29/05/2014 BBC Points West

News at 6.00pm. For this evening, it's goodbye are from me, on

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.

Our main story tonight: The eye operations that went wrong.

Surgery is suspended in Taunton after thirty patients report blurred

vision following cataract procedures.

There is a potential that a small number will need further surgery.

That is regrettable. Our other headlines tonight:

Dredging on the Somerset Levels Farmers complain

after the work falls behind. We are so sorry.

Bristol rugby players apologise to fans for a crushing defeat

in the play`offs. And I am here with the antipues road

show to see what happens behind the scenes.

Fifteen patients of Musgrove Hospital have had

significant problems after having eye surgery at mobile unit there.

Vanguard Healthcare, the specialist eye`care company that

carried out the operations has had its contract cancelled.

An investigation has now bedn launched.

One in three of us will devdlop cataracts in our eyes in later life.

It occurs when the lens becomes cloudy overtime and if left

Imagine if you step out the shower and you try to look in the lirror

and it is steamed up. After developing cataracts,

Malcom had the relatively shmple operation to replace

the cloudy lenses in his eyds. It was quite frightening. I did not

know how much my site was deteriorating until it was gone

But the waiting list for thhs surgery at Musgrove Park Hospital

So in May, the hospital took the decision to bring

in a specialist eye`care colpany to set up a mobile surgery to carry

But after just a few weeks there were problems

About 15 patients had a problem We have seen all of them now. They will

continue to be followed up by our staff to make sure that we look

after them properly. We are very sorry that this has happened.

Those fifteen patients could be looking at further surgery

The company say they are helping with the investigation to fhnd out

what has gone wrong. They expect to have some answers

in the next few weeks but, with the mobile clinic closed, it looks like

the waiting time for those needing Tracey Miller, BBC Points Wdst,

Taunton. Well the difficulties experhenced

by the eye patients has meant Vanguard's contract

for 400 operations being terminated Cataract operations are routine

across the country Well, earlier I spoke to BBC

Health Reporter, Smitha Mundasad. This is a routine operation

how unusual is it to have It is a very common operation. In

terms of serious complications, one in 100 ten to get them. It hs a safe

operation for most people whll What about this number

of patients reporting probldms stop the usual rates are ond in a

hundred, so this case is cldarly different.

Is it normal to contract out surgery like this?

In the last decade, the NHS has contacted out more surgery to

private firms. This tends to be surgery where there are long waiting

times. It doesn't happen only with this kind of surgery, but things

like head operations to. It has been controversial, but at the end of the

day the private companies h`ve two abide to NHS standards.

What should people do if thdy are concerned about their operation

The trust said that they have contacted everyone who is involved.

Most people should not have any concerns. If they do, they should go

back to the hospital and thdir GP. There are many private firms that

carry out this kind of surgdry. The Environment Secretary f`ced

questions today over the spded Owen Paterson was at the Roxal Bath

and West Show, where he met campaigners who said

just 5% of the targeted are` had Scott Ellis has spent the d`y

at the show and sent this rdport. It was much busier today. The

weather was OK. Those who wdre exhibiting worse here first and up

very early. There is concern among local farmers about the ratd at

which the dredging operation is taking place. They have worked out

that only 10% of the area h`s been dredged in the first two months If

they continue at that speed, only one third will be done by the

winter. As things stand thex will not finish the job. They will be

nowhere near finishing the job will stop we need the job 100% fhnished.

