06/01/2018 BBC Weekend News

An NHS Trust blames pressures

on the service after an elderly

woman dies in her home while waiting

for an ambulance.

Paramedics dealing with thousands

of 999 calls took almost four hours

to reach the pensioner.

I'm furious, it shouldn't happen.

We need an inquiry, we need

to get to the bottom of it

and find out what happened,

and make sure it never

happens to anybody again.

Donald Trump dismisses doubts

over his mental stability and says

an extraordinary new book

about his presidency

is a work of fiction.

The department store House of Fraser

seeks to cut its costs

in another sign of pressures

on the high street.

And Mark Hughes is sacked

as Stoke City manager,

after they're knocked out of the FA

Cup by League Two Coventry.

Good evening.

An Ambulance Service has apologised

to the family of a pensioner

who died after waiting nearly four

hours for help to arrive.

The 81-year-old woman had rung 999

complaining of chest pain.

The East of England service said

it was stretched, and had warned

of the pressures its staff

and the NHS were facing.

Our correspondent Sarah Campbell

reports from Clacton in Essex.

We don't know the name

of the woman who died,

but we do know some of the details

of her tragic death.

She rang 999 on Tuesday evening

and waited and waited.

After around an hour and a half,

the Ambulance Service did ring her,

but it wasn't for a further two

hours before a crew finally arrived.

They had to break into her house,

they found her unconscious,

not breathing, and she couldn't be

saved.

The paramedics who found her

are said be devastated.

SIRENS.

The period over New Year was,

according to the local

Ambulance Service in Essex,

the busiest ever.

On the day in question they received

more than 4,000 999 calls,

far more than usual.

A statement in response to the death

of the 81-year-old woman said:

The local MP is demanding answers.

I'm furious, it shouldn't happen. We

need an enquiry and ensure it never

happens to anyone again.

And as the

government doing enough?

We'll find

out when we have the enquiry.

This is the second death in recent

days which has been linked

to an overstretched service.

88-year-old Josephine Smalley died

following a seven-hour wait

for a bed at the Queen Alexandra

Hospital in Portsmouth.

In recent days, the Health Secretary

and Prime Minister have both

apologised to patients

after thousands of non-urgent

operations were cancelled.

The Health Service says

a combination of winter flu and cold

weather are adding to pressure

on the service.

The union representing health

workers also blamed wider pressures

on the Health Service.

I think there is

chronic underfunding.

It's endemic, it tells us

that the public sector is under

so much strain that it is now

beginning to kill people.

Theresa May has said that extra

funding has been made available

to the NHS and insisted it is better

prepared for winter

than ever before.

In relation to this particular death

in Clacton, the Department of Health

issued a statement today saying

"it is completely unacceptable

when care falls below the high

standards we expect.

It's right the Service

is investigating how things went

so wrong in this tragic case".

Sarah Campbell there.

Donald Trump has dismissed

claims made in a new book

that he is mentally

unfit for office.

He's told a news conference

that his success in business,

television and politics is proof

of his capabilities.

And he's dismissed the book's

author, Michael Wolff,

who was given long-term access

to the White House, as a fraud.

From Washington, David Willis.

Boarding a flight to Camp David

for meetings with senior Republican

leaders, the image that Donald Trump

was seeking to project was one of

order, professionalism and control.

Instead he finds himself battling

claims contained in a book, claims

which question his mental fitness.

The Commander in chief took to

social media to asset...

Later, he took aim at the book's

author Michael Wolff.

I consider it

a work of fiction. I think it's a

disgrace someone is able to have

something, do something like that.

The libel laws are very weak in this

country. If they were strong it

would be very helpful. You wouldn't

have things like that happen where

you can say whatever comes into your

head. I never interviewed with him

in the White House, he was never in

the Oval Office. We didn't have an

interview.

Possibly the most

damaging claim is that the president

lacks curiosity, doesn't read,

doesn't listen, is like a child.

They all came to the conclusion

gradually at first and then faster

and faster, that something was

unbelievably amiss. That this was

more peculiar than they ever

imagined it could be.

The book

portrays the White House in a

constant state of chaos, reeling

under the influence of a petulant,

easily distracted commander in

chief. A leading member of the

administration is taking issue with

that.

Never questioned his mental

fitness. I had no reason to. We have

different management styles. How I

make decisions, process information,

I have to learn how he takes

information in and processes it and

makes decisions.

Having successfully

passed legislation just before

Christmas reforming America's

taxation system, senior Republicans

were probably hoping a new year

would mark a new start. Instead of

moving forward on such key issues as

immigration reform, the focus now is

completely on the president, his

personality and whether he is

mentally fit to hold office. David

Willis, BBC News, the White House.

Opponents of President Assad

in Syria have accused his regime,

with the help of Russia,

of launching a series of air attacks

on a suburb of the capital.

They say at least 17

people were killed today.

Most of the dead were in

Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

Raids on the rebel held area have

continued for several days The UN

The UN has condemned the impact

of the fighting on civilians.

Online casino operators are failing

to prevent money laundering

and protect problem gamblers,

according to the

Gambling Commission.

It has set out "significant

concerns" in a letter

to all UK operators.

The Commission said many of them

were failing to spot

signs of financial crime

and compulsive gambling.

The department store House of Fraser

has confirmed it's asking landlords

to reduce the rent it pays for some

of its shops.

The group is set to release

Christmas retail figures next week,

with some analysts suggesting

its takings over the Christmas

period were disappointing.

Joe Lynam has more.

It is one of the key brands

on our high streets with 59 stores

and more than 7000 staff.

We don't yet know how Christmas

was for House of Fraser,

but we know it's asked its landlords

to slash the rent.

But do shoppers still

like the department store?

