06/09/2011 South East Today

the UK. Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans. And I'm Rob Smith.

Tonight's top stories. Was she a bogus nurse? A woman who treated

more than 1400 people in kent is arrested on suspicion of fraud.

are taking this really seriously. We are talking about a healthcare

worker. We'll be asking an NHS boss how she could have been taken on in

the first place. New fears for the safety of a Second World Wars ship

packed with high explosives and lying sunk off the Isle of Sheppey.

Also in tonight's programme: As severe weather causes delays to

ferry crossings tonight, police bring in operation stack to deal

with traffic disruption. We're live tonight in Dover with the latest.

Four years on, it's school for the twins who, when born, were the most

premature to survive in the UK. Don't pretend to care. I'm not

expecting Christmas cards. And oh, yes, she is! Eastenders' glamorous

grandmother, Glynis Barber, is to perform panto in Tunbridge Wells.

Good evening. A woman who spent four years working in NHS surgeries

in Kent has been arrested on suspicion of fraud after it emerged

that she may not have been qualified. Among other procedures,

the 46 year-old carried out intimate examinations on women such

as smear tests. Now NHS managers have been forced to write to 1,400

patients in the Medway area, to inform them they may have been

treated by the woman. Colin Campbell reports. Allegedly

masquerading as a fully trained nurse, the unnamed 46 year-old work

for four years in Medway. We are taking this seriously. We have

somebody who was a health care professional working above her

qualification and without and nursing qualification and we take

that seriously. She carried out duties at four surgeries, Brompton,

Gillingham, Whitmore and Chatham, between 2006 and 2010. Chatham

residents expressed their concern. That is quite frightening. Insomuch

as if there was something wrong with here and it was not picked up,

that is your health. It is something that you really have to

be careful of anyway. It is lawful. How do you feel safe? You go to the

doctor to get better and if you're not treated properly, you don't. It

is worrying. The woman under arrest two lives in Brecon in Wales

undertook work which require significant training, including

immunisation and cervical smear tests. We do check the quality of

the spear tests that have been taken and we know that she was able

to effectively take those. So we do have some quality assurance. For

over 1400 patients have received letters today. More than 1000 were

vaccinated by the elected for Ulster and more than 300 were women

given surgical smears by her. Within the letter, health bosses

say there is no reason to believe there has been any harm to anyone

so health and they're not a word of any complaints. Patients who did

not want to appear on camera told me they thought she acted

professionally and appeared skilled. The police are trying to find

exactly how the 46 year-old was able to gain employment at

surgeries you run that way without proper qualifications. Detectives

say the possible misuse of another nurses personal identification

number is an active line of inquiry. All GP practices in Kent and Medway

are being told to check the employment qualifications of

practice nurses. Dr Caroline Jessel is the Assistant Medical Director

of NHS Kent and Medway and joins us live from Chatham. Dr Jessel, how

was an unqualified worker able to pass herself off as a nurse for

four years? Well, this is still the subject of investigation, as you

heard so the precise details we do not know. The know that she did

work as a practice nurse but before that, she worked as a health care

assistant so she had the opportunity to learn the procedures

that a nurse normally carries out. That is why we feel we can be

reassuring to patients who were treated. And no harm has come to

them. How can you be assured that it has that happened elsewhere

within the NHS and possibly with someone more senior? Well, I think

that is a valid concern and one that once we have completed the

full investigation and police have completed their work, the lessons

learnt will be applied across the system. At the moment, the lessons

learnt the to be clarified. Are you putting immediate measures in place

to ensure this cannot happen from now on? They certainly, in Kent and

Medway, are asking every single practice to do an enhanced

registration check on all nurses. Which is the new procedure which

was not available at the time this person came to planet. Thatcher put

everybody's minds at rest that there are no other situations like

this in Kent and Medway. I believe also that across the country, this

has been recommended. Thank you. Coming up. Time to ditch the

morning assembly? Why teachers across the South East say the need

for collective religious worship is over. New fears have been raised

today about the safety of a sunken ship off the Kent which is packed

with more than 1,000 tonnes of high explosives. The SS Richard

Montgomery sank in 1944. The liberty ship has remained on a

sandbank close to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey ever since, but now

a new report suggests there's a growing risk of significant

structural collapse. Simon Jones has more. Beneath the waves. 1400

tons of high explosives. The condition of the wreck has now been

assessed using the latest technology, suggesting the

deterioration of the ship is accelerating. Those who study the

wreck feared that it could be a disaster waiting to happen. Here in

Sheppey they call this the Domesday ship for obvious reasons. A large

tidal wave and a high tide situation which could stretch from

Strood right through to Havisham and across the island.

