05/01/2017 Reporting Scotland

Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: Hospital bed-blocking.

Figures suggest patients are still ending up stuck in hospitals,

instead of finding community care, despite extra investment

Air accident investigators head to Aberdeen after a helicopter

A call for the UK Government to devolve power over immigration -

allowing the Scottish Government to let more people

A record-breaking run - Laura Muir smashes the British

First race of the season, haven't raced for a while. It was great to

get out there and put a marker down, and a pretty quick one at that.

Also on the programme, not going the distance?

The route of last year's Great Scottish Run is to be measured

again, amid concerns it wasn't long enough.

Nearly 700 patients died in hospital while awaiting discharge,

over a 19 month period from March 2015.

That's according to figures released to Scottish Labour,

The Scottish Government says it's allocated more than ?30 million

Our social affairs correspondent, Reevel Alderson reports.

Doctors agree when a patient is well enough they should leave hospital.

But sometimes it's not possible, because there is nowhere suitable to

meet the patient's needs. This is bed blocking. Very many of the

people that are blocking beds in hospital, if you use that

expression, are people affected by dementia. If they are very poorly,

they have to go into a care home. If there is not a bad for them there,

they have to stay in hospital until they die. The reason for there not

being a care home bed can be financial, or it can be that the

care homes are full. In the majority of cases, it is a question of

organising finance, that is something we should do earlier. The

Scottish Government pledged two years ago to eradicate bed blocking,

but it is still happening, with years ago to eradicate bed blocking,

Scottish Labour calls shocking results. In a 19 month period,

almost 700 died in hospital, though judged fit enough to be discharged.

In almost a quarter of cases, it was in NHS Grampian, with Lothian and

Lanarkshire close behind. Overall, bed blocking is reducing by 9% last

year. Labour says that is no consolation to those whose relatives

died. This is 700 people who have lost their lives in hospital while

waiting for a care package. It could be your mother, father, grandfather,

tragic cases and tragic stories. I think the Scottish Government needs

to wake up to do reality, the impact it's having on patients and

families, the that cuts are having on patients and family. The Scottish

Government insists that patients continue to receive care in hospital

and says that while being discharged is preferable, there is no evidence

to link the deaths with patience with delays in leaving. We don't

ignore them, they are well looked after in the hospital. The delay

means that we cannot get them home or to a nursing home, or a social

care package. Sometimes, that might be a more appropriate place for them

to die, at home or in a nursing home, with family around them.

Ministers say they have given ?33 million to the NHS to tackle the

wider problem of bed blocking. Air accident investigators

are being sent to Aberdeen, after the wheel of a helicopter

caused damage to a helideck The helicopter has since been

brought ashore by boat. Our energy correspondent Kevin Keane

is at Aberdeen airport. Well, as you say, the incident

happened on Wednesday of last week, on the west Franklin platform in the

North Sea. It was in the final stages of landing, the Cessnock

helicopter, when it failed to respond to some of the inputs being

issued to it from the pilots. It landed heavily on the deck itself.

The wheels caused a few points of significant damage, although CHC

described as minor. Photographs on social media taken by somebody on

board the platform clearly show some degree of gouging in the metalwork.

The nine people, the passengers and crew on board, none of them suffered

any kind of injury and they were taken off the platform. The

helicopter itself has been brought back here to Aberdeen by boat and

investigators are examining it. Neither the company nor any of the

unions involved in offshore work have been willing to be interviewed

about this today, but they have jointly issued a statement saying

that the investigation is focusing on part of the tail rotor. That tail

rotor has been the subject of some concern in other parts of the world

in recent months. The group responsible for helicopter safety in

Aberdeen says it has been assured that previous incidents bear no

connection to what happened here. Thank you very much, apologies for

the quality of the sound. A 36-year-old man has

appeared on petition at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

charged with murder. It follows the death

of Carlo Volante, who was 40, after an alleged incident

in Bonnyrigg on the Robert Kay made no

plea or declaration, The investigations editor

for the Scottish Sun newspaper has told a jury how acid was thrown

at his face by a man, during Russell Findlay was giving evidence

at the trial of William Burns and Alexander Porter -

who deny targeting him Mr Findlay also described

how his ten year-old daughter ran for help as he grappled with the man

on his doorstep. From the High Court in Glasgow,

John McManus reports. On the first day of the trial, the

court heard evidence from Russell Findlay, the investigations editor

for the Scottish Sun newspaper. He told the court he had been at home

on the morning of the 23rd of December, 2015, when he answered his

doorbell. The caller said they were a postman and wanted him to sign for

doorbell. The caller said they were a package. He said that when he

answered the door, he felt a liquid on his face and then saw a bottle

fly past his head. Then he came through the door and attempted to

fight me, I pushed back and we both exited the front door and fell while

holding onto each other. Mr Findlay said his ten-year-old daughter,

Daisy appeared, and he sent her to get help from neighbours. He

continued to grapple with the attack. He told the court he said to

the man, why did they send a fat clown like you? Is that all I am

with? He said that the defendant spat at him and said wee Jamie sends

his regards. He said he had contact with one of the accused in 2006, but

he denied a suggestion that he and asked him to come round to his house

the night before the incident. I would find it beyond laughable that

he would come up with that, he told the court. The trial continues.

