from Cockermouth died at the West Cumberland Hospital in

December 2012 and Amanda Coulthard from Penrith died in the Cumberland

Both suffered pneumonia after feeding tubes were inserted

into their lungs instead of their stomachs.

Megan Paterson was at Cockermouth Coroners court for us today.

Earlier I asked her what happened to these patients.

Well, Michael Park and Amanda Coulthard died after what should

have been very simple medical procedures went wrong and mistakes

were not detected. In the most simple form, nasogastric tubes are a

type of feeding tube, said in through a patient's knows, taking

nutrients to their stomach. In both these cases, the tubes were put in

the wrong place and instead went to the patient's lungs. Both Michael

and Amanda contracted pneumonia and later died.

So, what safeguards did the trust have in place?

According to the coroner, the safeguards which were in place were

not strong enough. In 2005, there not strong enough. In 2005, there

was a death in Carlisle related to was a death in Carlisle related to

feeding tubes. In 2011, the NHS issued further guidance for trusts,

and here in Cumbria, the trust was supposed to be in fermenting

changes, introducing further staff training and making things safer.

They failed to do that quickly enough. In the weeks leading up to

Michael Park's death, several e-mails were exchanged calling for

greater training, but it never happened. And Michael Park's case,

his doctor failed to realise the tube had been placed into Michael's

long, despite looking at x-ray which showed that was clearly the case.

The coroner said directors and managers at the trust were so

distracted by the potential merger and acquisition by Northumbria

health care trust that day-to-day governance fell by the wayside. He

said they were asleep at the wheel. The coroner said Michael died as a

result of systemic neglect. So had no improvements being made by

the time and a coal-fired died three years later?

The coroner today said improvements had been made, policy had been

changed, and staff were starting to operate under the new policy.

Unfortunately, in Amanda Coulthard's case, staff treating her did not

argument that properly. Today, the trust which runs the hospital said

it would not comment directly on the findings of the inquest, and

instead, it issued this statement. I am deeply sorry about these

events, and they wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families

and friends of Michael Bach and Amanda Coulthard. The trust fully

takes on the inclusion is of HM senior coroner Roberts. Patient

safety remains of paramount importance to the trust, and we

expect high standards of patient care at all times. These were not

met for Michael or Amanda. We sincerely apologise for this.

And the coroner today paid tribute several times to the families of

Michael Park and Amanda Coulthard, saying they have conducted

themselves with utmost dignity throughout a process which has no

doubt been difficult. Thank you very much.

A shot was fired by a man who tried to rob a Post Office

Police said they were called to Hylton Road just

Two men - one carrying a firearm - demanded money from

The shot was fired when he refused to hand over any cash.

Officers believe the men left in a silver Vauxhall Vectra

No-one was hurt but police have stepped up patrols in the area.

The inquest into the deaths of the British tourists killed

in a terrorist attack in Tunisia has heard the police delayed

66-year-old Lisa Burbidge, from Gateshead, was among those

killed in Sousse in 2015. Peter Harris reports.

Described as beautiful, a woman of dignity and style,

Lisa Burbidge was among 30 British victims of a lone gunman.

A widow and mother of two and with four grand children,

she'd been on holiday at the resort of Port El Kantaoui near Sousse

when the attack began on a beach and at a hotel.

Today, families of the dead were at London's Royal Courts

of Justice, where the circumstances leading up to the deaths of each

of the victims will be examined over the course of the hearing.

And on day one, a startling claim - that Tunisian law enforcement units

deliberately delayed their arrival and that a local investigation

criticised some police for wasting time.

The court heard an account of how one beach guard opened fire, but was

hit by a grenade thrown by the attacker. A member of the public who

picked up the gun then found he was unable to work it.

One aspect that will emerge are the claims of some families that

travel companies had assured their relatives

Sousse was safe despite previous terrorist attacks.

The inquests are likely to last seven weeks.

Hundreds of people gathered in York today to release balloons

to celebrate what would have been the eighth birthday of Katie Rough.

Katie died after being found with serious injuries last week,

and a 15-year-old girl has been charged with her murder.

The event followed a Facebook appeal to celebrate Katie's life,

and it took place near the school she attended in the Woodthorpe

Her family wanted balloons of every colour of the rainbow to represent

the "exuberance" of Katie, and the hundreds who turned

up celebrated her life with a respectful silence.

