21/03/2012 BBC Newsline

Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor and Noel

Thompson. The headlines this Wednesday evening: An action plan

to try to cut emergency waiting times - Will it make any

difference? There were people beside me he was saying this is a

mess. A wheeze question the health minister.

We question the Health Minister Edwin Poots who's here in the

studio. Our business editor will assess the changes in the Budget.

Only one Irish League football club wins in a thrilling night of action.

And we've been a bit unlucky with the sunshine lately, but that's

about to change. In the face of mounting criticism

of the state of the Health service, the Minister Edwin Poots is setting

new targets for dealing with patients in Accident and Emergency.

He wants 95 percent of patients to be admitted or discharged within

four hours. And he has set up what he calls an Action Group to take a

longer term view on solving the problems in the Service. The moves

follow the death of an elderly man who spent 24 hours on a trolley

waiting for a bed in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. In a

moment we'll hear from Edwin Poots himself, first here's our health

correspondent. Chester three of the hundreds of

people who contacted BBC Newsline to tell us about their experiences.

This woman's 80-year-old mother spent a night on a trolley, she had

a fractured hip. Something as basic as providing a toilette prove

impossible for nurses, often too busy to talk. Eventually, she was

brought into a storeroom, I waited approximately 45 minutes, I

couldn't understand what was happening, I went to look further,

I couldn't find her. Another patient told me she was in the

storeroom, she was still on the bed pan, I have to go and ask a nurse

to remove the bedpan. The Health Minister announces plans, in order

to reduce the waiting times Edwin Poots said that nurses would be

allowed to discharge patients, they would be more frequent rounds of

the ward, minor injuries treated on site, and maximising the amount of

day care procedures. Some nurses said they had heard it all before,

but the minister showed he was listening, and confronting why so

many staff are turning to the media. We think the question is for

employers. Why do staff feel the need to go to the media? They do

not believe that they are being listened to, and that people are

taking action when they have raised concerns, and they feel they have

no choice. A test of whether the plan is working is whether fewer

people have experiences like John, his father has Alzheimer's, he says

nurses had no time to listen. said she was giving him penicillin,

I said, if you look at the notes, you will find he is allergic to

penicillin, and is highly intolerant to other medicines.

Should anyone be held accountable? In the last four years, a dozen

chief executives have been sacked for failing to meet targets. It is

a time to start cracking the whip, people are paid enormous amounts of

money for doing this job, and not beating targets. My focus is

entirely on patients. Others can take on the role of holding people

to account, my entire focus is the patient. For the public, some

problems are easily solved, this man's mother weighted how was just

to receive stitches. -- this man's mother waited for hours. They could

be much more efficient. Sol in this crisis is the biggest challenge yet

for the health minister. The Health Minister Edwin Poots is

with me now. As a they can this challenge -- has

it taken this tragedy to get your head out the sand? Absolutely not.

I was dedicated to this long before any of this. What I was hearing was

not acceptable, the waiting times were too long. Why was it allowed

to become so bad? A mess, as one patient told us. It is quite

apparent that the problem does not solely rest in accident and

emergency, it is the whole hospital system. A lot of people have had to

stay on trolleys, as opposed to moving towards. That has led to

large build up so people. You close the one major A&E centre? -- you

closed. What would have made the difference was spreading our jam or

thinly across these hospitals, we were spread across two sides.

about accountability? He was responsible for it? It is the chief

executive of the trust, he is responsible. He is accountable to

me and the public. The standards that we are receiving are not

acceptable. We expect that to be improved. We have heard about heads

rolling, will it happen here? have set them some very significant

targets. If they felt to be met, it is an issue that will be addressed.

You have set these targets, but you have given no more resources. We

have heard about �80 million of cuts, which will maybe reduce the

number of nurses, it will affect operations, community care, you're

asking the possible? We have a very tight budget. That is the Budget we

have. That does not mean make-up front line services. In Antrim

Hospital, we have financed, and replaced, the recruitment of 40

additional nurses. There is a new unit being built. We are doing

things. A target of 95% of patients being discharged in the first 24

hours, by when? We would want to see that in fermented in the next

the number of months. Too long, people will say. I want to see that

move upwards. If it hasn't happened, we resigned -- world you resign?

are putting these measures in place. Will you resign? What is important

is how why will respond to these difficulties. I'm very clearly

putting a planning to place, and I want to do with things. Let's watch

this space. Thank you. The Chancellor George Osborne has

said thousands of people in Northern Ireland should find

themselves better off as a result of today's budget. Although some

pensioners could eventually find themselves worse off. Let's have a

look at some of the main points. The amount people can earn tax free

is increasing, it's currently around �8,000 but will go up more

than �9,000. The Chancellor says it should give people as much as an

should give people as much as an extra �220 a year. People over 65

currently get a bigger tax free allowance but that will be frozen

and so its value will be eroded by inflation. Households where someone

earns over �42,000 were going to lose their child benefit. That's

been changed. It will now only affect people earning over �50,000.

