:01:24. > :01:29.In the East, health care failures, damning reports an investigation of
:01:29. > :01:39.the region's hospitals. And time is running out for of disabled workers
:01:39. > :01:39.
:01:39. > :42:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2472 seconds
:42:51. > :42:54.Hello and a very warm welcome to your local part of the program.
:42:54. > :42:57.Coming up: Financial problems at two hospitals not many miles apart
:42:57. > :43:00.but down to complete lack of strategic oversight according to a
:43:00. > :43:02.damning new report. It was decided after the establishment of a
:43:02. > :43:04.private finance initiative which the report describes as
:43:04. > :43:07.catastrophically bad value for taxpayers. On top of that to
:43:07. > :43:10.establish the franchise to hospital used by a private provider just 24
:43:10. > :43:14.miles away. And the end of the line for disabled workers at Remploy
:43:14. > :43:18.unless an 11th hour buyer can be found. I don't know what to think.
:43:18. > :43:21.I just have to hope for the best, that's all, and that I'm not going
:43:21. > :43:24.to be on benefits for years like I was before I went to work at
:43:24. > :43:27.Remploy. With me are the Labour peer and former Basildon MP
:43:27. > :43:31.Baroness Angela Smith. And Dr Dan Poulter, the Health Minister and
:43:31. > :43:34.Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and Ipswich North. Let's start with
:43:34. > :43:39.the news this week that a key investor has pulled out of plans to
:43:39. > :43:42.build a new nuclear reactor at Sizewell. Centrica had teamed up
:43:42. > :43:49.with EDF and were planning to take a 20% share in the multibillion
:43:49. > :43:52.pound project. Something that was raised by Baroness Smith this week.
:43:52. > :44:02.If the Government has lost three companies out of the nuclear
:44:02. > :44:02.
:44:02. > :44:05.program, what is plan B to ensure we keep the lights on? So, Angela
:44:05. > :44:08.Smith, did you get an answer to your question? Will the lights stay
:44:09. > :44:12.on? The minister assured me we would. I think we have to have good
:44:12. > :44:22.energy security. That is the third company that has pulled out of the
:44:22. > :44:22.
:44:23. > :44:26.UK nuclear program. E d f say they are continuing with Sizewell C.
:44:26. > :44:29.There is real concerns about why the companies are pulling out.
:44:29. > :44:31.Secondly, we've got to make sure we've got the high-value skills we
:44:31. > :44:36.need in engineering, in construction, which means getting
:44:36. > :44:42.apprenticeships in place, working with employers and industry. But
:44:42. > :44:48.all those need to step up a gear. Can we rely on the private sector
:44:48. > :44:51.to solve the energy problems? know we need Sizewell in Suffolk.
:44:52. > :44:57.We need it in terms of our energy security, we need it in terms of
:44:57. > :45:00.the jobs and investment that will bring to Eastern Suffolk. We have...
:45:00. > :45:03.It is disappointing what has happened this week but there are
:45:03. > :45:09.other companies that have shown interest in taking this over.
:45:09. > :45:13.Hitachi has been involved in similar projects elsewhere. I am
:45:13. > :45:18.very confident we will get to the right solution and we will have
:45:18. > :45:22.Sizewell built. Now, it's been a bad week for the
:45:22. > :45:24.NHS in the East with four of our hospitals in the spotlight. Health
:45:24. > :45:29.trusts in Basildon and Colchester are under investigation for having
:45:29. > :45:33.higher than average death rates. In the last year, the number of
:45:33. > :45:37.patients dying at Basildon was 14% more than expected. While in
:45:37. > :45:42.Colchester, the figure was 16%. The local MPs there met with the Chief
:45:42. > :45:46.Executive on Friday. We've been so impressed by the strength of the
:45:46. > :45:50.management here. It's better than it's ever been in the 20 years I've
:45:50. > :45:55.been a member of Parliament. Very open and transparent, ready to
:45:55. > :46:00.learn what has happened at Mid Staffs. But there is no comparison
:46:00. > :46:05.between what happened at Mid Staffs and what is happening here. This
:46:05. > :46:07.hospital is safer than it's ever been.
