28/05/2014 BBC Points West

The new Southmead Hospital in Bristol opened today

and it represents the biggest leap forward in hospital care in the West

David Garmston has been there for us today.

It's cost more than ?400 million and we'll be paying for it for the

next 30 years, but what's happened on this site is truly remarkable.

Instead, patients have the sort of experience you'd get

Most of the patients here h`ve their own single rooms with ensuite

Of course, it's meant the closure of Frenchay and staff have been working

down the at the why the needed to be flat out, closing down the old wards

The old neurosurgery ward at the old Frenchay Hospital.

Emma Wright worked here for 15 years and before it closed, she ghven NHS

beds have got bigger despite the, showed us why the old war hospital

This is one of our shower rooms We have got to shower rooms available.

have got to shower rooms av`ilable. It is not very big and there is

often a long wait in the morning. NHS beds have got bigger ovdr

the years. Despite the old building,

Frenchay became so well, a regional centre for neurosurgery,

so is Emma going to miss it? I don't want to say I am gl`d to see

the back of it because I loved working here.

Well, here is Emma, two days after the move to the large, wide,

here to airy, bed pushing, friendly Brunel building at Southmead.

The store room's bigger, of course, but most impressive are those

It means privacy for patients and it should reduce the risk

Largely windproof. Hate being shot in anywhere. Lovely bathroom.

Largely windproof. Hate being shot in anywhere. Lovely bathrool. It's

in anywhere. Lovely bathroom. It's like a first`class hotel! Jtst

like a first`class hotel! Just wonder what I am having for tea

Emma loves the new building, too, but admits the move was stressful.

Everybody was sad on the dax of the move. But I think it is a positive.

People are happy to D here. Emma and the rest of her staff deserve

something much better than the old ward at Frenchay Hospital.

The cost of this hospital works out at about ?100,000 a DAY

but the outgoings are offset by the closure of Frenchay, a hospital

Danielle had flown to Frenchay for treatment. The 17`year`old was

diagnosed with a tumour in the most inaccessible part of her br`in. It's

inaccessible part of her brain. It's because Frenchay has built tp

inaccessible part of her br`in. It's because Frenchay has built up an

because Frenchay has built tp an international reputation in brain

surgery that Danny's surgeon asked for a second opinion. Treathng

surgery that Danny's surgeon asked for a second opinion. Treating it in

for a second opinion. Treathng it in a special way, using an endoscopic

technique. This was pioneered in Frenchay and allowed her surgeon to

take a sample of her chamber. The story began in 1921 when it opened

with just 35 patients. Then, Stengel story buildings were built for

casualties from World War IH. More casualties from World War IH. More

recently, the burns unit has developed a dressing for children

developed a dressing for chhldren that reacts to UV light when there

is an infection. The most dramatic medical development is for

Parkinson's patients. This patient's symptoms improved after

the surgeon infused a growth factor into his brain. So if this can`do

culture can be transferred to Southmead, there is every chance

that patients will continue to benefit from the latest in medical

benefit from the latest in ledical innovation.

Plans to cable the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Pohnt

in Somerset to the National Grid at Avonmouth have been submhtted.

The grid connection will sed 30 miles of overhead wires carried

on pylons and a five`mile section under the Mendips.

Those opposed to the plans say the cables need to be buried.

A final decision won't be made until next year.

In rugby, Bristol face a big task if they're to win promotion to

They lost the first leg of their play`off final tonhght to

Two failed play`off attempts have taught Bristol to take nothhng for

granted. Having finished top of the table, they were favourites and an

early try under like that. For London Welsh, they gave nothced they

were not here just to make up the were not here just to make up the

numbers. Two tries later. A miserable first half of Bristol was

capped by a couple of injuries. miserable first half of Bristol was

capped by a couple of injurhes. By the second half, it started just as

badly. 22 points adrift, Bristol badly. 22 points adrift, Brhstol

were in danger of letting the tie get away with them. They sthll face

get away with them. They still face a huge task to turn this around when

the sides meet again in a wdek's the sides meet again in a week's

time. One more day of this dang, jury and

grey weather before things improve grey weather before things hmprove

at the end of the week. Before, things get drier and brightdr on

things get drier and brighter on Friday and plenty of cloud `nd

showers tonight into tomorrow. Dank and grey overnight and dank and grey

tomorrow morning. Those showers coming in courtesy of a low pressure

system. Some breaks in the club during the afternoon which will lift

temperatures and give us a bit of sunshine. That hot air will add

energy and fuel to those showers. Then those showers continue apace

overnight, pushing away southwards as that low pressure moves `way

overnight, pushing away southwards as that low pressure moves away. It

as that low pressure moves `way It is moving albeit slowly and by

Friday, it moves southwards. On Friday, drier and brighter weather

weekend. My colleague John Hammond will have your national details

right now. Hello. Some of us had a nice day.

Others of you will be wondering if the sun will ever shine again. It's

been another cloudy and damp day across many parts of the country. No

more so than across the heart of northern England, where, through the

heart of the day, with persistent rain, temperatures were no higher

than 11 degrees. Disappointing for the end of May, I'm sure you will

agree. We emerged into sunshine across the Irish Sea. For western

parts of Northern Ireland we reached the dizzy heights of 21 degrees.

Even here, you are going to join in the phone later tonight, with the

rain crossing the Irish Sea as I speak. It's turning damp, with heavy

bursts of rain possible, particularly damp across northern

Ireland and northern England. The cloud is lowering onto the hills, so

reduced visibility later tonight, particularly on high-level routes.

Temperatures staying in double figures. A very slow start tomorrow,

damp and misty in many places. Slow improvements, but