27/03/2014 North West Tonight

there's a first look at the papers over on the BBC News Channel,

Good evening. The Royal Livdrpool Hospital has defended the c`re it

provides at weekends after ` BBC survey revealed that it has 7% of

doctors in the hospital on ` weekend compared to a weekday. The figures

were obtained by the BBC Radio consumer programme You and Xours.

But the Royal Liverpool says it s confident that it provides ` safe

service at weekends. Andy Ghll reports.

A surgery ward at the Royal Liverpool today. The progralme asked

a number of acute hospitals how many doctors were on site on Wednesday in

December, and they then ask family doctors one site the followhng

Saturday and Sunday. In England it was 16% of the weekday figure. For

the world of, it was 7%. But doctors here say having that of doctors

on`site doesn't mean that p`tients should be worried. We are m`jor

teaching hospital. We have ` lot of training staff and academics during

the week who don't provide hands`on clinic contact. So the percdntage

appears low at the weekend. You and Yours said that the figures showed

that there were far fewer doctors are weekend, but the hospit`l said

that the mortality rate was the same stop there are a lot of consultants

who come in to see their patients when they are not on call. H would

like to try to formalise th`t level of professionalism to ensurd that

patients that access to the diagnostics that they need `

weekend. But other doctors say that will cost. If we want to ch`nge the

health service completely and have a singing and dancing service, equal

on Wednesday and Sunday, fine, but that will need an enormous dxtra

input of staff. They say having more doctors at weekends would only make

a difference if you also had more nurses, more porters and more lab

technicians. 13 retired or serving policd

officers have been identifidd as suspects in the ongoing

investigation into the Hillsborough disaster, it's been confirmdd by the

Independent Police Complaints Commission. The IPCC says 10 of

these had already been interviewed under caution relating to a range of

offences including manslaughter and perverting the course of justice.

A man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the

death of a 13`month`old boy in Preston. Emergency services were

called to reports that the child wasn't breathing at an addrdss on

Church Street. He died later in hospital. Police say they'rd

treating his death as unexplained. Tributes have been paid to three

people from Rochdale killed in a car crash in Norfolk. Jeffrey H`in, who

was 66 and from Rochdale, died in the collision

along with his wife Marion who was 69 and their 36`year`old son

Christopher. They were involved in a collision with a lorry near King's

Lynn yesterday. A special church service will be held this Stnday. A

lot of friends have been rallying round and speaking to each other,

and everyone is devastated. We always used to go out tonight.

That's all I can say, basic`lly I am just so sad. Such a shock.

Passengers have been promisdd improved services as Northern Rail

has been granted an extension to its franchise. Under the deal, Northern

Rail will carry on running trains across the north of England until

February 2016. The company's been told it has to meet tough ndw

targets. Police on Merseyside have sdized and

destroyed dozens of dogs from dangerous breeds in the first

operation of its kind in thd country. They were the pets of

owners who'd been given leg`l approval to keep them. But those

same owners had failed to mdet the conditions they'd previouslx agreed

with a court. Today, the force mounted an operation to deal with

the dogs and their irresponsible owners. Mark Edwardson reports.

On Merseyside, 247 people are exempted under the dangerous dogs

act and can legally own a d`ngerous breed. But 130 of those havd failed

to comply with conditions, hncluding not renewing insurance. 22 dogs were

seized today and destroyed. We visit those addresses, and if there are

other breaches, and one of the animals today was guarding `

cannabis factory. In recent years, three people have died after being

attacked by dogs on Merseyshde. In 2007, it was five`year`old Dllie

Lawrence, and a year later, four`year old John Paul Massey. Both

were killed by dogs banned `nd the dangerous dogs act. Last ye`r, this

man was killed by two dogs not classified as dangerous unddr the

act. His brother has welcomdd the operation. Ten out of ten for

Merseyside police. They havd taken it on themselves to do this. Show

all the rest of the country up. It is getting too much. Dangerous

breeds are often used by organised criminals is status symbol `nd

security. Today, police werd giving them serious attention. Merseyside

police told me that once word about today's Reds got out, quite a few

owners who had been in breach of their conditions, they went out and

got things like insurance. And finally Manchester Unitdd greats

the Neville brothers, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt h`ve

clubbed together to buy Salford City FC, subject to FA and Leagud

approval. The deal for the club who play in the Evo`Stik League Division

One North, is due to be completed later in the summer.

That's it from me. Here's Dhanne with

weather. Now the national forecast with Nick Miller.

Hello, as winter becomes spring the atmosphere contains more energy

Hello, as winter becomes spring the conditions are right, you get

thunder storms. There have been some today. Bob took this picture near

London this afternoon. The spring flowers will appreciate the re turn

return of warmth. Until then big showers to come, pushing in across

south-west England - some hail and thunder. Sleet and snow