:46:07. > :46:10.Meanwhile, a damning report from the Public Accounts Committee
:46:10. > :46:12.fiercely criticised decisions to build a new PFI hospital at
:46:12. > :46:14.Peterborough and to award a franchise to run the nearby
:46:14. > :46:19.Hinchingbrooke Hospital as a complete lack of strategic
:46:19. > :46:24.oversight. The private company Circle has been brought in to run
:46:24. > :46:27.Hinchingbrooke but so far it's been unable to meet its savings targets.
:46:27. > :46:33.While Peterborough hospital was built 24 miles away which has left
:46:33. > :46:38.the Trust with a �50 million deficit. We've really lost and got
:46:38. > :46:41.the worst of both worlds. It's simply the case that the Department
:46:41. > :46:45.of Health cannot afford to sub Peterborough hospital �50 million
:46:45. > :46:48.to pay off its deficit every year. It's not sustainable now and both
:46:49. > :46:53.the Department of Health and the Treasury need to pick up the pieces
:46:53. > :46:55.of the decisions made by the previous government.
:46:55. > :47:02.So, where do we stand? Hinchingbrooke is the first
:47:02. > :47:07.hospital to be run by a private company. It's a political football,
:47:07. > :47:12.and Peterborough has a 30 year PFI contract. Something's got to give.
:47:12. > :47:14.What? One of the points that was made in the clip you played is the
:47:14. > :47:18.point about good management, having good people running hospitals and
:47:18. > :47:21.that makes a huge difference. visited Peterborough Hospital.
:47:21. > :47:24.There is massive PFI debt which was completely unsustainable, that deal
:47:24. > :47:27.and arrangement should never have been signed. Almost 19% of the
:47:27. > :47:34.Trust's annual income is going on paying PFI repayments which is
:47:34. > :47:37.unsustainable. It was a bad decision to do it. The point now is
:47:37. > :47:40.we've got to help and the Government has already helped with
:47:40. > :47:44.some bailout funds to support Peterborough Hospital. There's lots
:47:44. > :47:47.of things that can be done locally. For example, the old hospital site
:47:47. > :47:52.could be sold off and that is something that the local council
:47:52. > :47:55.needs to do a bit more to support the hospital in in selling that. It
:47:55. > :48:00.is also about making good managers and getting to grips with its
:48:00. > :48:04.finances. That is something we've been supportive with to make sure
:48:04. > :48:09.the local patients continue to get high-quality healthcare. Angela
:48:09. > :48:13.Smith, that PFI contract happened under Labour. It did and we have to
:48:13. > :48:17.look and learn lessons from this. The first thing to do is to say
:48:17. > :48:20.what are the lessons that can be learned? Get the problem sorted out
:48:20. > :48:24.first of all. Get the players around the table, the Department of
:48:24. > :48:28.Health, the Treasury, the local health authority. And where do we
:48:28. > :48:31.go from here to resolve the problem. Then we have to reflect on where
:48:31. > :48:34.the problems were and looking at the Audit Commission report, what
:48:34. > :48:36.is very clear is when the board and the strategic health authority
:48:36. > :48:39.submitted their plans to the Government back in 2004, they were
:48:39. > :48:46.vastly overoptimistic about the kind of work they'd be doing at the
:48:46. > :48:49.hospital. That should have been picked up, they shouldn't have put
:48:49. > :48:54.that in. The Strategic Health Authority should not have been
:48:54. > :48:58.supporting that bid. The problem is that the Department of Health
:48:58. > :49:02.didn't pick it up but now even if they did, because of the way the
:49:02. > :49:06.law is, they couldn't stop it. is the way forward? What is the
:49:06. > :49:08.Treasury going to do? And the Department of Health? One thing
:49:08. > :49:11.we've already done and I'm personally involved in overseeing
:49:11. > :49:16.is making sure we've got a task force going into Peterborough with
:49:16. > :49:21.big PFI debts to help those Trusts work out how to minimise... It is a
:49:22. > :49:26.huge debt, what can happen? We've already worked out we can reduce
:49:26. > :49:32.some of the PFI repayments by better structuring the debt. We've
:49:32. > :49:35.got a task force helping hospitals and the Trust to do that. Isn't the
:49:35. > :49:38.significance here, what I don't understand is why was a nearby
:49:38. > :49:45.hospital given a 10 year contract for a private company whilst we
:49:45. > :49:48.knew there were these problems in Peterborough Hospital? That has to
:49:48. > :49:53.be the second part of any investigation. Why are they locked
:49:54. > :49:57.into these contracts? Do you think these hospitals will have to close?
