22/01/2018 BBC News at Six

Showing the strain -

the frontline NHS staff struggling

to cope, as the winter keeps piling

on the pressure.

We've spent four days filming

in A&E at a hospital

in the north east of England -

one that has some of

the best waiting times.

But even there, patients

like 83-year-old Blanche are left

in pain on trolleys in the corridor

because there aren't enough beds.

They're marvellous these two men,

they've never left me.

I'm in agony.

The staff at North Tees Hospital say

they are doing the best they can,

but they just can't cope

with the numbers coming for help.

Worked for the trust for 19 years.

Never known it be

as bad as it is now.

There's not the capacity,

we don't have the capacity to safely

look after the amount of patients

coming through the door.

We'll be asking how much

more the NHS can take?

Also tonight.

On trial for murder

and attempted murder -

a court hears Darren Osborne drove

into a crowd near a North London

mosque because he wanted

to kill Muslims.

The 8-year-old girl stabbed

to death in her home.

A man - understood to be her father

- has been arrested on suspicion

of attempted murder.

The head of the Army warns that

Britain's military may struggle

to respond to future threats

without more money.

And another Royal wedding

at Windsor this year.

Princess Eugenie is engaged to her

long term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News.

Northern Ireland boss

Michael O'Neill turns down

the chance to become the new manager

of Scotland - saying it's not

the right opportunity

at this moment.

Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six.

There's fresh evidence tonight

of the intense strain hospitals

across the UK are under,

as the NHS struggles to deal

with winter pressures.

We've spent four days

the University Hospital

of North Tees in the North East of

England.

The A&E department there

has some of the best

waiting times in England,

even though the Trust is rated

as "requiring improvement".

Our team witnessed patients waiting

for hours to be treated,

trolleys in corridors

and ambulances backed up.

Medical staff at the hospital say it

doesn't have the capacity to look

after safely all the patients coming

through the door.

The Trust says pressures

are "immense".

From Stockton, our special

correspondent Ed Thomas

has this report.

Inside the NHS. For the first time

this winter, we have within given

full access to a hospital.

I have

worked for the trust for 19 year, I

have never known it to be as bad as

it is now.

Over a weekend, we spoke

to patients.

Supposed to be the best

country in the world. We are nowhere

near the best country in the world.

Progressively getting worse.

Definitely.

Met staff, facing

unprecedented pressure

We have no

rooms in the A&E department so these

patients are waiting here for the

next available bed.

How do you describe the NHS?

It

feels like it is lost. It is

completely under strain, bursting at

the seams.

What it is like being on the

corridor?

I think it's a disgrace.

The University Hospital of North

Tees.

It has some of the best A&E waiting

times in England.

But with was so full at one point

many month had to close its doors.

It's Friday and we are in the rapid

assessment unit.

I'll do this one.

It used to be the hospital's gym.

It

is hot, it is because the windows

are at the top. It is like stepping

off a plane abroad. That is what

it's like, the heat hits you. Are

you comfortable there

Patients with

less severe symptoms can be sent

here instead of A&E.

Dawn has worked

here for nearly 20 years, this has

been her busiest winter yet.

It is

exhausting mentally and physically,

trying to keep up with everything we

need to do in the short space of

time we have to do it in. It can be

hard and tiring, but I do love my

job.

We'll get you there.

Some patients

spent up to six hours here.

Average waiting times are not

included in the hospital's A&E

figures. How many trolleys have you

got in here?

12.

How many patients?

18.

How many more to come in?

Nine.

Another nine to come in. About to

two hours before you get your

results.

They don't have the time to

look after patients and do their own

jobs and everything everything. It

is terrible.

The nurses get upset,

don't they. They really do get

upset.

I think the nurses deserve

better.

The nurses couldn't do any more.

We

need a proper area for rapid

assessment.

If the patients weren't

here, where would they be?

In A&E.

On Saturday, A&E is filling up.

The rapid assessment unit in the gym

is closed.

Lady out of 12 is going into nine.

And Leanne, the nurse in charge must

find space.

More coming through the

door, more elderly patients, more

poorly patients.

What are your concerns?

There is not

the capacity, we don't have the

capacity to safely look after the

patients coming through the door.

By 4.00, ambulances are backing up

outside A&E.

outside A&E. Inside... Paramedics

wait with their patients.

