08/02/2018 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at ten, another tough month

for NHS England, as accident and

emergency departments struggle to

cope with rising demand.

The winter pressure on services,

continued into January,

which turned out to be

one of the worst months

since records began.

Many people suffered long waits on

trolleys, before being admitted to

wards, as nurses expressed their

frustration.

There is a breaking point -

we wonder how long our hard work

and goodwill and our enthusiasm

and care and professional attitude,

how that can be sustained over

a long period of time.

We'll take a closer look

at the figures, and at the problems

caused by inadequate social care.

Also tonight...

Two British extremists,

believed to have been executioners

for the Islamic State group,

have reportedly been captured.

The Bank of England says interest

rates will rise sooner and further

than previously thought to combat

the threat of inflation.

Japan's ambassador visiting

Downing Street, warns that firms

won't be able to operate in the UK,

if they don't have free access

to European markets.

The stark evidence

of plastic pollution -

this time in the Arctic Sea.

We report on the latest findings.

I've collected this waste

in just a few seconds.

Some of the fragments

may come from Norway -

some clearly don't, like this

elaborate bottle for instance,

or this butter tub from Spain.

And, why the latest superhero film

is seen as not just an adventure,

but a major cultural statement.

Coming up in a Sportsday later in

the hour on BBC News, a blow for the

British team on the eve of the

Winter Olympics. Snowboarder Katie

Ormerod is out after breaking her

heel.

Good evening.

The latest performance

figures for accident

and emergency units in England

indicate that the pressure

on the NHS has continued

into January, which turned out to be

one of the worst months

since records began.

Many people suffered

long waits on trolleys,

before being admitted to wards -

1,000 patients waited

longer than 12 hours.

The four hour waiting target was

missed for the 30th month in a row,

but over 85% of patients seen

within that time, slightly

better than December.

The official target is 95%.

Our health editor Hugh

Pym has the latest.

The NHS flat out with staff working

at a frantic pace just to keep

services running.

The system under severe

strain and

patients are feeling it.

This mobile team is trying to help

reduce

pressure on local hospitals.

OK, next, we will go right

on to Cambridge Heath Road...

Here, a senior A&E

consultant is out on the road

with a paramedic,

literally taking hospital standard

care to patients at home.

So they don't need

to go to hospital.

It's a partnership between

London Air Ambulance, London

Ambulance Service, and Barts Health.

They see an elderly man

with dementia who has been

in and out of hospital.

And ensure that he's safe to be left

at home with his carer.

We carry with us a laptop,

giving us direct access

to the same hospital system...

Job!

That we have...

Yes, we've got another job.

Every day they see the intense

pressures on the NHS.

There's a lot of frustration.

What we want is at the end of

the day, we want to be able to say

that we have done the best for our

patients.

And when the system makes that

difficult that can be very

frustrating.

Working in an overly congested

system sometimes leaves us

feeling that we simply

cannot deliver the best

possible care for our patients.

Congestion was certainly

clear in major hospitals

from early in January

with overcrowding and trolleys in

corridors and ambulances queueing

outside hospitals waiting to hand

over their patients.

This nurse in Leeds says

even though thousands of

routine operations

were postponed to help

the system the pressure

is

intolerable.

I don't know whether it's

sustainable at the moment.

It's how long we

can maintain this professionalism

and keenness and caring attitude.

It

won't go but it is wondering...

People will crack.

Some take the view that this

winter's problems in hospitals

are down to years of underfunding

and not enough capacity to meet

demand.

Over the last seven or eight years

we've cut the number of

acute beds in our hospitals which is

now unfortunately chickens coming

home to roost and we need to redress

that balance as a matter of urgency.

Nice and smooth, actually,

someone's looking after you well.

Keeping people out of

hospital is the aim of

this scheme.

Eliza is in a residential home.

Her carers were concerned

about her condition.

The team had enough

time to carry out a

range of checks to allow her

to stay where she is.

In the three and a half months

since it was relaunched

as the seven day a week service more

than 300 patients have been treated

at home who otherwise would have

needed ambulances to take them to

A&E.