:49:57. > :49:59.We will make sure local patients continue to be treated and we have
:49:59. > :50:03.a guarantee about that, they will continue to have high-quality
:50:03. > :50:09.healthcare. The previous government on Hinchingbrooke looked at
:50:09. > :50:13.tendering out to a private company. And to the NHS. To running
:50:13. > :50:15.Hinchingbrooke and that was the idea. A group of doctors came
:50:15. > :50:19.together with Circle healthcare with clinical knowledge about how
:50:19. > :50:26.to reduce costs. That company has made good strides in reducing some
:50:26. > :50:29.of the debt burden. It does show how having clinical leadership,
:50:29. > :50:31.doctors and nurses in charge is not perfect because they had a
:50:31. > :50:38.difficult situation to start from, but it has made a difference in
:50:38. > :50:41.reducing the debt because they are prioritising services. The priority
:50:41. > :50:45.has to be patients and resolving the problem but those two issues
:50:45. > :50:48.have to be looked at. One is about having the kind of bid that was
:50:48. > :50:52.made by the hospital was overoptimistic and should not have
:50:52. > :50:57.been allowed. But, secondly, you really shouldn't be giving private
:50:57. > :51:02.contracts to hospitals who are then competing with the NHS. The NHS
:51:02. > :51:05.should be running the hospitals, not the private sector.
:51:05. > :51:08.Well, now to the future of the workers in the region's remaining
:51:08. > :51:12.Remploy factory. It is the last Government factory especially set
:51:12. > :51:14.up for disabled workers in the East. In December, workers heard the
:51:15. > :51:19.plant was not commercially viable and was threatened with closure if
:51:19. > :51:26.private investors can't be found. The deadline for buyers to express
:51:26. > :51:31.an interest is at the end of March an interest is at the end of March
:51:31. > :51:35.Between them, Susan Wright and Harvey Ken have worked the Remploy
:51:35. > :51:40.Norwich for 38 years. Susan has autism and Harvey has learning and
:51:40. > :51:49.mobility difficulties. The whole country is in a massive mess.
:51:49. > :51:51.You've got millions out of work. It is hard for anybody to find a job.
:51:51. > :51:55.In May, their cardboard packaging factory will close unless private
:51:55. > :51:58.investors can be found to take it over. Susan and Harvey want to show
:51:58. > :52:00.us what they do but we've had to speak to them at a nearby hotel
:52:00. > :52:04.because Remploy's head office, which comes under Government
:52:04. > :52:13.control, won't allow us into the factory. However, in 1999, when
:52:13. > :52:16.Remploy's future was assured, we were given access. I'm devastated
:52:16. > :52:20.because it's not myself, it's my friends, including Susan, we will
:52:20. > :52:26.never work again. Because people won't give us a chance. They don't
:52:26. > :52:29.think we've got skills to offer. We're put on a rubbish tip. It is
:52:30. > :52:32.difficult for me to get another job in spite of the fact I've got
:52:32. > :52:37.skills because there's so many other young people and other people
:52:37. > :52:40.you're competing against, against these younger students and that.