A group of MPs and Peers have called on ministers in London to consider

giving the Scottish Parliament more control over immigration.

The group wants the UK government to look at a system

similar to that in Canada - where individual provinces can issue

The Scottish government believes Scotland's immigration needs

Our political correspondent Nick Eardley is in

Why does this group think Scotland should get some control

Sally, the future of the immigration system will be a big talking point

as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

This group thinks more needs to be done to help

new arrivals integrate with local communities.

They want for example compulsory English classes

But they also argue it's a good opportunity to move some

control over immigration away from Westminster.

And they're urging ministers here in London to look at Canadian

model which could see areas like scotland given the power

They would be based on local economic need and allow immigrants

to live and work in an area, though not across the UK as a whole.

The Labour MP Chuka Umunna chairs the group.

He explained why he thinks devolving powers could make

You get to decide how many people are allowed to come and settle into

your community, based on the needs of your local businesses and local

labour market. We think that way you will actually be able to give people

greater control and detoxify the immigration debate in the United

Kingdom. The Scottish Government held a similar view. What do UK

ministers then? The Scottish Government has long argued it needs

more powers over immigration. It thinks Scotland has different

population needs, indeed in the document it published last month on

its Brexit proposals, more flexibility in the immigration

system was one of their key demands. Ministers in London have pledged to

look at those proposals. I think there is a degree of scepticism in

London as to whether a separate immigration system could work.

Ministers are worried it would make things too complicated, that it

could actually affect the integrity of the immigration system across the

UK. Of course, they want immigration numbers to come down. For now, the

Home Office says it is focused on creating an immigration system that

works for everyone, across the UK. That's one conversation that's been

going on about Brexit But the Scottish Labour leader has

questioned the Scottish Government's attempts to keep access

to the European single Kezia Dugdale - who says

the UK's more important to Scotland than the EU -

claims arguments are being Ministers say she doesn't

even have a plan. Here's our political

correspondent, Andrew Kerr. It is eight o'clock, Thursday the

5th of January... On air, and time for Kezia Dugdale to be on message.

It is the first in a series of for Kezia Dugdale to be on message.

leader interviews on BBC radio Scotland. She says she is trying to

save the union. She used the opportunity to make clear which one

she prefers. The EU is very important, and I campaigned hard for

a Remain vote. But you can't argue, as Nicola Sturgeon often does, that

Scotland's relationship with Europe is more important than its

relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom. She claims the

Conservatives put the union at risk as they push for a hard Brexit,

although they question their commitment. She says the SNP threat

net by pursuing independence. The Scottish Government's attempts to

keep Scotland in the EU single market came in for criticism as

well. I would like to see evidence it is possible. I said to Nicola

Sturgeon at the start of the summer that I wanted what she wanted, that

we shared those values and I wanted to work with her on that. I've done

that over the past months, in good faith. But good faith is fast

becoming blind faith, because she is faith. But good faith is fast

yet to present any real evidence it is possible. That critic is

yet to present any real evidence it dismissed from the man in charge of

the Constitution for the Scottish Government. What we are doing is

standing for Scottish interests, making sure we get the best deal

possible. That means putting forward a proposal. But Labour have no new

ideas when it comes to the Constitution or our position. The

Scottish Government has put a proposal and it is up to the UK

Government to consider that. We are keeping all options on the table to

get the best outcome for Scotland. On the point of Kezia Dugdale saying

the UK union is more important than the EU, Derek Mackay says he is not

asking people to choose between the EU and the UK. Depending on how

things work out, Scottish voters might be asked once again for their

opinion in the not too distant future.

You're watching BBC Reporting Scotland.

are still ending up stuck in hospital, instead

of being offered community care, despite extra investment.

are using a unique system to create completely new materials.

It has been a great start to the year for Laura Muir. Last night, she

smashed the 5000 metres record, eclipsing the time set by Liz

McColgan. But she and her coach

have their sights set much higher, No TV cameras to record the

occasion, but this piece of history was recorded by one alert spectator.

