13/08/2013 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Jayne McCubbin and

Roger Johnson. Our top story: Sick of not being able to see your GP?

Inside the Salford experiment hoping to save the NHS millions. 40% of

people that actually phone do not want an appointment that day, they

just want some advice. Tonight we have a special report on

the GPs their patients can call any time. Also tonight: Racing to clear

his name. The terminally-ill man claiming a

double miscarriage of justice. there is a life after death, I will

be going there as an innocent man and I will fight. If there is a way

back I will be knocking on the coffin.

Miracle baby. Lucas was born at just 23 weeks. Now after months in

hospital, he's finally home. The schoolboy's cap lost at the

pictures and found - 70 years later. And a cut above. The champion lawn

mower racers from Lancashire. a fantastic thing to do and

completely meaningless! And it's a big night for Chester

City. Ian Haslam is there for us. We are live here on a big night for

Chester FC who three years after folding our back into the division

of the Football League. We are at the first begin of the Conference

Premier season. Join us later on. North West Tonight has exclusively

learned that last year in Greater Manchester alone, �30 million was

spent on people who'd turned up to A&E and didn't need to be there. Now

those in charge of health care in the region say radical changes are

needed to stop the waste. A group of GPs in Salford say they've slashed

emergency visits by making themselves available over the phone

day and night. But as our health correspondent Nina

Warhurst reports, attitudes to A&E need to change before there's a real

emergency in emergency care. There's not a doctor in the country

who would tell you not to visit A&E in the case of an emergency. But

increasingly we are using it as our first port of call. NHS Greater

Manchester estimates the average cost of an A&E visit is �170 and

that 44,000 more people turned up for emergency care last year than

the year before. The estimate is that 30% didn't need to be there and

that meant �30 million was spent that didn't need to be. Patients'

reasons are varied from "I couldn't see my GP," or "I tried NHS 111 but

they couldn't help." Now Healthier Together, who are reorganising care

across Greater Manchester, say A&E admissions have to be made a

priority and a group of GPs in Salford think they may have found at

least part of the solution? and it's remarkably simple.

Dr Totty calls it a telephone triage - patients phone in, discuss what's

wrong and he decides whether it's A&E, GP, walk-in clinic, or pharmacy

care that's needed. I can do that safely on the phone and the

appointment is for those that really need it.

The poorliest patients are guaranteed access to their GP on the

day and over three months there's been a 15% drop in patients under

this system presenting at A&E. really value and appreciate the fact

that we can pick up the phone, have that conversation before you even

get here. It might mean that you can then get to work if you are well

enough. Last week the Prime Minister was in

Salford, announcing an injection of half a billion into emergency care.

But this is about much more than money. Patients must be more

responsible about how they use and access the health service, and in

return, it is reasonable for primary care and GPs to be more flexible but

the hours that they can offer to patients.

This Salford clinic is encouraging other surgeries to follow. We are

living longer, getting sicker, and as ever, expecting more of the NHS.

The message is that the situation we are in now is not sustainable. Yes,

we are all entitled to feel the NHS is there for us when we need it, but

we are also responsible for thinking about where we go for our care.

We asked for your comments about problems getting a GP appointment

and whether you've had to go to A&E instead. Lots of you have been in

touch via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter. Jemma Marshall e-mailed to

say she'd called her doctor and explained she's off work for three

weeks so could come anytime. "They say they can't fit me in and to call

early every Monday for an emergency appointment. If I don't see a doctor

in the next three weeks," Jemma concludes, "I may have no choice but

to go to A&E." Dale Ellershaw says when his back went into spasm

someone went to the local surgery across the road but they were told

to call an ambulance and go 15 miles to the nearest hospital. "When I got

to A&E they couldn't believe I'd been sent there. All I needed was

painkillers." But Gary Phillips is one of several people with a

positive story. His doctor's is in Blackpool. He says it's a great

service. "If you phone before nine, you can usually get an appointment

the same day. If not the following. I've never had to wait more than the

next day." Martin Foran has spent almost 40 years trying to clear his

name. The Manchester father of five claims

he's the only person to have been convicted of two separate crimes

which he did not commit. One of those convictions for robbery has

already been quashed, but now he is awaiting a ruling on an earlier

conviction. But in an exclusive interview Mr Foran has told us he is

terminally ill and could die before he finally clears his name. Here's

our online reporter, Helen Carter. It is a fight which has dominated

more than half of his life. Martin Foran wants to clear his name before

he dies a convicted criminal. No-one has said sorry to my wife or

to my children. In 1977 Mr Foran was convicted and

imprisoned for robbery. A crime he denied. In 1984 he was released but

arrested again - this time for another robbery at a Birmingham pub.

Again he was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. That

sentence was extended when he held a prison officer hostage - he admits

doing this as an act of desperation. It was like being in hell. It was

bad enough fighting for your innocence, but having to fight to

get a doctor to look at you... Earlier this year, the court of

appeal quashed his second conviction and questioned the credibility of

the main police witness, who was part of the West Midlands Crime

Squad, responsible for the wrongful conviction of the Birmingham Six and

others. In a statement, West Midlands Police

anything is to clear his name and have some financial legacy for his

family. His family were deprived of him for

a good number of his adult years which ought to be rectified.