Some of them would otherwise have

been admitted to hospital, so

beds have been freed up for others.

It's just one local

answer to the problem.

The government says more money

was invested in the budget but

the strain in the NHS this winter

suggests there's no sign of any

respite.

Hugh Pym, BBC News.

One of the complicating

factors for the NHS,

is that too many patients stay

in hospital, because suitable

social care is not available.

Experts say a lack of government

planning and funding

is undermining social care,

at a time when demand is increasing.

And low levels of pay mean that

adult care services in England can

no longer fill key posts,

as our social affairs correspondent

Alison Holt reports.

It is a busy lunchtime at Northfield

nursing home in Sheffield,

demanding work for the care staff...

Who are looking after residents

who may have dementia,

problems walking or a range

of chronic health conditions.

Joyce, good afternoon, only me,

sorry to bother you.

Today's National Audit Office report

outlines just how difficult

it is to find people to do this

vital work, but for residents

like 97-year-old Joyce,

the staff make all the difference.

It is absolutely essential, if,

you know, I see the same face coming

in in the morning and thinking,

it is a friend.

The nursing lead here, Tammy Ardron,

says that recruiting staff

is a real issue for them.

It is not as attractive as the NHS,

where you have your salary

packages, enhanced rates

of pay, unsociable hours...

And I think that it is hard work,

it is busy and constant,

you have to be on the ball 24

hours a day.

Residential and nursing homes

are dealing with an increasing

number of people with really complex

needs and they need the skilled

staff to deliver that care.

And that is why this report says

the government must have a strategy

for a sector struggling with low pay

and low prestige.

There was a staff turnover

in 2016/17 of nearly 28%,

councils spent 5.3% less than five

years before, despite

increasing demand.

The report is clear that councils

struggling with government cuts

are not covering the real costs

of care, according to the boss

of this home, some providers have

had no choice but to close or risk

the quality of what they are doing.

The only way that these

operators can continue,

is to cut the standard,

because fundamentally,

the funding issue is impacting

on the resources, the workers,

and the delivery of care.

A survey of local authorities

in England published today says that

nearly all planned to put up council

tax to try to cope with

growing demands for adult

and children's social care.

80% still fear for their

financial stability.

The government insists

it is addressing these pressures.

That is why they are getting more

resources, real terms

increase over two years,

social care in particular,

adult social care in the budget,

over £2 billion allocated yesterday

in Parliament I announced

an additional £150 million.

This may relieve short-term

pressures but in the long term

I accept that we need to change

the approach to social care.

The Department for health and social

care says it will publish a strategy

for the health and care work

shortly.

Two British men,

believed to have been

acting as executioners

for the Islamic State group

have been captured by

Syrian Kurdish fighters.

They are Alexanda Kotey

and El Shafee Elsheikh.

It is understood.

It is understood.

Along with Mohammed Emwazi,

the killer nicknamed Jihadi John,

and Aine Davis, the four

were nicknamed the "Beatles",

and were linked to a wave of hostage

murders in Iraq and Syria.

Our security correspondent

Gordon Corera is here.

What have you learned? No official

confirmation from the British side

but in the last few hours and

American national security official

confirmed to me the capture of these

men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee

Elsheikh. They were part of this

notorious group involved in the

killing of its thought around two

dozen hostages including British aid

workers David Haines and Alan

Henning. They got that unfortunate

name, the Beatles. Because some of

the hostages, you can see them

because of their masks, you could

hear their British accents, and of

the four hostage-takers, Mohammed

Emwazi was killed in a drone strike,

he was dubbed Jihadi John. Aine

Davis in prison in Turkey. Alexanda

Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh were

picked up by Kurdish forces in

Syria, they had suspicions about the

men, so approached US special

operations who had access to them.

They used biometrics to confirm

their identities. The families of

the men didn't know about this

capture and only learned about it

when the BBC approached them this

evening. It's not clear what

happened to the next, possible they

could be sent to the US to stand

trial. They were involved in the

killing of some American hostages as

well. It's even possible they could

be send to Guantanamo Bay as Donald

Trump has talked about in the past.