Coastguard says the highly deteriorating collapse is

inevitable. Once it does not appear to be in any imminent danger, it

means a loss of munitions is becoming a realistic possibility in

the medium term. Their make-up. Than the risks associated with non-

intervention will become richer than those associated with the

carefully planned intervention. don't want to see my whole -- my

host blown up. So I have a vested interest. The last time we heard,

it would be safer to keep this as it is. The US cargo ship in a storm

of Sheppey drifted on to a sandbank, breaking into. A petition has been

started on the Downing Street website calling for action. At the

end of the day it must be moved. For safety. It has been there for

so many years. Leave it for it is, really. The Department for

Transport told us at the Rec out there appears to be predominantly

intact. And what remains stable, they have been advised that the

pest management is regular monitoring. We have brought stuff

up from shipwrecks down over 100 years that were in perfect

condition. With no deterioration at all. Rare footage of an earlier

survey is believed could pose a blow to the airport plans for the

area. The ship is under constant surveillance. A man from Tunbridge

Wells has been charged in connection with the death of a

farmer in East Sussex. Julian Gardner was crushed by two vehicles

at his farm at Robertsbridge last October. 25 year-old Oliver Payne

has been charged with manslaughter, conspiracy to commit burglary and

conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Six others have also been

charged in connection with the case. Severe weather has caused delays on

ferries crossing the channel today. The high winds have also had a

knock-on effect on the M20 with police bringing in operation stack

to deal with the disruption. Our reporter, Ian Palmer, is live in

Dover. How bad are the delays? Delays for the cross-Channel

services are at about 45 minutes, which is remarkable when you think

the wind is between force nine and force 10. Anybody fortunate enough

to get onto a boat is in for a very rough ride. Coupled with the

industrial action in France, there is a problem and Operation Stack is

in place, police said that will remain in place for the rest of the

evening and if you must travel and information, tune into BBC radio.

Thank you. Teachers and parents across the South East say it may be

time to scrap the law requiring schools to hold a daily act of

collective Christian worship. It follows a BBC survey revealing that

two thirds of schools are failing to fulfil the legal requirement for

a daily religious assembly. Juliette Parkin reports. The first

day of a new school year. And pit bulls know the drill. Morning

assembly, five days a week, for the predominantly Christian population.

But staff admit it must be time to look at whether collective worship

is practical and relevant today. Perhaps it is time for people who

know more about this and I do to get together and take some

consensus across schools, communities and religions and see

what happens. The 1944 Education Act required collective worship on

the part of all pupils. It was amended in 1988 to be mainly of a

broadly Christian character. Eight years later, the Act gave

particular status to Jesus. With only around 5% of pupils in the

school actually practising Christianity, the parents think

that the act is still relevant today. It is up to the school. If

they wish to do this. But we do not enforce this at home. It is a nice

thing to be able to get people, children, aware of religion.

Compulsory collective worship in schools has been a tradition for

decades. But some feel that the law even goes as far as infringing

children's human rights. I think it is an abuse of children to actually

require anyone to worship. It is unreasonable for the state to

impose the Sun children. The law says they must take part. And the

sooner the stops, the better. Religion is part of five, whether

you accept a particular faith are not. It is an aspect which children

need to be aware of and to have as part of the natural background of

the education they receive. The Department for Education says that

schools can apply to have the requirement changed if deemed

inappropriate. But the law still stands. However dated some feel it

now seems. That was Juliette Parkin, live in Hove for us. You're outside

a faith school. Presumably they feel very strongly that this law

should be upheld. There are a number of Phi Phi of schools across

the area and collective worship is a key part. In Kent, the head of

one schools is that religious assembly should not be scrapped. An

answering, the diocese says that the law should be upheld. In some

cases it is impractical and even one vicar I spoke to said that

religion should be recognised in schools and all faiths should be

impressed, not just Christianity. So there are clearly grounds for

this to be reviewed. Thank you. We want to know what you here -- think

about this. Here are some of your views. It is unnecessary, we build

mosques and have churches. Go to them. It isn't a good idea. When

students here are atheist. So teaching one religion it will not

be good. As a believing Christian, my view is that young children have

the right to know about their creator, God. I fear that time

forgot is really important and that school we had one minutes silence

at the beginning of every day. That included everyone from all faiths.