We have to get it right. If they are on schedule, they can show ts the

evidence and then people will believe them. We have put some of

the concerns about dredging to the secretary of state for the

environment. What reassurances can you give to local people and

farmers? I have come here to talk to the local farmers and

representatives. The environmental agency is sure that they will manage

to do it in time. Is there `ny more money on the table? I am optimistic

that we will be be bringing this project to completion. But there is

no extra money? I am under pressure from across the United Kingdom for

different schemes. Let us sde what the scheme looks like. I thhnk there

could be significant benefits. What about the badger cull? Does it allow

you that they seem to be people `` there seem to be people colluding

with the police. I'm very h`ppy I would like to pay tribute to the

people working in the local company who were working with the police. I

am delighted that they coopdrated so well will stop this is an operation

that involves men with fire`rms in the dark and we need to be careful

to stop we need to make surd that care is taken to stop I am glad that

there was good coverage by the police of the operation. A large

part of this show is showing off your farm animals. It is a skill to

guide these animals around the arena. I have been learning about it

from a pig farmer who has the oldest pig herd in the country. Talworth

pigs being put through their paces. In charge of these pics is

Caroline. Fix`mac takes. Thd spec is for encouraging. The board hs for

turning them. She has won hdre before. Tamworth is home to the

oldest pigs in the country. This pig was born in 1992 and this is her

family tree. There are nearly 1 0 years of reading details here. The

hard keeps going because of reading. In the 1970s there were not

many left. If she has six b`bies over a number of years therd will be

many more. You can taste thd difference in this meet. Thd flavour

is completely different. Yot put your money where your mouth is. If

you want to eat Tamworth bacon you have to pay for it. Tasty. The

Tamworth pigs will forage all day and eat almost anything. Here is

something else that might tdmpt you. This is the largest cider

competition in the world. This man just one. Bob Chapman. He works at

the cider mill. Your cider hs the best in the world. Congratulations.

What is your secret? The selection of the apples. I mixed the type of

apples that I use. I these local apples? Yes they are. I now would

like to taste the cider, but the judges have drank it all.

Lots more still to come on the programme tonight including:

From a blank sheet of paper to competing around the world.

The students from Bath who have built a racing car.

And the weather has been unsettled, but it looks like we have some nice

days on the way. Join me soon to find out.

The only case against a badger`cull protestor accused of breachhng

The injunction was brought by the National Farmers Union to keep

the public away from the cull areas in Somerset and Gloucestershire

Cathy Scott, from Coventry, was accused of running into a field

It is not yet clear why the Crown Prosecution Service h`s

Bath`based publisher Future has confirmed plans to cut

The figure has emerged as p`rt of the company's interim financial

The news follows the start of a transformation programle and

Future says they are restructuring under a new leadership team.

They have also announced thd sale of their sport and craft titles

An ambulance service, criticised for poor perform`nce

in rural Gloucestershire, is to spend ?700,000 on more vehicles

Figures last month showed fdwer than half of 999 response vehiclds

in the Cotswold area reached their destination within

The Trust is now buying an extra ambulance

Students at the University of Bath have been showing off a rachng car

They started with a blank sheet of paper and found sponsors

Now they are preparing to compete against other universities

Who would have ever thought an engineering degree

This car will compete against 500 others this sumler.

The last few days have been incredibly exciting.

Seeing our car come together, seeing it come off the comptter

The fruition of fifteen months of work.

We are basically building a racing car with our mates, with a

Nought to sixty in three seconds ` no problem!

And here to have a look, and believe me he did,

is one of the most successftl engineers in the world, Ron Dennis.

After joining McLaren in thd 19 0s, he masterminded Formula One

Championships for Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Lewis Hamilton

What would they have made, H wonder, of the Team Bath racing cre`tion?

They would have a very positive smile on their faces, because

Any great Grand Prix drivers, and certainly nearly all thd world

champions, have come through karting and formula such as this.

Of course, their smile would be linked to them reminiscing `bout

This is a great start`up project ` not just for the drivers, btt for

all the engineers who participate and who will possibly participate

Fourteen of these aspiring Rons have already spent time with Forlula One

teams as part of their course, but there is nothing like

The majority of the team have had at least six hours sleep

It is going to continue unthl July, when we race at Silverstone.

Then it will carry on when we race in Germany and Austria.

Our target is top three in all the events.

The podium is possible, as long as they sort out that back dnd.

I think you need to beef those up a bit.

Sarah`Jane Bungay, BBC Points West, Bath.

Bristol are facing up to another season of championship rugbx,

unless they can produce a m`ssive comeback in their playoff fhnal

They were beaten 27`8 by London Welsh in last night's away leg.

The players have apologised to the 2,000 Bristol fans who lade

the trip, but have insisted they can turn the tie around

After two failed playoff attempts in the last four seasons,

I have been nervous all day and I am getting worse now `

We are definitely going to go up this year,

With huge investment in the squad, and having finished top

of the table, they were understandably favourites.

The big question ` could they handle that tag?

Bristol's Marco Mama scored first in testing conditions,

The next seventy minutes were dominated by London Welsh,

Bristol's miserable night compounded by the loss of star`signing Ryan

The bad news kept coming, as did the points for the home sidd.

They were 22 in front going into the final minutes.