It's got the shops I like to browse

in within the department store,

so it's quite easy to just go

from one place to the next.

Yeah, there's lot of good

quality brands, and quite

a lot of variety as well.

I think it has a good reputation

for good quality products.

But I know all of the high street

has been affected at the moment

and isn't doing that well.

I kind of think it's

for older people, I have

that opinion, but maybe

because it's more expensive.

Last month one credit agency said

that House of Fraser was now far

more likely to default on its debts,

adding to the issues

faced by the company.

It's not unusual for retailers

to seek rent reductions

from their landlords.

M&S and Next are doing so already.

In fact, traditional retailers

are facing a host of challenges,

including rising rents,

especially in the big cities,

the national living wage

is going up, and that's pushing up

costs, and of course online.

£1 in every £6 is now

spent shopping online.

Consumption is a vital part

of the British economy.

If consumers tighten

their wallets, GDP suffers.

Conditions are pretty

tough for households.

Inflation hit a five-year high

in the run-up to Christmas and this

is putting people's personal

finances under a lot of pressure.

Our research showed about 50%

of consumers said they spent less

this Christmas than last year,

and almost two thirds said they did

some of their shopping online.

Next week we'll learn more about how

Christmas was for House of Fraser.

If it shows that shoppers

reined in their spending,

then pressure will grow

on a 169-year-old brand.

Joe Lynam, BBC News.

Part of Bristol University has been

badly damaged in a fire.

It started in the roof

space of a building

that was being renovated,

close to the University's historic

Wills Memorial building,

in the centre of Bristol.

The building was unoccupied

and nobody was hurt.

With news of the latest Premier

League manager to lose his job and

all the sport, here is Ollie Foster

at the BBC sport Centre.

There were 25 FA Cup

third round ties today.

Match of the Day is later this

evening on BBC One, but coming up

now are a couple of the headlines

from today's ties.

Mark Hughes has been sacked this

evening after his Stoke

side were knocked out

by League Two Coventry City.

Elsewhere, Norwich, Wigan

and Fleetwood forced replays

against Premier League opposition.

Adam Wild reports.

There is nothing quite like the FA

Cup. A moment for pans to come

together and wonder what if? At

Fleetwood, that party was quick to

find its rhythm. The League 1 side

welcoming Leicester. But this was a

big occasion missing its guest of

honour. Jamie Vardy injured, left to

watch from the stands as his

Leicester team almost gifted his

former side and opening goal. How

both could have done with his

scoring ability. Fleetwood's

faithful still finding plenty to

shout about and they were almost

rewarded in the dying moments.

Leicester saved by the Post, twice.

So close to being Fleetwood's day in

the sun. Still, in this tournament

for some fans a draw can feel like a

triumph. The Stoke, it felt like

anything but. The Premier League

side beaten by leak to Coventry. The

kind of upset for which this

competition is so revered, Mark

Hughes out of the Cup and now out of

a job. The Norwich, the third round

was a chance to welcome the mighty

Chelsea, Premier League champions,

last year 's finalists. In this

corner of East Anglia reputation

counts for much. In truth not a game

full of magic. No goals, few real

chances but the Norwich fans the Cup

dreams get to last a little longer.

Liverpool's Phillippe Coutinho has

agreed to join Barcelona

for a British record

fee £142 million.

The Brazilian, who cost less

than £10 million five years ago,

was close to joining the Spanish

side last summer, but the Liverpool

manager Jurgen Klopp says

they are now letting the 25-year-old

leave with "great reluctance".

It's now very unlikely that

England's cricketers will be able

to sign off from the Ashes

with a victory.

The series is already lost,

and after three days

Australia are building a big first

innings lead in the final Test.

Patrick Gearey reports from Sydney.

A special day, especially

for Usman Khawaja, a first Ashes

hundred in a city he emigrated

to as a child.

At the other end, nearing his

hundred, Steve Smith,

the uncrackable code.

But wait, Moeen Ali's eureka moment.

Smith left a void and young

Mason Crane fielded with an appeal.

Review.

First they check the no ball

and there the case closed.

Had the umpire felt the boot

was behind the line,

Crane would've had his first

Test wicket.

Fine margins.

And fine shots from the reprieved

Khawaja, which helped him to 150

and helped Australia into a lead

only three wickets down.

England needed energy, badly.

It came from Mason Crane.

This time he had Khawaja for real.

And for 171.

But in now baking temperatures

the Marsh brothers turned

England into their stooges,

with every run scored

by Australia's batsmen only adding

to the regrets felt by England.

A draining day in every sense.

So England 133 runs behind,

they will have to go back

into the field on day four when it

will be even hotter.

What is more they know this pitch

is now spinning more,

just in time for their last innings

of this Ashes Series.

Patrick Geary, BBC News in Sydney.

In Rugby Union, Northampton Saints'

losing streak is over.

They beat Gloucester 22-19

at Franklin's Gardens.

After seven league defeats in a row,

a final-minute penalty try

gave them their first

win since September.

There were also wins

for Leicester and Sale.

And in the Pro-14, Ospreys edged

Cardiff Blues 29-28 in Swansea.

Rhys Webb scored two

of their four tries.

Glasgow also won today,

but Ulster lost away at Leinster.

16-year-old James Bowen has become

the youngest jockey to win

the Welsh Grand

National at Chepstow.

He came home six lengths clear

on the 16-1 chance Raz de Maree.

At 13, he is the oldest horse to win

the race in modern times.

That's all the sport.

Don't forget there's much more

on the BBC Sport website.

From around 11pm tonight there'll be

live text and radio coverage

of the fourth day's play

at the Final Ashes Test.

That's all your sport for now.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

That's all from me.

Goodnight.