:52:40. > :52:46.is devastating to think that when you're young, you will never work
:52:46. > :52:52.again. It is weeks and months, and you are not good enough for what
:52:52. > :52:55.they want. Remploy was set up after the Second World War for those
:52:55. > :52:58.who'd been disabled during the conflict. Of Remploy's 54 factories,
:52:58. > :53:06.36 of them are set to close including Remploy in Norwich which
:53:06. > :53:12.has 46 employees, 28 of whom are disabled. Like most things, it
:53:12. > :53:15.comes down to money. The average Remploy wage is �14,000 a year. The
:53:15. > :53:20.Government also pays �11,000 per employee for extra assistance for
:53:20. > :53:28.the employees to be kept in the work. That's a total of �25,000 per
:53:28. > :53:32.worker. Instead of specialist factories for disabled people, the
:53:32. > :53:35.government wants Remploy workers to get jobs alongside everyone else.
:53:35. > :53:38.At a time when the economy is struggling, at a time when there is
:53:38. > :53:41.no economic growth on the horizon whatsoever, to essentially turf
:53:41. > :53:45.people out of Remploy, to remove the Remploy support network, which
:53:45. > :53:51.is what it is as much as anything else, and to say to say good luck
:53:51. > :53:53.getting a job, I think it is wrong. Nearby in Norwich, there's a county
:53:53. > :53:59.council factory with eight employees five of which are
:53:59. > :54:04.disabled. Next year they hope to make a profit so that they can do
:54:04. > :54:09.without the Council's support. can provide for three little ones
:54:09. > :54:13.and the good lady at home. The best thing about it is the teamwork,
:54:13. > :54:16.really, how everybody pulls together. We are not in a position
:54:16. > :54:22.to take on Remploy workers, unfortunately. But there are so few
:54:22. > :54:25.places around like us that actively discriminate for disabled people.
:54:25. > :54:29.In that when we do recruit, we try to recruit people with disabilities
:54:29. > :54:32.where we can. There is a last-ditch attempt to encourage private
:54:32. > :54:42.investors to take the Remploy factory on as part of a final
:54:42. > :54:45.three-month consultation. I would encourage any firms who are able to
:54:45. > :54:48.do that to follow the process as set out on the Remploy website for
:54:48. > :54:51.making an expression of interest in the Norwich factory because that
:54:51. > :54:56.could be a good solution all-round to keep that interest and that
:54:56. > :54:59.packaging business going in Norwich. I haven't had any contact from the
:54:59. > :55:02.company as part of the existing consultation. How do you expect to
:55:02. > :55:05.retrieve the situation and compound business plans which will save
:55:05. > :55:09.millions of pounds and these people's jobs if you're not having
:55:09. > :55:15.any consultation? There are plans to subsidise Remploy workers in
:55:15. > :55:19.mainstream jobs for three years. After that, there are no promises.
:55:19. > :55:22.I don't know what to think. I just have to hope for the best, that's
:55:22. > :55:27.all. That I'm not going to be benefits for years like I was
:55:27. > :55:30.before I went to work at Remploy. Well, the Government is arguing the
:55:30. > :55:32.budget for employment services for disabled people could be used more
:55:32. > :55:38.effectively than spending �25,000 supporting each worker in Remploy
:55:38. > :55:42.factories. I met up with Esther McVey, Minister for Disabled People,
:55:42. > :55:51.and I put it to her the Government support scheme had found very few
:55:51. > :55:56.former Remploy workers new jobs. When it first started, you were
:55:56. > :56:01.quite right in October last year, we had only got 35 people into work.