Martin has cancer and diabetes. Last week, doctors told him there was

nothing more they could do. If there is a life after death I will be

going there as an innocent man and I will fight. If that is their -- if

there is a way back I will be fighting on the coffin.

The Criminal Case Review Commission will decide next week whether to

refer his first conviction to the court of appeal. Helen Carter, North

West Tonight. Other news from around the North

West now: The family of a Lancashire couple found dead at the weekend say

they'll be greatly missed. Judith Maude was found at a house in

Hoghton on Sunday morning with fatal stab wounds. Her husband was found

dead on a nearby railway track a short while later. Police are not

looking for anyone else in connection with their deaths.

Police have released this CCTV image of a man they want to talk to in

connection with the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Hyde. The attack

happened on the 26th of July. It's believed the girl was persuaded to

go back to a man's bedsit where she was given alcohol and attacked.

House prices in the North West increased by 0.1% over the 12 months

to June. That's according to the Office for National Statistics. It

says the average house in the region now costs just over �160,000. The

national average is just over �240,000.

And emergency services on the Isle of Man have launched a road safety

campaign ahead of the Festival of Motorcycling, urging bikers to not

ride dangerously. Thousands are expected to arrive over the next few

days for the event which includes the Manx Grand Prix and the Classic

Baby Lucas was given just 25% chance of survival. He was born at 23 weeks

at the Liverpool Women's Hospital after his mother Tracy Georgiou

suffered from a life-threatening condition early on in pregnancy.

Tracy had placenta abruptio, a rare condition which causes major blood

loss and shock. She was so ill she didn't even know she had a son until

three days after he was born. After four months in hospital he's finally

been allowed to go home. Elaine Dunkley reports. ?NEWLINE Finally,

little baby Lucas can sleep in his cot after months of being in an

incubator. He arrived at just 23 weeks. The placenta had become

detached from the womb leading to severe haemorrhaging. For mother and

baby it was a fight for survival. Both of our lives were in danger. I

was really, really ill, as far as I can remember. I lost so much blood.

I had to have emergency surgery. That was to give him the best chance

of survival. Lucas weighed 1lb and 8oz and Tracy

was in a critical condition. She didn't realise she had a son waiting

for her until three days after he was born. It was really difficult,

so when he was born, Tracy went one way down the corridor and Lucas went

the other way, I did not know where to go.

It's been traumatic for the whole family and today the welcome home

banners were out for baby Lucas. How nice is it to have your baby brother

back home? It is amazing, after the roller-coaster journey that we have

been on. To get my mother and my B brother home is fantastic.

This is where Tracy and Lucas's lives were saved - at the Liverpool

Women's Hospital. Lucas was given just a 25% chance of surviving.

normal pregnancy is 40 weeks and he was born just over 23 weeks. He took

Everton that was thrown at him in his stride. His recovery is

remarkable. -- he took everything. This is everything the family hoped

for. Now they can finally say mother and baby are doing well. Elaine

Dunkley, BBC North West Tonight. A very special little brother.

The record-breaking rower from Formby - on killer container ships

and psycho cyclonics in the India Ocean. We have just found a storm.

It could be an interesting evening. And cutting the opposition down to

size. We meet the Lancashire lawn mower racing champions.

Football, on in 2010, Chester City's 125 years as a football club

came to an end after years of declining fortunes both on and off

the ditch when the club went bust. But the story was not over and the

club preformed and went back to its original name of Chester FC --

Chester FC and was given a place down the bottom of the league. Three

years later they are back and played first match in the Conference

Premier. Ian Haslam is at the Deva Stadium Forest tonight.

Welcome to the Deva Stadium, the home of Chester FC. We have been

trying to dodge the sprinkler in the last few minutes. Hereford United

are the visitors and we are expecting two and a half thousand

people. Conditions are perfect for football. The pitch is in fantastic

condition. I always like going to football grounds to report on but

there is such a buzz around this one and why would there not be? This is

one of the North West's greatest good all success stories over the

last few years. It has had plenty of ups and downs, but thankfully for

Chester the Downs appeared to be a thing of the past.

The place is buzzing and I cannot wait to get back into the proper

Football League next year. It is great to get back into the

conference after so many years in the doldrums. After all of the ups

and downs we have had, it is fantastic to be back. These were the

scenes after Chester won a third successive promotion. Three years

earlier it had looked like the dream was over for good. Relegated from

the Football League, Chester City was wound up at the High Court after

the old �26,000 in unpaid taxes. Fans were devastated but not ready

to give up. I walked through the town centre and the Guildhall and

slowly, but by that, we got the money we needed to gather and we

went from strength to strength. President Barry is a super fan and

helps out around the place. It is a fantastic atmosphere and fans

realise we are back amongst the big boys. Life in the Conference Premier

got underway on Saturday but promotion favourites Barnett proved

too strong on the day. Optimism remains high above. Once we get used

to the surroundings and the type of teams we are playing, I think we

will do well. There are some tough games but some very exciting times

for the supporters. We heard from the club manager Neil Young and now

Tony Durkin, the club's chairman joins me now. A huge game for due

tonight but it is a mark of how far do have come will stop huge credit

to yourself and everyone involved. It is down to a huge team of

volunteers and everyone has worked extremely hard the last three years.