Laura Muir, wiping 14 seconds off the British indoor 5000 metre

record. That beat Liz McColgan's time, set in 1992. As she reflected

today, it adds to the British 1500 metre record she sets last year.

Being in the record books is always very special, especially the names I

am getting them off, Dame Kelly Holmes and Liz McColgan, big names.

I'm really honoured to be alongside where they were. I just hope I can

get a feel more. An element of doubt has emerged about whether the time

she ran would qualify as an official record. Liz McColgan congratulated

her fellow Scot, but did query whether the official criteria have

been met by the race, in terms of the doping controls at the event and

also the fact the other athletes in the race only ran 3000 metres.

British athletics told BBC Scotland today that, subject to normal

checks, she expected the time to be confirmed. With that in the bag, the

focus is very much on turning record sometimes into major medals. It

takes time to learn to racing championships, to get that

experience. So, that is why I tried putting more realistic times on. She

was running remarkably fast times in 2013-14, but I recognised there was

still some sort of athletic development, some learning to go on

before you are probably in a position that you should be

challenging for those models. I think that is where we have got to

now. Definitely, I think I had been unlucky in previous champion chips.

The World Championships, I was placed fifth. That was a really big

achievement for me. Getting back into the medals. Diamond League

success shows she can beat the best. Now she is ready to do that on the

biggest stages. The distance of last year's

Great Scottish Run is to be checked amid concerns that the route

was too short. Olympic distance runner

Callum Hawkins broke the Scottish half marathon record

during the race. But an official responsible

for measuring the course says he believes athletes may have run

a different route. It is a highlight of the year for

thousands of people, elite runners, club competitors and sweaty

enthusiasts. They fill club competitors and sweaty

centre, their supporters lined the streets, and good causes across

Scotland benefit from all that sponsorship money raised. Last year,

the added excitement of a new Scottish art marathon record. He's a

record-breaker here in Glasgow today! An absolutely staggering run

from Callum Hawkins - a new star is born! I was not expecting anything

near as quick as that. I am just pleased I went out to win, and

that's what I did. But now, the record could be in doubt, after the

man who satisfied the distance watched BBC Scotland's coverage and

felt that the runners were not following the route that he had

measured. The questions were also raised by competitors, like these

runners we met today training on the banks of the Clyde. Hundreds of

their GPS recorders told them that they had run less than the official

distance of 13.1 miles. It is still a personal best for me regardless. I

think that will still be true for 95% of the people who ran. It does

not make a difference for your average one, I don't think. Some

people are just in it to compete and have fun. For them it probably does

not matter. But if you are more of a top Enron, looking for a personal

best, it will have more of an impact. It is best if you are

comparing year-on-year. I would be pretty annoyed, actually. If it is

not an accurate time, I would be annoyed. It is good you want to run

your half marathon, but for me, it was just about finishing. Organisers

say an independent re-measuring of the course will be completed by the

end of January. They say they're confident that it will be confirm

that it was the correct distance. COMMENTATOR: He deserves this! An

official measure is due to cycle the route later in the month. And then

we will know if that new record can stand.

In exactly four months' time, it'll be polling day -

More than 12,000 councillors in Scotland will be elected.

In many areas, the elections will see fierce battles

Many Central Belt councils are the remnants of Labour's

old dominance of politics in urban Scotland.

Our local government correspondent Jamie McIvor sets the scene

It is a scene even the most optimistic Labour councillors

scarcely expected. At the last council elections, Labour reinforced

its control of Scotland's largest local authority. Many thought the

SNP would make big strides forward. In fact, councils became the last

citadel of Labour's code power. Google government is the one thing

where Labour is still very strong. It did well in May 2012. It seems to

be under serious threat. In by-elections, on average, Labour's

vote is down by 12 points compared with five years ago. In fact, in

2012, across Scotland, the SNP won the most votes, with a narrow lead

over Labour. The SNP also has more councillors than any other party.