:56:01. > :56:08.We have reshaped it, we have been working with former workers to do
:56:08. > :56:12.that, we have got 220 people into work, 250 people on to schemes,
:56:12. > :56:17.training schemes, so actually we have come on significantly which
:56:17. > :56:22.they think is positive and there is more we can do. We have taken
:56:22. > :56:29.positive steps. Isn't it true that some people have said they may find
:56:29. > :56:32.it difficult being in a mainstream work place? Well, I am not sure I
:56:32. > :56:37.see what you're saying, but what we are looking to do is to get people
:56:37. > :56:41.into mainstream work, disability experts, and disabled people
:56:41. > :56:46.themselves say that that is what their aim should be, not to keep
:56:46. > :56:50.them separated but actually put them in the mainstream. That said,
:56:51. > :56:57.if Remploy factories will to continue, which several bomb to, if
:56:57. > :57:01.people want to buy the assets and take that forward, because we have
:57:01. > :57:06.had company buyouts, people will choose where they want to work and
:57:06. > :57:11.I am a third choice. Does this make financial sense? Has subsidised job
:57:11. > :57:17.could be cheaper than the hidden costs of supporting someone who was
:57:17. > :57:23.not in work. It makes financial sense. What we've got the 2,200
:57:23. > :57:30.workers who are in Remploy factories, the 5th of the budget
:57:30. > :57:35.goes their. We now know we've got 6.9 million people who are disabled
:57:35. > :57:39.and we've got to help all of them. Last year alone, we found 50,000
:57:39. > :57:44.people jobs through employment services with similar disabilities.
:57:44. > :57:48.We've got a look at the future because Remploy has had an
:57:48. > :57:52.uncertain future for a very long period of time.
:57:52. > :57:58.The reality is the majority of these people will not be able to
:57:58. > :58:03.find new jobs. 85% of former workers have yet to find work.
:58:03. > :58:09.the clip we had, we did talk about a transitional scheme to help
:58:09. > :58:15.people into new jobs. The point that was made there it was
:58:15. > :58:19.important. Many millions of people have disabilities. And they need
:58:19. > :58:27.help and support and training, education and getting into the
:58:27. > :58:35.workplace. The scheme third only helps disabled people, just 2000
:58:35. > :58:41.people, that is not good money. It is about giving transitional help
:58:41. > :58:46.to those employees. What do you think about that? Spreading money
:58:46. > :58:49.thinly to help more people. If it was happening yes. If you look at
:58:49. > :58:56.the number of Room for You workers and even with the numbers given
:58:56. > :59:01.there, higher than the figures I understand and have seen, there are
:59:01. > :59:07.still 750 of the 1,000 that have lost jobs that do not have work. I
:59:07. > :59:10.think it is only for three years is the transition from doing. A lot of
:59:10. > :59:17.people have to have support through their whole employment which is
:59:17. > :59:21.going to be withdrawn after three years. What we want to do is to
:59:21. > :59:24.give people support in their employment every day in they
:59:24. > :59:31.implement how people cope with the work place. You don't do that at a
:59:31. > :59:37.time when there are fewer full-time permanent jobs for people. People
:59:37. > :59:45.find it hard to find jobs. That man and woman, they are bred
:59:45. > :59:49.pessimistic about finding jobs. -- they are both. Remploy workers may
:59:49. > :59:53.find they have even more to worry about as people with disabilities
:59:53. > :59:57.are finding huge welfare changes. One in six people in the East is
:59:57. > :00:04.disabled according to the ONS and the Tendring District -- district
:00:04. > :00:07.of Essex has the highest proportion of disabled people at 26%.
:00:07. > :00:12.Disability living allowance is to be replaced by personal
:00:12. > :00:17.independence payments and the Government hopes that will save �2
:00:17. > :00:23.billion. The disability element of child tax credit worth �57 a week
:00:23. > :00:29.will become a disability addition within household benefit
:00:29. > :00:33.entitlement. The severe disability payment will be replaced by the
:00:33. > :00:39.Universal Credit and adults could lose �58 a week. General welfare
:00:39. > :00:45.cuts will hit disabled people must according to the Government's own
:00:45. > :00:51.impact assessment. There's also the bedroom tax were council tenants
:00:51. > :00:58.over occupying homes will lose some of their benefit. This month gave
:00:58. > :01:02.up his work to look after his wife. She had two brain haemorrhages and
:01:02. > :01:07.sleeps in a special bird which is too small for them both. He sleeps
:01:07. > :01:11.in another bedroom which will now cost them �60 a month. That is
:01:11. > :01:16.something disabled people are more affected by it. The department had
:01:16. > :01:19.said they have set aside �155 million for councils to help people
:01:19. > :01:25.in a discretionary case, so that is good, isn't it? Nobody is going to
:01:25. > :01:29.be in need of. I wish that is going to be the case but I fear that will
:01:29. > :01:33.not be. If you are looking at a couple who do not really have a
:01:34. > :01:40.spare bedroom, they either have a choice - moved to a smaller
:01:40. > :01:44.property or pay the extra �14 a week. How will they be able to
:01:44. > :01:48.move? You properties are not available for them to move to.