It may not be an issue for the UK

Government formally, as it is

thought they may have had their UK

citizenship stripped using powers

the government now has.

Thanks very

much, Gordon Corera with the latest.

The Bank of England says interest

rates are likely to rise

sooner than expected,

because of strong global growth

driving up inflation.

The bank's latest report included

improved forecasts for growth

over the next three years.

Today, interest rates were left on

hold at a half of 1%, but the

governor Mark Carney said action

would soon be needed to restrain

inflation, as our economics editor

Kamal Ahmed reports.

Stitching together a better

story on the economy.

Orders for this firm

in Manchester are booming,

and it's a story repeated around

the country, leading to a positive

assessment from the Bank of England.

The last 12 months we've

grown by 20% in the UK.

Europe has been much stronger

than that and so we have more

than doubled what the growth rate

has been in the UK.

I'm cautiously optimistic

about the future, we are making

major investments over

the next 12 months.

For the governor, there's a simple

reason for the better news.

90% of the world economy is now

growing above trend,

and the global expansion

is increasingly being

driven by investment.

UK net trade is benefiting from this

robust global demand, and the past

depreciation of sterling.

The economy is heating up,

and the threat of interest

rate rises to control

inflation has increased.

Governor, this is a warning

on interest rates,

that they are likely to come

earlier, and then to rise

more rapidly than you

originally expected?

It will be necessary,

likely to be necessary,

to raise interest rates,

to a limited degree,

in a gradual process...

The Bank of England

has upgraded growth -

this year it is expected to rise

from 1.5% to 1.7%.

Next year, better news, as well -

growth up from 1.7%, to 1.8%.

But prices will continue to rise,

inflation is now expected to be

at 2.9% by the end of the year.

Before falling back

next year to 2.3%.

With wages increasing,

might that income squeeze

be coming to an end?

Bank of England expects that

wages will accelerate,

and the reasons for this are,

they see the unemployment

rate falling further,

strong demand for labour,

and fewer people entering

the labour force.

And together that

means higher wages.

It will not necessarily feed

into stronger consumption.

Households are squeezed

by still high inflation.

Certainly better news today

on the economy today from the Bank

of England but that news laced

with a very significant

signal on interest rates.

If you have a mortgage,

if you borrow money,

be ready for higher bills.

And if you're a saver, at last,

get ready for better returns.

The Bank did warn again

about Brexit risk.

But for Britain, an exporting

nation, the good news from the rest

of the world is keeping the economy

buoyant. Kamal Ahmed, BBC News.

The Japanese ambassador to Britain

has warned that no company would be

able to continue to operate here,

if the UK failed to secure

free access to European

markets, after Brexit.

The ambassador was speaking

in Downing Street,

where Theresa May met the bosses

of 20 Japanese firms,

including Honda.

Our business editor

Simon Jack has more details.

For decades, Japan has been

investing in the UK.

Car companies like Nissan

were encouraged by Margaret Thatcher

to come and build in Britain.

It revived the British car

industry and made the UK

an exporting machine.

The eventual plan is to export cars

to Europe, bypassing the import

controls and acting as a springboard

into this market.

It worked.

Japanese firms now make half

the cars made in the UK,

and most of them are exported

to the EU.

Executives from many industries

filed into number ten today to find

out how much that will change

when we leave the EU.

The Prime Minister conceded

there were challenges.

As we look ahead, of course,

I recognise that the UK's

forthcoming exit from

the European Union is

no small undertaking.

But importantly it does present

the opportunity to strike free trade

deals around the world and build

on our direct...

Already very strong relationship

that we have with Japan.

It is already strong.

There are in fact 1000 Japanese

companies with operations in the UK.

Together they invested

£46 billion during 2016

in manufacturing, finance technology

and pharmaceuticals,

which supported 140,000 jobs.

For regions like the north-east,

Japanese companies are

the biggest employer by far.

The Japanese government was one

of the first to express its concern

on the impact on business of Brexit.

It sent this 15 page

document in September 2016

outlining the things it

would like to see preserved.