And only those earning �60,000 will lose it all. Smokers will be hit,

with a packet of 20 cigarettes going up by 37 pence. There will

also be a 3p rise in the price of a pint. There's no respite for

motorists. The Chancellor is sticking with plans to increase

fuel duty later this year. That's dismayed many people who say high

fuel costs are one of the biggest drags on our economy. Here's our

drags on our economy. Here's our business correspondent.

Spiralling fuel prices are having a dramatic effect on this haulage

company. It uses 80 million litres of diesel annually. It cost them an

extra �180,000 a year. A fuel prices are at their record high,

and while there was no respite, there was huge disappointment at

the 3p a litre rise in August. are depilated, very upset. --

deflated. Some hauliers will say they can't go one. After Matt Lee,

people may lose their jobs because of this. The cost to the consumer

will go up. Boris start, it means higher food prices. -- for a start,

it means higher food prices. This woman working at Ulster Hospital

and �27,000 here, she will pay around �300 less a year, though she

says, in real terms, she would be any better off. I'll be paying an

additional six under �80 in pension contributions. If I have a huge

amount of fuel costs. Heating and to have gone up, and the dredger

pounds when make any difference. -- �300. I won't be any better off.

Smokers will have to pay more. The increase will come into effect at

six o'clock. It won't stop me at all. I think it's ridiculous.

increase is great from my perspective, it will help me cut

back. That is a really big hike. The fact that the Chancellor will

allow many middle-class families to keep all of their child benefit was

welcomed. I think child benefit should be available to as many

people as possible. People deserve a bit to help of their children.

The Budget has left the one big unanswered question for Northern

Ireland, and that is the fate of the pay of two other 1,000 public

sector workers. The Chancellor, ultimately wants to see pay bills

going down, what he didn't was it when, or by how much. -- didn't

spell out. Our business and economics editor

Jim Fitzpatrick joins me now. Jim did this budget live up to what we

expected? The expectations were on the top rate of tax. Let's look at

the highest rates, it's coming down to 45p next year. How many people

will that affect in Northern Ireland? The answer is around 4,000.

That is not a huge impact. What about the match and tax? They

avoided that. -- what about mansion tax? They have to pay another tax

anyway. What is the impact? thing that was aborted was personal

allowances. They are effectively the rate you pay income tax.

Because they are raising it it will take some people out of the system

altogether. They will be 600,000 people who will see that affect.

has been a speculation about public service work sectors? Some

departments are concerned. The differential, the premium you get

in the public sector is 27%, that figure comes from the Department of

Finance. The finance minister, Sammy Wilson, is concerned about

this. He has reasons why they are paying more, if the principle is

established by reducing pay, it would have a big impact. Having

said that, they found a more Helpful to the film industry,

passenger devolution helping foreign investment, a reduction in

corporation tax which will close the gap Parlour between Northern

Ireland and the Irish Republic and broadband for Belfast. And the fact

that some people who Warren Lowing comes are being lifted out of tax

and will pay no tax -- who what are Honour low-income. There are lot of

things that concern me in this Budget. -- who are on the low

income. It has been found people at the bottom will lose the most.

People on pensions are squeezed so forget about the squeezed middle,

You can check out the detail with News Online. Still to come... We

look at the planned changes to its capacity benefit. And Banbridge

Officials from Linfield and Derry City football clubs have been

giving their reaction to the trouble after last night's Setanta

Cup game. Buses carrying Linfield supporters were attacked as were

houses close to the stadium. One man was arrested. In a statement

Linfield say they were unhappy with "aggressive and provocative

behaviour" by Derry City stewards and some local people. But one of

Derry City's directors says he feared for his life as he ran from

They knocked down part of the fence, then a mob started to attack me --

attack me. The stewards rugby- They said let's kill him! To be

honest, it was really scary. People who have been deemed too ill to

work may be forced to look for a job under benefit changes. The

government is moving people from the old incapacity benefit to was

appalled -- employment support allowance. We have the highest

number in the UK and incapacity benefit and the government digs

many of them can find some form of work. Our political correspondent

has the second in our series on reworking welfare. This is Bill, he

works trying to help people get jobs. He is fully behind changes to

welfare that will see thousands taken off incapacity benefit. That

is because of the new test which focuses on what work you can do

rather than what you cannot. This is not about saying you're all

faking, this is saying there are people who were genuinely unwell

and need support, there are those who want to get back to work but

cannot because they are tied up in the system. By breaking down a

system and giving people a step-by- step approach without making it

economically hard for them, we can make their lives different. It in

the past you had to go and see what was known as the big doctor to get

benefit, now it is being phased out and you go to centres like this. If

you pass the test you can collect �100 a week on employment support

allowance. This is how it works... The most ill people will get the

allowance automatically, others are sent to a health care professional,

not necessarily a doctor. They then send a report to the Social

Security Agency for a decision. Some people are moved to a work

support group on benefit of around �94 a week. Others lose their

incapacity benefit. We think around 30% of those who move from capacity

benefit will either fell at test or move on -- and have to move on to

jobseeker's allowance, or alternatively, they may drop out of

the benefits system altogether if they have a partner who earns over

a certain amount, or if they do. You need 15 points to keep your

benefits but you can appeal. We are aware of a case of a lone parent

with one child, the woman has learning difficulties. She was

given no points at her assessment but and 36 in her appeal. The whole

process took four a month and in the meantime she was left on a

basic benefit of �67 a week. Despite such problems one welfare

reformer says it is the only option. I take the view that with the

economy in such dire straits we cannot afford to allow so many

people to be signed off into different areas and then have the

belief the highest they can aspire to is a workless life. I think many

people should aspire to more the mat. I think a lot of people do.