Members of an anti-fracking group in North Yorkshire have set up

a protest camp close to the site where permission has been given

The camp is on private land but has attracted well

over 1,000 visitors, as our Business Correspondent

They call it a protection camp, but they call themselves protect doors.

What they want to do is try to prevent fracking in this part of

North Yorkshire. After exactly a month here, they claim is that the

camp has been welcomed locally and further afield, with 1300 visitors

coming to hear their message. We always knew that a camp would

have some opposition. It is a scary thing to suddenly find a new

community and your doorstep. But we're hoping that the people who

still might have concerns will come and visit us, see that we are normal

people, and we just want the same things as them, and we are the To Be

Missed Camp, because we're here protect.

Hello. Nice to meet you. Thank you very

much. What have we got here? Locals have donated clothes and food

to the camp. Sue even cooked Christmas lunch. I just felt that I

couldn't in all conscious sit at home with my family in a lovely warm

house, having Christmas dinner without at least giving them a

semblance of Christmas celebration. However, there is undoubtedly a

degree of local goodwill towards this campus so-called protectors.

But are there any local dissenting voices?

Non-, Albion in a nonscientific way, Non-, Albion in a nonscientific way,

that I could find. Of course, in the villages around, there will be

people who object to the camp, but its inhabitants say it is here to

stay. Their best bet is that test fracking could start in September.

Eight long months, then, to garner more support and deflate criticism,

plotting a way to thwart the perceived enemy.

Well, Third Energy - the company planning to frack

at Kirby Misperton - said that it hopes those who object

to its plans respect its rights, and those of Ryedale residents,

to go about their business lawfully and peacefully.

That's it from me this evening, time now to take a look

at the weather for the week ahead with Paul Mooney.

Definitely much less bitter this morning?

Yes, altogether more quiet this week. This time last week I promised

you snow, ice, gales, the lot. This week, things are much quieter. High

pressure dominates, meaning things will stay fairly settled, lots of

cloud around, and patchy rain for a time as well. But we will have frost

free nights, and a milder feel generally. Cloud around tonight, and

some outbreaks of rain, especially in the West and north. Fairly light

drizzly rain which it shouldn't cause any problems, and the further

south and east you are, the more dry you will stay. It will stay cloudy

everywhere, and the cloud and southern breeze. The temperature

dropping much below five Celsius. Cloudy start tomorrow, some patchy

rain around, especially through the morning. The rain becomes more

intermittent and patchy through the day but stays mostly cloudy.

Temperatures will climb up to 9-10 Celsius in the southerly breeze, so

much milder than it has been. A lot of low cloud sitting down on the

hills, so poor visibility and higher ground. Into tomorrow evening and

overnight, we keep the cloud. Still a fuse box of rain here and there,

but generally drying up through the night. A mild night, temperatures no

lower than six or seven as we head into Wednesday morning. Wednesday

starts off grey, cloudy, Misty in places, but with a better chance of

cloud breaking. We will start the season sunny intervals breaking

through, generally brighter skies through the middle of the working

week. Similar temperatures again, highs of around ten on Wednesday

afternoon. High-pressure in charge, as I said. This weather front just

sinks away to the south, allowing the cloud to break midweek, and the

high really becomes established over the top of us as we had through the

second half of the week. Nothing changes a great deal. Light winds as

well, and things stay fairly quiet. For Thursday, mostly dry, generally

cloudy skies, a a few breaks appearing here and there.

Temperatures up to 8-9 C on Thursday afternoon. Friday, perhaps a bit

cooler. The cloud more broken overnight. Allowing temperatures to

climb up to 6-7 for most of us on Friday afternoon. Staying fine and

dry as we had through the working week. Into next weekend, we will

keep you updated on your BBC local radio station. I will leave you with

a summary. perhaps a little milder. If you like

the mild weather, you'll have to head elsewhere in the country. Find

out more in the national weather forecast. Our weather is going

against normal expectations this week. In Highland Scotland some snow

to be seen on the hills. Temperatures as high as 12 Celsius

today. Over the next few days the coldest air is in the far south-east

of England where there is sunshine to be had. Four or five Celsius in

Kent. Differences remain over the next few days and here is why. I

pressure