She's looking after me lovely. I'm

doing well. I'm in pain but coping.

Blanche is 83. And she is struggling

to breathe.

They're marvellous these two men.

They've never left me.

I know.

I'm

in agony.

She is in discomfort and pain. Being

here is not where she needs to be.

We have given her what we can in

terms of pain leaf.

What does she

need?

She needs to be seen by a

doctor.

That's it.

Paramedics told us they

wanted with her for an hour. When

you see that lady down there for an

hour...

It's awful. We don't like

it. Nobody likes the patients to be

in the corridor, but I physically

have no room to put this lady in, I

have been down and apologised, but,

there is no physical bed to transfer

this lady into.

Across the NHS, emergency admissions

are at record levels.

You are doing fantastic.

What do these...

They are amazing.

Tenfold, they are amazing.

Many

hospitals are also facing a major

flu outbreak.

What has this place meant to you?

She wouldn't be here. She said

herself she thinks she would be dead

if itted hadn't been for the

doctors.

Here, it means by Sunday,

every bed on every medical ward is

full.

We are trying to move patients

from orthopaedics to create

capacity.

It is Denise job to find

beds.

Hello.

To keep patients moving

through the hospital.

We can always

want more beds and more staff, but

you can't go on forever just using

more beds and staff, we have to look

at the other reasons they come in

hospital.

Patients that are in

trolleys on corridors are rare

within the trust. My concern is that

the year on year increase in the

patients and number coming to A&E is

not sustainable. We need to

transform our care. From Friday to

Sunday, the hospital failed to meet

its A&E four hour waiting target

I

am going to check the floor.

The

avenue -- averaged 85%, well below

the 95% target.

We are losing a lot

of experienced staff, because they

are becoming burned out. They are

realising they can't keep going like

this. Just discharging but when you

discharge...

It has been nonstop. We

haven't been able to give them a

drink.

How does that make you feel?

Frustrated and sad I would say fwlsm

can you go on doing this? No. Not

just me personally.

You have had a

few more years than me and I don't

think I can.

How long do you think

you can stick it out for?

At this

moment in time I have probably got

about five years left, tops. So far

my career has been four years long.

I wouldn't say I would do a long

career in the NHS.

Step back before you sit down.

With our ageing population, more

patients with complex acute

conditions, more nurses, leaving the

joining in England last year, many

want to know how the NHS can

continue to cope.

Come this time next year this will

happen again and again and again and

again. And we will see all this

pictures in the news, and the

horrendous trolley waits, and it

doesn't seem to change.

horrendous trolley waits,

and it doesn't seem to change.

Our health editor Hugh Pym is here.

Distressing scenes there.

83-year-old Blanche on a trolley

in pain for example -

thankfully she's back home now.

But how representative is that of UK

hospitals as a whole?

Well, I think it is Sophie.

Particularly the fact under great

pressure the NHS can deliver safe

quality care, thanks to dedicated

staff and patients like Blanche can

get home. It illustrates that staff

are feeling under huge strain, they

have never seen anything like it,

previous winters haven't been as bad

as this. As we heard some are

considering leaving their careers

early, if this continues. That is a

real workforce charge, we learned

last week that more nurses are

leaving than joining the NHS in

England, the Government says it has

put more money into creating more

places for more nurse, it has put

more money into English A&E units to

help with the pressures this winter.

What we also learned is there is

confusion over the stats, so

important to try to work out how

well or not the NHS is doing. We

learned there that the rapid

assessment unit with patients

waiting up to six hours isn't

included in that hospital statistic,

we have also learned other hospitals

are including different minor injury

centres often run by other provide

ires which is very confusing.

The UK stats Watchdog said it wants

to look into this, because it thinks

it is all seriously misleading for

patients.

it is all seriously

misleading for patients.

A court has heard that a man

who drove a van into a crowd

of people near two mosques

in North London last year wanted

to kill as many Muslims as possible.

The jury was told that

48-year-old Darren Osborne,

who's accused of killing one man

and attempting to murder others

in an act of terrorism,

had decided to take matters

into his own hands after growing

angry following the Manchester

and London attacks.

He denies murder

and attempted murder.

Daniel Sandford reports.

The pandemonium on a summer night in

north London after a large box van

smashed into a crowd of worshippers

at speed, leaving them strewn across

the pavement, some with

life-changing injuries.