But it used to have that. Just to go down the Christian route isn't

particularly productive for children. My personal opinion, he

is why don't we embrace other religions as well? It is an old

fashioned, positive and structured way to start the day. You have also

been commenting on our Facebook site. Kevin Griffin from Medway

says: I think it essential that a balanced curriculum includes

collective worship. We are a Christian country whose laws are

based on Christian values. But Marian McDonald from Folkestone

says: I am very much against religious services in schools and

the teaching of any religion as fact. Religion is a belief. Not a

fact. So what do you think? Should schools continue to hold a daily

act of collective worship? Or is it time to change the law? Email us or

join our Facebook debate and we'll hear your views later in the

programme. Our top story. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of

fraud after it emerged that she'd been working as a nurse while not

qualified. The 46 year-old carried out intimate examinations,

including smear tests. NHS managers in Medway have written to more than

1,400 patients to apologise. Also in tonight's programme. It's school

for the four-year-old twins given only a one in ten chance of

survival when they were born at 23 weeks. Join me later and I will

tell you all about my stint in panto at Tunbridge Wells. As the

population of the UK gets ever older, it's estimated that by 2050

a quarter of us will be over 65. Parliament has been debating

whether there is a need for a minister with special

responsibility for older people. Already more than 16% of the

population are pensioners. Here in the South East the figure is

slightly higher, at over 17%. And since many older people choose to

retire to the coast, some seaside towns have even higher rates. 23%

of the population of Eastbourne are pensioners. In a moment we'll speak

live to MP Tracey Crouch, who called for the Westminster debate.

First, Robin Gibson has been to Eastbourne for tonight's special

report. Hartfield House, a privately run home to 19 residents,

mostly in their 80s and 90s. Go on! Was consider themselves lucky and

happy. They're able to fund their own care but they all have stories

of the problems of growing older. The sort of issues that a Minister

for them might find in their mailbox. They have a grudge against

the hospice! I went to one hospital and they said to me, yes, your eyes

are all right. I will see you in one year. And I fight, one year?

You are hoping that I will pop off and you won't have to bother any

more. The department does not seem to know what the other is doing.

And you have letters from one and the other. And one is contradicting

the other. You get so much correspondence, it isn't true.

People are living longer. The capacity of the care sector is

under pressure so the provision of care would be high on any

ministerial agenda. Whether or another minister with all that

bureaucracy going with at, whether they would really listen to them,

with the funding at the moment and the money situation, whether they

could do anything about some of the issues some older people have?

the charities and groups already speaking up for older people, that

is the point. Money. You must be wary of going down this road that

we do not just simply change the name plate. We need to give that

this tour proper authority and a strong department and a strong

budget. What sort of person do you think would make a good Minister

for older people? Churchill. Churchill! An aim to live up to. --

in the end. The MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch, joins us

live from Westminster. Why do we need another minister? It is

important that as a younger member of the Kent MPs, we address the

challenge that you will face in 40 years. The ageing population. It is

important to address these issues today. As we heard, this Jim

Allister needs to have cloud and money. At the moment, there is no

budget. I tend to agree with Age UK. Any minister must have departmental

responsibility and a rematch. There are many issues that we bring in

three legislation that actually impacts on the older generation and

they're not considered when we go through the legislative process. It

is important Foreign Minister for older people to have that

responsibility. The trouble is we know that budgets are under

pressure and in the short-term, many councils are actually cutting

elderly care budgets now. The point of today's debate was not just to

look at care, although that was an important element, it was also to

look at the services. And Kent County Council along with other

authorities are looking at how we can focus our housing strategy for

older people. Many older people find they do not have much choice

when it comes to where they live when they get older and I think

this is something we should be looking at and it isn't

particularly expensive. Thank you for being with us. When Gracie and

Mikey Swindell were born, they weren't expected to survive.

Delivered just 23 weeks and five days into the pregnancy, the

doctors only gave them a one in 10 chance of making it. It was touch

and go, but after two months in intensive care at Medway Maritime

Hospital, they did make it, becoming the most premature twins

to survive in Britain. And now they've started school. Sara Smith

has been to meet them for our story update. It has been remarkable

journey for Gracey and Nike. From this... To this. To this. When the

mother went into early labour, there was a to be little chance of

them surviving. But they fought for their lives and now, aged four

years and two months, they have started school. I got their uniform,

I had prepared, it was washed and ironed and had their little schools

ready. I had a nightmare getting us because they have such small feet.