For example, maintain

current customs procedures,

maintain the single passport

so Japanese banks can sell

from the UK into Europe.

And also it wanted to keep

regulation and standards harmonised

between the UK and EU.

Now none of those things

are currently on the table,

and that is why the Japanese

government and its ambassador

had these concerns.

His message was clear.

If profits fall, so does investment.

If there is no profitability

of continuing operation in UK,

not Japanese only, no private

company can continue operation.

So it's as simple as that.

This is all high stakes that I think

all of us need to keep in mind.

Japanese businesses are in no

hurry to leave the UK.

Like everyone else,

they'd like some answers.

Soon.

Simon Jack, BBC News.

Our chief political correspondent

Vicky Young joins me now.

We see pressure from the Japanese

and the government is trying to set

out its strategy is Matt yes, we

have seen Cabinet ministers locked

away trying to thrash out what the

longer term relationship will be

with European Union.

And then we get

this morning, a reminder in the

starkest possible

starkest possible call terms. This

is ultimately about investment in

this country and people's jobs. They

have not given much away about what

they have been discussing behind

closed doors. Theresa May said to

the Cabinet committee that the

government had to be ambitious about

the deal it was seeking and she said

the starting point was to aim for

something that had not been done

before, Tizita Bogale. But before

they get to the longer term

relationship, there is the small

matter of the implement nation

period, the transition period where

businesses will have maybe two years

to get used to what is coming next.

There will be more talks from

Brussels on that tomorrow. Head of

that, the rhetoric will be ramped

up. It says it a mechanism whereby

we punish Britain if it breaks the

rules in that time. We have had a

response from David Davis in not

exactly diplomatic language, where

he said it was not in good faith to

publish a document with frankly

discourteous language. Tough talk on

both sides but we know they will

have to at some point find a

compromise.

Thank you.

On the eve of the opening ceremony

of the Winter Olympics

in South Korea, North Korea has

staged a huge military parade

in the capital Pyongyang.

It featured the intercontinental

ballistic missiles which,

according to the the regime,

could reach the United States.

But as our correspondent

Laura Bicker reports,

America has once again threatened

new sanctions, unless North Korea

abandons its nuclear ambitions.

"All hail to the general!"

They shout in numbers.

Tens of thousands of loyal soldiers

display their adulation and they're

rewarded with rare words

from their leader.

TRANSLATION:

At a time like this,

when the US and its followers

are making such a fuss around

the Korean peninsula,

our military should remain on high

alert and step up preparations

for a fight.

Peeking from behind a pillar

is Kim Jong-un's influential sister.

She will be the first ever member

of the Kim dynasty to travel south

and will represent the regime

at the Winter Olympics.

On display were missiles that

Kim Jong-un claims can reach the US.

It's bound to heighten tensions

on the eve of a Winter games that

South Korea had hoped would be known

as the peace Olympics.

Just a few hundred miles away

in Seoul, the US vice president

is meeting the South Korean leader

with a message of his own.

The US wants President Moon to keep

up the pressure on the north and has

announced an increase in sanctions.

Earlier, as he addressed troops in

Japan, he warned Pyongyang that US

warships and squadrons stand ready.

Let the world know we

will defeat any attack.

And meet any use of conventional

or nuclear weapons with

a response that is rapid,

overwhelming and effective.

This small village 50 miles

from the North Korean border

will stage the latest chapter

of a tense 70-year-old drama.

As the athletes parade

into the stadium, all eyes

will be on the politicians

in the grandstand.

The sporting events

have yet to start.

But the propaganda games

are well underway.

North Korea's charm offensive has

arrived in the form of what is known

here as an army of beauties.

Chosen for their looks, intelligence

and loyalty to the regime,

they are the pin-ups of Pyongyang.

This is a former member,

and was part of an elite

group which performed

for Kim Jong-un's father.

TRANSLATION:

We were supposed to

promote the North Korean ideology.

We were not only to cheer,

but we were to go into combat

at the heart of our enemy,

and show off our pride

and the greatness of our country.

In the battle for public

opinion in South Korea,

this display is far more powerful

than any missile.