:01:48. > :01:53.you say to people who say that the Government have made an arbitrary
:01:53. > :02:00.cut. They wanted to take 500,000 people of disability allowance and
:02:00. > :02:06.cut 2 billion Homs of the bill. First of all, there is some
:02:06. > :02:11.discretionary relief to support any sort of bizarre cases they come up
:02:11. > :02:20.or cases where there is real human need, for example the one you have
:02:20. > :02:27.raised. Secondly, we him courage as much as possible to be engaged, to
:02:27. > :02:32.be better off if they are in work than not in work. And it is also
:02:32. > :02:39.important we make sure people who can participate in work, sometimes
:02:39. > :02:44.part-time work... There is more and more people requiring help. We have
:02:44. > :02:50.put in place all these changes and I have been involved in some of the
:02:50. > :02:54.health care changes, making sure we have transitory support for the
:02:54. > :02:57.rest deserving cases. It is important as well we don't get to a
:02:57. > :03:00.state where people are written off as they have been in the past as
:03:00. > :03:04.been disabled for the rest of their lives and we need to do what we can
:03:04. > :03:09.to make sure people are helped back into workwear they can and this is
:03:09. > :03:14.what it is about. Making sure everybody who can work does work.
:03:14. > :03:19.Thank you. Now, for our political round-up of
:03:19. > :03:27.the week. It is true for politicians, too - you use some,
:03:27. > :03:31.you win some. -- you lose some. Norfolk council has lost its leader,
:03:31. > :03:35.Derek Murphy resigned after being found guilty of bringing the Office
:03:35. > :03:43.of lead into disrepute. News this week the disreputable practice of
:03:43. > :03:46.discarding fish because of European quotas is to end. Our fishermen at
:03:46. > :03:50.Aldeburgh and Lowestoft will actually get more flexibility, more
:03:50. > :03:56.autonomy over what they do. improving the rest of the A120 is
:03:56. > :04:00.what Essex MP would like to do. the importance of this road to the
:04:00. > :04:05.economic well-being of the region and the county of Essex cannot be
:04:05. > :04:09.understated. But parliamentary debate was the winner this week as
:04:09. > :04:13.many of our MPs spoke passionately on the issue of gay marriage, none
:04:13. > :04:19.more so than Ian Stewart. It's not just about a ceremony. It's about
:04:19. > :04:24.being with them for the rest of their live. Richer and poorer,
:04:24. > :04:31.sickness and In Health. That can apply as much to me as to straight
:04:31. > :04:36.couples. Now, you will support us because
:04:36. > :04:40.you voted for gay marriage. Were you prepared for that? I think one
:04:40. > :04:44.county councillor only. The situation is as a matter of
:04:44. > :04:46.conscience, I did what I thought was the right thing which was to
:04:46. > :04:52.vote for equality and to give people who Ardgay the same rights
:04:52. > :04:55.and freedoms everybody else has but we must respect everybody's opinion
:04:55. > :05:01.and move on. It was a matter of conscience and I will do the same
:05:01. > :05:06.thing again. Now, when it comes to the Lords, do you think it'll be
:05:06. > :05:09.such a good debate? I think it will be very good. It was a measure
:05:09. > :05:15.debate in the Commons but people want to show a lifetime commitment