I got then dressed and had a few tears looking at them, they looked

so big. They had grown up so much. At this infant school in Chatham,

the twins had been separated for the first time in their lives. The

aim is to give both of them the chance to develop independent

personalities. Having been in the nursery here, it already made an

impression. They have come on so much, their confidence has grown.

And their ability. It is amazing. Such an early Perth has brought

difficulties. Might he is a fairly hard of hearing and both he and his

sister are less developed than they should be. But they are much

healthier than many youngsters born much closer to full term and for

their mother, it is hard to believe they have come so far. It brings a

tear to my eye, seeing them in their uniforms. And to walk into

school with their friends and they get all excited. It is lovely. And

I never thought this day would come and it is a true miracle that

they're here and at school. Medical, says their mum, is down to

staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital who cared for them when

they were poor. Work is a blue hat? Now, a new chapter in their

incredible alliance has started. -- lives. Just amazing. They have done

so well. She's starred in classic TV series Blake's Seven and Dempsey

and Makepeace. More recently, Glynis Barber could be seen in

Albert Square, playing the mother of feisty sisters Ronnie and Roxy

Mitchell. Her latest role's rather Mitchell. Her latest role's rather

different though - on stage in Tunbridge Wells as the wicked fairy

in Sleeping Beauty, this year's I have plenty of happy memories.

She has recently bid for well to her doctors in EastEnders as a

humiliated Glenda Mitchell. I loved working with the girls. Sam and

Rita. I had great fun. Leaving a ready? Got my money? When you first

walk into the Queen Vic and Barbara Windsor is behind the bar, it is

like, wow! In the 1970s, Glynis Barber Richard debut in Blake's

Seven. No self-respecting idealist would be found dead here. We used

to rehearse all week in a sort of class from. We used to giggle. We

would sit in our pretence bishop. The director once said, if you

don't stop giggling, I will separate you! Her big break came

when she landed a role in Dempsey and Makepeace alongside Michael

Brandon, who she later married. Don't ever do that again. All these

years later, people still talk about this. It is so amazing.

Glynis Barber was in her 20s when she starred in this series,

something she says has not been forgotten. Why don't you have a

zimmerframe? Because it was so unbelievably young when I started

this! With the door left open on Albert Square, she is about to

tread the boards in pantomime. I said to my agent, what would I

play? She said, darling, after EastEnders, you will forever be the

wicked Queen! Here I am. This is a new experience for me. I have to

sing on stage, which will be interesting, and I have to fly. I

look forward to that! She begins rehearsals in the next few weeks

and hopefully will sprinkle some magic at the Assembly Rooms in

December. It has been a miserable To this evening the rain will clear

and the wind will ease and the good news is tomorrow is a much drier

and brighter day. A bright start to the day with some winter round and

nothing like the gale-force wind today. This was the picture,

moderate put persistent rain spreading eastwards. We can see

these tightly spaced isobars indicating gale-force wind. In

Dover, south westerlies picking up to around 40 mph. Not as severe in

land but in Tunbridge Wells, picking up to around 25 mph. And

temperatures depressed. 17 and 18 degrees and not feeling that with

the wind. The rain clears the way into this evening. Towards the end

of the night, clear skies, increasingly try. To put us getting

down to around 11 degrees. Tomorrow, a lovely bright start with more

cloud around into the afternoon and south-westerly wind. Around 25 mph.

Similar temperatures, between 17 and 18 degrees. And it will feel

significantly more pleasant. Tomorrow night, more cloud towards

the end of the night and patchy rain and drizzle. Temperatures

reflecting that, 13 - 16 degrees and a wet, unsettled picture for

Thursday. Temperatures struggling. And towards the weekend, dry but

cloudy for Friday but the blustery showers return on Saturday.

Temperatures, around 21 degrees. you remember summer?! Let's get

back to the top story. Teachers and parents say it might be time to

scrap the law requiring schools to hold a daily act of collective

We asked for your views. Lots of people have e-mailed as and the

opinion is split. David says it is time to end religious assembly,

education should be secular and children should be taught about

religion, it should not be indoctrinated. Robert says he was

at primary school 23 years ago and they had to the school assembly and

every Friday they went to church. He felt that was useful to decide

that he did not believe in religion and without that primary school

assembly, he would not have been able to make that decision. Barry

says be given it got a society which is going down the pan and

school teaches was not just about got what it taught us that a good

society is built on this. Children need to get poor standards.