The success on the pitch has taken us by surprise. There are so much

work going on behind the scenes. are supporter run club, how does

that work? It is owned by the supporters so everyone has a share

in the club. They have a say in how the club is run. We only have three

of four time fully employed individuals. Every one else gives

their time freely. Ian Rush has been connected to this club. Most of your

players still do the jobs. That is correct, electricity, plasters, all

walks life. The old work hard during the day and then give us a great

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

performance on a Saturday. Hereford United are playing tonight. Let us

hope Chester FC can keep on going life is about learning to dance in

the rain. Here we are, we are dancing.

Stuart joins me now. You beat the previous record set by a true by

more than one day, how does that feel? It was the icing on the cake

to get the world record, but just getting to the other side was

fantastic. We were affected by the strong winds and the weather. 80%

good fortune and 20% experience. us look at the journey that you will

be making. 24 hours a day with your partner 's 3300 miles from

Australia, 57 days, 14 hours and 49 minutes. Let us look at the little

blip in the line. Was that meant to happen? No, it was not. Somebody on

Facebook said did we realise we were heading south but unfortunately

because of the bad weather and the lost power we had to steer by hand.

Our automated was not working properly. Our GPS kit went down as

well. We started taking a more southerly approach than they had

attended -- intended to and the we navigated by hand. Must you be a

competent roller to take on something like this? It is much more

of a mental challenge to be honest. It is a case of getting into the

water and pulling. I swam the Atlantic in 2008 but this journey

was twice as long and was more psychologically demanding. Whether

times when you were worried about your safety? We came within three

minutes of crashing into a container ship. That was quite worrying! There

was no one on the helm, it was a dodgy Chinese vessel that we thought

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

might have been trafficking. What is back of a cinema seat.

We found a lot of cigarette packets. We have only exposed about one third

of this at the moment. Who knows what we might find later. The most

important find was the original circle, dating back to 1932. It was

built in 1932. It was that whole area of optimism and glamour. It is

all about opulence and grandeur. It is absolutely beautiful. The most

surprising find was a school cap lost here in the 1940s and we

claimed by its owner today. Has it got your name on it? Yes, it does. I

doubt if it will still fit me! Trying it on. Not quite. The plaza

used to be a bingo hall before enthusiast is it over more than one

decade ago. The prices have risen but once again it is a cinema and

theatre. The art deco hearings are popular attraction. The reward for

Eve and the other volunteers who run it is the pleasure on the faces of

their visitors. They come into the tea rooms and have tea with their

families. They love it. The word that goes with the theatre as

amazing. It is a lovely escape from the troubles of everyday life. It

always was and it always will be. It looks fabulous. And if the cap

fits? Stay with us after the weather because we have something different

to end the programme that involves Do you still fancy to have a look at

the media shower tonight? Well, all you have to do is look up into the

sky this evening. You will not have a better chance than tonight. You

may have to simply wait it out. You can see two of the meteors racing

across the sky together at the top right of my picture. Over the next

couple of days and were weather becomes increasingly next. We will

see a fair bit of rain at times. A very deep depression for this time

of year. It is a changeable picture. For many of us there are a lot of

showers but they will die away into the afternoon and it will be a

pleasant evening. I cannot tell you where the best of the clear skies

will be, it is hit and miss, but if you are out and about you will need

to wrap up properly. Temperatures are about eight or nine Celsius

rural life. Tomorrow morning has the best of the

weather. It will be bright and sunny up until lunchtime. We have a

weather system towards the tail end of the day. We will cloud up after

lunchtime. You can see this band of rain moving across at the time. The

best of the sunshine first thing in the morning. Top temperature is not

the morning. Top temperature is not too bad possibly a 21 Celsius.

Finally, tonight, a high octane motorsport in which you are more

likely to find a fly more passion a final or a hover rather than a red

Bull big. Katie Collins has more information.

Motorsport does not get much stranger than this. Lawn mower

racing is more than just a hobby. This is a 12 hour injured in threes.

The challenge to complete as many laps of the course between 8pm and

8am with each theme made up of three drivers who swapped around to give

them a rest. It hearts. The track gets very bumpy and it does hurt.

huge strain on the body but if you make it to the end it is so

rewarding. It is a fantastic thing to do and completely meaningless!

After a hard night's mauling, it was this Lancashire team that won the

event with 406 laps. You never think it will be easy, it is a long race

and takes its toll on you. As far as cutting grass actually goes, the