And leaving 51-year-old Makram Ali

dead. Today his family were at

Woolwich Crown Court to watch as

48-year-old Darren Osborne from

Cardiff went trial. Jonathan Rees QC

for the prosecution said Osbourne

deliberately drove into a group of

Muslims trying to kill as many as

possible.

The prosecution say Darren Osborne

became enraged after a BBC drama

about sexual abuse by Pakistani men

in Rochdale, and by the attacks on

London and Manchester. His partner

said he was a ticking time bomb who

followed will on twitter Tommy

Robinson the founder of the far

right group the EDL. The day before

the attack he hired a large van.

That Saturday evening Darren Osborne

came here to his local pub, and the

prosecution say that witnesses

remember him writing on a piece of

paper, and then becoming

increasingly loud and abusive about

Muslims.

Prosecution say that after the

attack a misspelled note was found

in the cab of the van Osbourne

hired. Part of it reads:

The prosecution say that this

pro-Palestinian march may have been

Darren Osborne's original target,

but when that didn't prove viable he

instead started looking for mosques.

Their case is it was an act of

terrorism designed to intimidate the

Muslim community.

Police have arrested a man who's

thought to be the father

of an 8-year-old girl

who died after being

stabbed on Saturday night.

54-year-old Bill Billingham

is in a critical condition

after he was found with a stab wound

in his stomach.

Sima Kotecha reports.

Eight-year-old Mylee Billingham,

described as a little angel.

She was stabbed to

death at the weekend.

Tributes lay outside

the bungalow in the area

of Brownhills, near Walsall.

It's where police were called to,

just after 9.00pm on Saturday.

Mylee was found inside

with serious injuries.

She was rushed to hospital,

but police say medics

were unable to save her.

She died a short time later.

Some of those living

nearby are distraught.

I only live round the corner

and I heard the sirens,

and I couldn't believe it.

It was such a shock to everyone.

A 54-year-old man was arrested

yesterday on suspicion

of attempted murder.

The BBC understand he is

Bill Billingham, Mylee's father.

He was taken to hospital

with a serious stab wound

to his stomach, and is said to be

in a critical condition.

At Mylee's school, the head

teacher had this to say.

Everyone at the school

is completely devastated.

Mylee was dearly loved by us all.

Her smile lit up the room -

in fact it never left her face.

She was a fun-loving,

happy, eight-year-old,

who had her whole life

in front of her.

She took a full part in school life,

particularly enjoying

singing and performing.

She was just a lovely girl.

Our hearts go out to her family

at this difficult time.

Police are treating what happened

as a domestic incident,

and say they are not looking

for anybody else.

In this community, it's been

traumatic as they've had to come

to terms with losing their little

angel, taken too soon

in a tragic way.

Sima Kotecha, BBC News, Brownhills.

Our top story this evening.

On the front line NHS

staff are under intense

strain across the UK,

as hospitals struggles to deal

with winter pressures.

Also tonight...

A perfect

interception.

Tributes to

the footballer, Jimmy Armfield,

who's died aged 82.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News.

Dreams do come true for the world

number 58 from Korea,

Heung Chung, as he shocks the six

time winner Novak Djokovic to reach

the Australian Open quarter-finals.

One in three young women in the UK

are avoiding smear tests

for cervical cancer,

because they're too embarrassed

to show their bodies to doctors

according to a charity.

It also says cervical cancer

screening rates have

fallen to a 20-year low.

Two thousand women took

part in the survey -

it found that more than a third

of women are failing to get tested

because of their body shape.

34 per cent were worried

about getting undressed in front

of a doctor or nurse.

And the majority of those questioned

weren't aware that cervical cancer

is the most common cancer

in women under 35.

Here's our correspondent,

Lorna Gordon.

The abnormal cells that indicate the

presence of cervical cancer. It is a

disease that can be caught early by

a smear test. But for most of her

20s, Lauren Bene avoided having it

done even though she was getting

constant reminders from her GP.

There were quite a few reasons that

prevented me from doing it. I was

nervous about what the medical

professionals might think it just by

looking at me, I thought about the

underwear I would wear, were I would

put it when I took it off.