It has raised hopes, whatever

the North's future intentions,

the Olympics have provided a unique

opportunity and they found it too

tempting to turn down.

Scientists have expressed deep

concern about the amount

of plastic waste that is building up

in Arctic Sea.

They've found it in higher

concentrations than anywhere else

in the world's oceans,

and it's affecting fish,

sea birds and even polar bears.

The Norwegian environment minister

said the magnitude of the problem

should be a call to action.

Our environment analyst

Roger Harrabin reports from Tromso

in the Norwegian Arctic.

Plastic pollution has reached

the furthest corners of the planet.

Arctic Sea ice is created

when sea freezes.

It looks pristine but it

definitely is not.

In fact, ice cores show sea ice

contains more fragments of plastic

per square metre than anywhere else

in the open ocean, it's because sea

ice freezes from the top and that's

exactly where the plastic

bits are floating.

One litre of melted sea ice

contained 234 plastic

fragments like these.

It's a serious problem

and you have a situation

in the world now that there

is nowhere that is so far

away that it is not

affected by plastic waste.

In the Norwegian Arctic,

this local conservationist is trying

forlornly to clear it up.

Here's what the plastic does.

This reindeer's antlers were trapped

by a discarded fishing net.

It died.

This Arctic tern met

its death by starvation.

This polar bear was tangled

in another fishing net.

We try to sell this as Arctic

and pristine and untouched.

And it looks that way on pictures,

but once you get here and you start

to walk along the coastline,

you get a completely other picture.

The plastic is here

with a vengeance.

I've collected this waste

in just a few seconds.

Some of the fragments

may come from Norway,

some clearly don't -

like this elaborate bottle

for instance, or this

butter tub from Spain.

Norway can try as hard as it likes

to clean up the Arctic,

but unless all nations cooperate,

it can't succeed.

Scientists blame fishing for most

of the plastic pollution here.

The crews say they have

stopped dumping nets.

We have, for years, for decades,

been collecting all the garbage

that we produce on-board.

In big waste bags, big

bags, compressing it,

taking it out to shore.

So where this comes

from today, I'm not sure of.

The fishermen say they've

stopped dumping lengths

of rope into the ocean.

But look at that.

It's clearly been deliberately cut.

So has that.

Arctic scientists don't know yet

whether the plastic tide

will affect local fish stocks,

but it is another human threat

to a fragile environment

already being transformed

by man-made climate change.

Roger Harrabin, BBC News,

in the Norwegian Arctic.

An inquest has found that a man

with a learning disability

died from complications caused

by constipation, because

opportunities to give him

life-saving treatment were missed.

Richard Handley, who was 33

and had Down's Syndrome,

died in Ipswich hospital in 2012.

Our correspondent

Michael Buchanan reports.

Richard Handley had a lifelong

but wholly manageable

problem with constipation.

He also had Down's syndrome

and learning disabilities,

and that, say his family,

is why this bubbly,

humorous man is dead.

I think Richard was treated

differently because he had

a learning disability.

I think, you know, as his sister,

and as someone who doesn't

have a learning disability,

if I died very suddenly

at the age of 33, I think

the reaction would be different.

Today, a coroner in Ipswich

found multiple failures

in Richard's treatment.

When his residential care home

in Lowestoft became a supported

living complex in 2010,

giving Richard more independence,

his care deteriorated.

Gone was the healthy diet.

He was allowed to eat what he liked.

The monitoring of his bowel

movements was reduced.

Without this chain of events,

say the coroner, Richard's death

would not have occurred.

I think the main thing

was the bowel monitoring,

I don't see how anybody

could justify getting rid of that

for somebody who's got

a chronic bowel problem.

Large quantities of faeces built up

in Richard's bowels.

His stomach was described

as being as large as that

of a full-term pregnancy woman.

In November 2012, with his health

deteriorating, Richard was taken

to Ipswich Hospital,

where they removed more than a stone

and a half of faecal material.

Right to the very end,

the evening things start to go

bad, until that point,

nobody thought his

life was in danger.

But the blockage wasn't

properly cleared.

Bowel waste got into Richard's

lungs, and he choked

on his own vomit.