A last gasp Adrian Jarvis pdnalty giving Bristol just a glimmdr

The Welsh have completely ottplayed us and they deserve the restlt.

For us to lose by only 19 points, it could have been much mord.

We have another game to go and we need to play very well next

If there is any side that c`n do it, we can.

We have done it before this season and overturned deficits likd that.

We have had times when we h`ve been 19 points up in the first h`lf.

If there is any side that c`n do it, we can.

We're going to have to draw on everything.

We are very tight knit side, we will need to pull togethdr.

We are going to have to make it happen on the day.

A big build`up and nothing there, really.

I would love to think that we could get back in it but...

We have to go for it against the best defence in the league.

The only consolation for Brhstol is that it is only half timd.

But they will need a twenty`point winning margin next week if they

That second leg will be plaxed in front of a sell`out crowd

We can only hope and pray that their side find some

Alistair Durden, BBC Points West, Oxford.

Staff at a wildlife rescue centre have had their hands full this month

The RSPCA in West Hatch say they are now looking after thirty`ond young

tawny owls ` five times as lany as they had this time last xear

Andrew Plant has been along to find out why.

We are just going to check on the owls now.

This is just one of several bird houses here that is filling up fast.

Just going to stick my head around the corner

The supervisor is taking it slowly because they are frightened

of people and we do not want to ruffle any feathers.

These juvenile tawny owls h`ve all been brought in by members

There are seven young ones hn here, another twenty`four elsewhere.

This time last year they had just six.

It is leaving staff here wondering just what is causing this boom

We had over a period of around twenty`eight days,

We did have some high winds, in April and stuff.

It could have been that somd of them were blown out

of trees sooner than they normally would be and so found more.

They are usually found underneath a tree from which they have fallen.

But there long claws mean they are expert climbers and often,

if left alone, they will find their way back to the nest.

You can see how easily they are hanging on here and they don't

They are common across the TK and Europe and blend in beattifully

It is still not entirely cldar why there are so many here this year,

As soon as they are ready, every single one will be put back

You can see more about the owls on the Facebook page and website.

The BBC's Antiques Roadshow has been in Bristol today,

casting expert opinion over the West's family heirlooms.

All the famous faces were there as Andy Howard found out.

This is the thirty`seventh series of the Antiques Roadshow,

But you do not want to hear from him, you want to hear from me.

As he said, it is the thirtx`seventh season of the Antiques Roadshow

Have a look behind`the`scends and see what goes on during the day

I'm afraid you are stuck with me, as Fiona was working today.

Mostly checking in household treasures at the front desk.

Hi there, thanks for braving the rain.

From there it is a tense waht for an expert.

I have got a Japanese, I thhnk, panel that has been made

into a fire screen that my grandfather got back frol his

And everything from antique teddies to teapots

Not every story or keepsake makes the final cut on the

Antiques Roadshow, only the exceptional, unusu`l,

But for Jo, the day was still a success.

Thousands came with their w`res in the hope of seeing

It would be a shame to come to the Antiques Roadshow and not have

It was the oldest thing I could find.

Let's see what the expert m`kes of it.

I do not think it is an anthque in the true sense

It is just going to be a few pounds really.

What about if we took the picture out of the framd?

I bought it for you. If there are collectors out there you can always

bid against me. It will be on the desk for some time.

Apparently one person who ttrned up to get a picture valued was

Denis Stynchcombe with the infamous Banksy Mobile Lovers.

And we overheard what the v`luation the art experts put on it...

That is pretty good. There hs an interview with Fiona on our Facebook

site. I was hoping that there would be

sunshine today. But the hot air has resulted in stormy weather. The day

was nice and the temperaturds were raised by the sunshine, but now

there is rain and weather w`rnings. Low`pressure is bringing thd showers

in. The flashing colours on the radar show where the heaviest rain

was all stop there is more to come. It will move away overnight and by

tomorrow there will be high`pressure and more settled days. We h`d decent

temperatures today. As we hdad towards Friday and Saturday the

weather will become drier and brighter. On Sunday, the wet and

great conditions will return. The weather warning is in force until

midnight will. Tomorrow, thdre will not be much rain. Temperatures,

18`19 Celsius. Temperatures more like we would expect for thhs time

of year. There will be a decent Saturday, much the same as Friday.

Dry and bright. But on Sund`y, it will be wet and cold.

Thank you. If anyone would like to buy this to practice starts you are

welcome. We will be back later. Goodbye.