Picked up severely abnormal

precancerous cells, she has had

treatment and been given the all

clear. The aim of the smear test is

to pick up any changes in a cervix,

the cells at the neck of the womb.

It takes a few minutes and in most

instances it is carried out by a

nurse in a space like this. And yet

some women do not turn up for the

cheque. Virtually all of my patients

feel the need to apologise to me, I

am sorry I did not shave, or had a

shower yesterday and my answer is, I

do not think about that, I am here

to do a job. And that is that.

This

survey suggests there is a

particular reluctance among younger

women, those under 35 to get the

test done.

If women are being put

off attending screening, there will

be a risk of more women being

diagnosed and potentially losing

their lives, it is imperative we

find ways that make it more

accessible for women to attend

screening when invited and also that

they understand what the testers

for.

Cervical cancer is largely

preventable and the message to women

is not to let embarrassment stop

them from getting a simple test

which could end up saving their

lives. Laura Gordon, BBC News,

Glasgow.

The Ukip leader Henry Bolton says

he won't quit despite several

members of the party's ruling body

resigning in protest

over his relationship

with his ex-girlfriend.

She has apologised after

being accused of sending

racist text messages.

Our political correspondent

Leila Nathoo is in Folkestone

where Mr Bolton was speaking

a short time ago.

And he was adamant

he wasn't quitting?

That is right. Henry Bolton was

bullish when he emerged earlier in

defiance of those in his party who

are calling for him to stand down

over this episode concerning his now

ex-girlfriend. The ruling body has

decided in a boat of no confidence

in him and now a dozen members of

his top team have resigned, but

today he insisted he was going

nowhere saying it was time to end

the infighting, time to drain the

swamp, using the Donald Trump

phrase. He wants to reform party

structures and he

structures and he is banking on the

support of another party members to

keep him in place when they meet in

a few weeks' time to decide his

fate. In the meantime, a statement

has instead risked deepening

divisions.

Thank you.

The head of the Army says

the government must invest more

in the Armed Forces or risk falling

behind 'potential enemies.'

In a speech in the last hour,

General Sir Nick Carter said Britain

would struggle to match Russian

capabilities on the battlefield.

His comments have been

approved by the Defence

Secretary Gavin Williamson -

and come amid speculation that

the military is to face more cuts.

Our Defence Correspondent,

Jonathan Beale reports.

Russia is building an increasingly

modern and aggressive military.

Already tested in battle in Syria,

using weapons Britain

would struggle to match,

like long-range missiles.

In Ukraine they have been

using unconventional

warfare, electronics,

cyber and misinformation.

And they are even on manoeuvre

on Europe's doorstep.

With large-scale exercises

near to the borders.

Enough to worry the head

of the British Army,

who tonight gave this

rare public warning.

I believe our ability to pre-empt

or respond to these threats will be

eroded if we do not match up

to them now.

They represent a clear

and present danger.

They are not thousands

of miles away, they are now

on Europe's doorstep.

The UK is already seriously

outnumbered, Russia has

more than 2500 tanks,

among them the most

advanced in the world.

In contrast, Britain has fewer

than 300 and the UK's Challenger

tank, here on an exercise,

is now over 20 years old.

This intervention by the head

of the Army is as much an appeal

for more money for defence

as it is a warning about

the threat posed by Russia.

Over the next ten years,

the Ministry of Defence needs

an extra £20 billion to modernise

the Armed Forces and without that

money, they could face another

round of brutal cuts.

So how does Britain's

defence spending compare?

Last year its budget

was £35 billion.

While Russia's was £44 billion.

But the UK is still part

of the Nato alliance

who together spent £657 billion,

including a US defence

budget of 443 billion.

This is not only about Russia,

it is also about our European allies

and the United States.

We need to show to our Nato allies

that we are taking Russia seriously

and that we intend to maintain

ourselves as a serious

military power.

The Defence Secretary has

sent his top brass into battle

to persuade the Chancellor

to give him more money,

but they are competing with other

demands and other departments

and defence may not be

the top of the list.

Jonathan Beale, BBC News.

Two men have been sentenced

to at least 34 years each

after being found guilty

of murdering a businessman

in an attempted burglary

at his home in Dorset.

Guy Hedger was shot dead last April

by Kevin Downton and Jason Baccus,

who committed burglaries

to fund their drug habits.

A third man, Scott

Keeping, was acquitted.