But in most of central and southern Scotland, it is Labour that is in

power. In fact, the party won outright control of some councils in

the west, including this one, Glasgow. Faggot the last five years

have seen seismic shifts in national politics, with the independence

referendum, the surge in SNP politics, with the independence

membership and the Labour results. Come the council elections, will

voters be thinking of local or national issues? All the media

coverage will nor be for the national issues, to be honest. I

would be having an opinion on the candidate, and if that candidate I

felt was going to do his job or her job. A lot of people are talking on

social media about Donald Trump and things. I think they may need to

change their tactics to catch the eye of the public. In urban

Scotland, undoubtedly it will be party preferences on the most part,

national party preferences, which will be most important. However, in

rural Scotland, there will be a different picture, with the three

islands councils still dominated by independence to call when the votes

are counted eventually, the consequences for the Labour Party in

Scotland could be huge record A woman's been taken to hospital

after she was knocked down by a taxi The pedestrian had been

crossing Princes Street, opposite the Waverley Steps

at around 12:20 this afternoon Police say inquiries

into the incident are ongoing. A woman has been cleared

of attempting to murder an 89-year-old man after she hit him

with a hammer to fend 43-year-old Gillian Lavery

was cleaning Tom Winter's flat in Clydebank when the incident

happened last February. A jury found her not guilty -

after accepting she Two climbers were airlifted

to safety after getting A coastguard search and rescue

helicopter was called out following a report that a man had

injured his ankle on the mountain's Both climbers were eventually

winched to safety. Police are trying to find a

54-year-old Dutch national since setting off for a walk

in the Glen Affric area Cornelius Van Der Wetering was last

spotted after leaving a guest ?500,000 is to be spent

to try to refurbish one of Europe's largest dry docks at Kishorn

in Wester Ross. The site was originally built

as an oil fabrication yard in the 1970s, but has been

mothballed for 25 years. It's hoped to regenerate the yard,

for decommissioning North Sea a remote Shetland Croft owner was

forced to deliver his own baby at the side of road yesterday. Alastair

Morgan was driving his wife to hospital after she had gone into

labour. Along the Hill track, they hit a pothole and her waters broke.

Alastair says there was no time to think. You do not have time to worry

about that, you just go and do it. It was just a case of getting out of

the car, jacket off, their sleeves, and deliver the baby!

Physicists at St Andrews University are using a unique system to create

The new centre for designer quantum materials will help create the next

generation of electronic devices, one atom at a time.

Our science correspondent Kenneth Macdonald has this report.

Despite appearances, this is science fact, not science fiction. For what

is it exactly? This is a molecular-beam epitaxy system, which

is an instrument which allows us to build materials, one single atomic

is an instrument which allows us to lay at a time, basically changing

the material, with each individual layer. You will not find these

materials anywhere else in nature. To make those materials, the machine

creates a vacuum close to that of deep space with temperatures at

around 1000 Celsius. Creating quantum materials means many plating

things at the most a sick level, where a phenomenon like the spin of

an electron comes into play. What that in particular means is that the

spin of the electron plays an important role for what we observe.

So, for example, one relatively large field of potential application

is in what is called spin-tronics, where one can it spite the spinning

of the electron for different functionalities. Stick it has been

compared to Lego, making new stuff which is very in interesting indeed!

Content with this machine, we will be able to make materials in single

atomic layer form, and then one can cast them into devices and make, for

example, censors with completely new bodies, which are unheard of, and

which are potentially much more sensitive. The components inside our

current computers and electronic devices are getting close to the

limits of the materials they're made of. The stuff being created in here

is giving a sequence of the future. Now over to Christopher for a look

ahead to the weekend weather. Thanks very much indeed. It was a

lovely day for many of us today. But tonight, the cloud hills and the

rain arrives, but not straightaway. Initially there will be some frost.

But watch what happens as we had through the next few hours. Loud

arriving, rain moving in and temperatures creeping up. As the

rain falls on cold ground, there could be some icy patches around.

Tomorrow, with all that cloud and rain, a very different day in store

compared with today. There is the weather system crossing the country

during Friday. It will be really quite soggy for many west and

south-western parts. The rain quite soggy for many west and

heavily and persistent at times, slowly edging eastwards. More patchy

across the north-east. In the west, heavy and persistent, but improving

by the afternoon. By mid-afternoon, still fairly cloudy and damp and

breezy, but the winds easing. Much milder than today. Up into double

figures in places. There will be some brightness around, most likely

around the far north and the Moray Firth. Still some showers here,

however. And the winds for Orkney and Shetland, still brisk. Friday

night, damp and murky at times, but heading through towards the weekend,

not too bad. High pressure is with us, so it's largely dry. Fairly

settled but also fairly cloudy. As we start the weekend on Saturday,

yes, it is dry and cloudy but there will be some spots of light rain.

The winds are very light. Knowing exactly where the breaks in the

cloud will happen is tricky. Sunday morning, still fairly cloudy but

settled. A few spots of rain in the far north and north-west.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news: Nearly 700 patients died

in hospital while awaiting discharge, over a 19 month

The Scottish Government says it's allocated more than ?30 million

I'll be back with the headlines at 8:00 and the late bulletin just

We're looking for someone who can sing, someone who can move.

Someone who can keep an audience on the edge of their seat.

Something like this could change my life.