Today, the hospital apologised

for what the coroner

described as a gross failure

to provide proper care.

It's a waste of a life, isn't it.

Absolutely.

I don't understand how the sudden

unexpected untimely death

of a 33-year-old didn't raise

serious alarm bells.

The coroner's conclusion reinforces

what his family have always known.

Richard Handley should

still be alive.

Michael Buchanan, BBC News, Ipswich.

Members of Parliament

could lose their seats

or be expelled, under new plans

to tackle bullying and sexual

harassment at Westminster.

A new code of conduct is to be set

up, for all those working

at the Palace of Westminster,

along with an independent

complaints procedure.

This report by our political

correspondent Alex Forsyth includes

some flash photography.

In the bars and backrooms

of Westminster, claims of bullying,

intimidation, sexual harassment,

allegations that

prompted investigations

and some resignations.

And reflection on how to change

a culture that allowed abuse.

The Leader of the House,

Lord President of the Council.

Today, MPs from all parties

unveiled their plans.

It is a right, not a privilege,

to be treated with dignity

and respect at work,

and this ambitious report is a major

step towards a safer and more

professional environment.

Part of the problem had been those

working here are often

employed directly by MPs,

with only political

parties to complain to.

So this report proposes a new code

of behaviour for everyone working

in Parliament and a new complaints

and investigation system,

independent of political parties.

And there will be sanctions

for inappropriate behaviour,

anything from an apology

to a possible suspension.

In the worst cases, MPs could face

a public vote to keep seats,

not under new rules

but using existing ones.

There are some questions

about the fact complaints will be

kept anonymous but broadly,

the report has been welcomed,

beyond the detail, some are worried

this alone will not bring

about the change in culture

that is really needed.

Damian Green was one of those

accused of inappropriate behaviour

which he has always denied.

His accuser says that today's

report is a welcome step

but a bigger shift is needed.

You cannot make people take things

seriously unless there

is a serious culture change.

That concerns me in parliament.

There is still a lot of MPs

who don't understand why behaviour

they have been getting away

with for 20 years, people

are suddenly noticing

and complaining about,

that is the problem.

The focus on this shadowy

issue might have started

the process of change,

but most recognise there

is still a long way to go.

The latest superhero film

from Marvel had its European

premiere tonight in London,

but what makes it different

is its predominantly all-black

cast, playing the heroes.

The film's become a sensation

on social media, with many

fans using the hashtag

"What Black Panther Means to Me",

to highlight its significance

for black audiences.

Our entertainment correspondent

Lizo Mzimba has the story.

A free cinema trip would have been

welcome enough for these

American schoolchildren -

their sheer joy is because

the movie is Black Panther.

Such is the film's significance,

people around the world are crowd

sourcing money so that children

who might otherwise not get

the chance, can get to watch

it on the big screen.

People like actress Jade Anouka

from Peckham in London -

she has so far raised around £4,000

for a screening at her local cinema.

I think it's just a film

you don't really see,

you don't see black superheroes

in big blockbusters.

The positive representation is good

for people growing up in this area

but I think all over the world.

We're home.

Black Panther is being seen

as a cultural milestone.

A predominantly black cast leading

a big budget blockbuster.

You get to decide.

And a film that also puts strong

women right at its heart.

Black Panther is a moment

and hopefully it's one that...

It will obviously exist for longer

than this particular moment.

We want this momentum to keep going.

I don't think it's Black Panther's

responsibility to change the world.

The change will come from the people

who see it and choose to make

a difference in their own lives.

For many, it's the kind of film

they've been waiting decades

for Hollywood to make.

How important was it for you making

sure this was primarily

a piece of entertainment,

even with this huge amount of social

responsibility that was inevitably

going to come into the equation?

I mean, that's what it is.

It's not a political lecture,

you know what I mean?

It's a movie.

It's got to work as that.

And that is a movie already

generating huge amounts

of excitement for a new generation,

who have rarely seen themselves

reflected in a film like this

up on the big screen.

Lizo Mzimba, BBC News.

Here on BBC One it's time

for the news where you are.