The manufacturer of an ejector seat

which caused the death

of a Red Arrows pilot has admitted

breaking health and safety laws.

Flight Leftenant Sean

Cunningham died in 2011

when he was ejected -

without warning -

from his jet while it was parked

on the ground at RAF Scampton.

The Queen's granddaughter,

Princess Eugenie, is engaged

to her longterm boyfriend,

Jack Brooksbank.

The second Royal wedding of the year

- will take place in the autumn

at St George's Chapel,

Windsor.

The 27-year-old, who got engaged

on holiday in Nicaragua this month,

told the BBC of the moment

her fiance proposed.

The lake was so beautiful,

the light was such a special

light I have never seen.

I actually said, this

is an incredible moment.

And then he popped the question.

Which was really surprising,

even though we have been

together for seven years.

So...

Right.

I was over the moon.

The happy couple.

He played more than 600

matches for Blackpool,

he captained England and was even

part of the victorious

1966 World Cup squad -

today tributes have been pouring

in for Jimmy Armfield who has

died at the age of 82.

After he retired from the game -

the former Blackpool captain spent

more than 30 years working

as a BBC pundit.

Our sports correspondent, David

Ornstein, looks back at his life.

Jimmy Armfield was as likeable on

the football pitch as he was in the

commentary box and beyond, starting

out in 1954 with Blackpool, he

played there until retirement, 627

games, many of them as captain, over

17 years. Armfield would later turn

to management succeeding Brian

Clough at Leeds United and guiding

them to the 1975 European Cup final,

but it was his loyalty to one club

which set him apart. Jimmy Armfield

became known as Mr Blackpool with

this statue erected Stevan years ago

in his honour, a permanent reminder

of a man who contributed so much for

his town and his country -- seven

years ago. Armfield represented

England 43 times... A perfect

interception. 15 as skipper and was

a member of the 1966 World Cup

winning squad, only for injury to

deny him any time on the pitch.

When

you tell someone you're not playing,

you have to be fit for the World Cup

start and I never played again. It

is better that we won but is today

people look back and say, that they

remember the World Cup squad. It is

not the same as being in the 11 who

played in the point was, it was

better that they won.

It wasn't

until 2009 at Armfield received his

medal and by then he had taken up

summarising for BBC Radio and did so

for the best part of 40 years,

referred to by many as the voice of

football.

I don't think he ever

properly got the credit as a player

or manager that he deserved. But do

you know what I loved about him? As

much as anything else, that he

maintained his loyalty to Blackpool.

In a statement, his family confirmed

that he passed away peacefully after

a decade-long battle against cancer.

The outpouring of tributes reflect

the regard in which he was held.

Jimmy Armfield made his mark like

few others, he was as popular as

they come and will be sorely missed

but so fondly remembered.

Jimmy Armfield, who's

died at the age of 82.

Time for a look at the weather..

Here's Alina Jenkins.

Here's Alina Jenkins.

It will be all change. The trend for

something milder is underway. We

have the lying snow, it will be

starting to thaw and we have lost

that feed of cold air, the winds

have switched around pushing much

milder air across the country and we

noticed that today, some spells of

sunshine in Central and eastern

parts of England. It looks almost

springlike outside Worthing. It is a

fairly quiet evening, mainly dry, a

few showers, icy stretches in the

north of England and later we look

to the west, are neck bowl of wet

and windy weather arriving in the

West through the night. Some strong

winds and heavy and persistent rain

but a much milder night, at

temperatures between 5-9. We have a

much more unsettled day tomorrow,

strong winds, outbreaks of rain,

pushing into these, one way or

another we

will see rain at some stage. The

first belt should clear to leave

some sunshine but more showers are

never too far away in the afternoon.

Look at the temperatures, between

9-13. Parts of Wales and England

seeing 14 or 15. There is another

Atlantic system heading our way

tomorrow evening, a squeeze in the

ice of Boris, strong winds, gales,

if not severe ones and heavy rain

pushing east and then we start to

see some brighter conditions and

colder conditions, though showers

perhaps wintry again in Scotland but

still quite mild. By Thursday and

Friday, it stays quite windy, and

mixture of sunshine and showers and

while not as cold as recently, it

will turn colder again.

That's all from the BBC News at Six,

so it's goodbye from me -