critics. How long-term unemployment and ill-health is a legacy of the

Troubles and say job opportunities are not there for those who want to

work. Particularly in this recession, if you have people

applying for jobs and you have somebody who has been on long-term

incapacity benefit through no fault of their own, and you have a string

of graduates coming in, you can answer that question for me. Who

are you going to employ? It is not known how many people on incapacity

benefit have been helped into work as those figures are not recorded.

But the Department of Employment and learning says around 1500

people have claimed a return to work credit in the past year.

In the final part of her series tomorrow night Martina will be

looking at universal credit - it's going to replace all the current

benefits. And the changes to benefits have prompted a lot of

discussion on our Facebook page today. You can join the

In last night's Setanta Cup quarter-finals, League of Ireland

sides won three of the four ties, leaving Crusaders as the only Irish

Premiership club in the last four after their 2-0 win over Bohemians.

But the tie of the night was at Brandywell where Derry emerged as

victors. With the game poised our one all from the first leg,

Linfield took the lead. But Derry were level in the second half. They

scored two more to clinch the tie. There was a result which left the

Linfield manager furious with the match officials. But there were no

complaints from Derry as they In Belfast, Sean Ward scored the

best goal of the night to get Tottenham back into their tie

against Sligo. But just as the glens were getting into their

stride, this happened... A floodlight failure and a ten-minute

delay. When the lights came back on a penalty was conceded, and a tie.

The it was not the ideal way of taking the players into the

changing room and cooling down, then having to come out again

midway through the second half. But Two goals from Barry Johnson and

Joe Gormley got them back on level terms. They forced the game into

extra time and then a penalty shoot-out but could only convert

one spot kick. There was no pressure on us. We had to keep

clean sheets. It went to penalties and it is a lottery from there. Our

players were dead on their feet but I have nothing but admiration for

them. Earlier this week we saw Methodist College win at the Rugby

Schools Cup. Tonight we bring you the hockey schools champions after

war was probably the most thrilling final of them all. Banbridge

Academy have cemented their reputation as one of the best

Schools' Hockey teams in Ireland after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time

victory over Friends' School from Lisburn in this year's Burney Cup

final. Denise Watson reports. The Academy scored twice in the first

six minutes. A short corner conversion made it 2-0. The first

goal for friends came courtesy -- the first goal for Friends' School

came up after 25 minutes. The final touch, then they were well and

truly back in the final contest. Extra-time was necessary. Banbridge

thought they had got victory but there was more drama to come. In

the dying moments Friends' School So Banbridge Academy, Burney Cup

winners again but friend -- Friends' School pushed them all

away. Ireland and Munster hooker Jerry Flannery has retired from

professional rugby. He had struggled with injuries for the

last two seasons. Flannery won a total of 41 caps for Ireland.

Armagh claim that their players, including Ciaran McKeever here,

suffered ''racist and personal abuse'' during Sunday's league

defeat to Laois. And Graham McDowell was a member of the Lake

Nona team which has won the Tavistock Cup. McDowell carded a

three-under 69 on the final day of the annual exhibition tournament in

Florida. And finally good luck to Ireland's cricketers - they face

Canada in a Twenty20 World cup qualifier early tomorrow morning

our time. We'll have that action on Good luck to them. Now the weather.

I have been inside all day, but I think it has been nice. It has been

dry. Let's hope it continues. has been fine. We have been unlucky

with the sunshine, the cloud has rolled in each day to spoil things.

That is what happened again today. The cloud went back northwards

after a bright start. Our fortunes are about to change. We have fairly

clear skies, so we are hoping to see those engine during the night.

Still a fair amount of cloud around through the evening. It is dry, the

winds are easing down. Through the night the clouds starts to shrink

away towards the north, clearing skies but that means it will also

be a cold at night. Temperatures inland, Three Degrees, but close to

freezing in some rural spots. Chances are we will see patchy

Frost with the odd patch of mist, or fog as well. If they form they

will probably go quite quickly tomorrow. A dry, fine day coming up.

A brighter day certainly with more sunshine around. Despite a chilly

start it will probably be the skies and sunshine. A few differences

around tomorrow. If you are on the County Down coastline you will

probably have an onshore south- easterly breeze. So it could feel

quite cool. The best is inland, particularly towards the west and

north-west. Through tomorrow night -- a fine day, but cloudy. Even on

Friday there will be some showers around but they will not linger

into the weekend, they should clear to leave us with a lot of dry