31/07/2014 BBC Points West

northern parts of the UK. Not great news for the closing ceremony.

One hospital is forced to p`y ? 800 for

It's a huge amount of money at a time when the NHS needs

And it's worrying, not just about money, but also in

terms of quality of care, bringing in someone from the outside.

A survivor of a condition called sepsis ` but thousands

Lift off for Claudia ` the West Country gymnast who's won

The architects who think big but build small.

A hospital trust in Bristol has defended

its decision to pay an agency nurse nearly ?2000 to cover a shift.

It happened on a Bank Holid`y earlier this year.

Several other trusts in the West also paid high amounts.

A former director of public health has called it

It's an issue that faces all organisations.

Short`staffed on a bank holhday weekend, so agency cover is booked.

Today it's emerged that University Hospitals Bristol NHS

Trust payed ?1800 for a nurse to cover a 12`hour shift.

It was a specialised role in a cardiac intensive care ward.

The trust, which runs sever`l hospitals in Bristol, has stressed

that using outside agency staff is always the very last resort.

The alternative ` a ward without enough staff ` is not an option

We would always obviously try to fill shifts with our warns staff.

And we tried to use our own temporary staff. We would then go to

ask our staff if they would like to do overtime. We would then go to

locally and nationally negotiated agencies. On a framework. The last

resort would be to go to an agency outside of that framework which

University Hospitals Bristol Trust is not the only trust paying

The Taunton and Somerset Trust paid ?1788 for a

And again on the same day the North Bristol Trust paid ?1297.

Dr Gabriel Scally is a formdr public health director at the South West

Strategic Health Authority and says these agency nurses don't

It is worrying, not just thd amount of money, but also in terms of

quality of care, bringing in someone from the outside who may not be

familiar with the war the l`yout or the equipment and expecting them to

operate like a normal member of staff. I think we should trx to

The trust in Bristol say the nurse was employed to work

For them, the quality of the care they deliver to patients

is the most important consideration in covering vacant nursing shifts.

Imogen Sellers, BBC Points West Bristol.

The Gloucestershire man acctsed of killing his ex`wife and hidhng her

body in her bedroom today rdfused to give evidence on his own behalf

Daniel Spencer is alleged to have murdered Jane Wiggett

Our home affairs corresponddnt, Steve Brodie, was in court.

The body of Jane Wiggett wasn't found until

weeks after she had been strangled and covered with a duvet at her flat

A jury has been told that hdr former husband, 59`year`old Daniel Spencer,

The court had already been told how Jane Wiggett had previously

complained to the police that he'd assaulted her

Today the defence opened its case by telling the jury that

the defendant wouldn't be entering the witness box.

His son, Daniel Spencer Jr, was called but then was targeted

Prosecuting, Richard Smith PC repeatedly asked Daniel Spencer s

son whether ot not his fathdr was the best person to tell the court

The QC added, "You have a real difficulty in accepthng what

The prosecution claim that just over a year ago Daniel Spencer c`me to

his former wife's flat, strangled her and disappeardd.

Mr Smith asked Daniel Spencdr junior why did his father take a l`rge

hunting knife with him and, "Why did he stop phoning your mother on the

The prosecution say that Daniel Spencer's DNA was fotnd

in tiny specks of blood unddr his ex`wife's fingernails.

He was later arrested at Birmingham Airport Hotel with

Steven Brodie, BBC Points Wdst, at Bristol Crown Court.

The mother of Somerset murddr victim Catherine Wells`Burr says she's

relieved at news that one of her daughter's murderers has dropped an

appeal against his conviction and against his 32`year jail sentence.

Tadevsz Dmyrtszyn was one of three people found guiltx of

smothering Catherine Wells`Burr two years ago as part of a plot to claim

Catherine's family say they're glad the appeal's been dropped.

But it opens another door that he will probably end up joining the

others trying to go home and do a lower tariff in their own country.

They killed Catherine here, on this soil.

They should serve their sentence here.

A 25`year`old man's been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated

assault after a Muslim woman was spat at in Bristol.

Hasina Khan said she was left shocked and in tears

It happened as she walked to work at Cabot Circus.

The man is being held in custody for questioning.

An elderly man visiting Devhzes ended up with his car dangerously

It's thought the man, who w`sn't local, took a wrong turning

The police say after realishng he couldn't turn the vehicle around he

Its another sunny summer's dvening ` Ian will be here with

There's plenty more still to come, including CommonWealth Games multi

medallist Siobhan`Marie O'Connor in the studio!

The Gloucestershire Royal Hospital is preventing more deaths from

a life`threatening infection through a scheme to treat patients `t risk.

Around 37,000 people are estimated to die each year of sepsis,

a condition caused by the body's overreaction to infection.

Our health correspondent, Matthew Hill, has been to sde one

patient who nearly died frol Sepsis after a minor fall off her bike

Louise Beckham was unlocking her bike seven years ago

when her it slipped and fell against her thigh causing a small bruise.

She didn't think much of it, but two days later she becale

I woke up 18 hours later and with extreme thirst.

She didn't realise she was suffering from early symptoms of sepshs,

And neither did the ambulance service when she rang them.

They kept asking me if I was drunk and I was getting frustrated. They

told me to get a taxi to thd hospital and it was unlikelx I had

done anything serious. I thhnk I was saying things to him like I was in

the bath drinking water bec`use I had rolled into the bath to drink

water out of the tap becausd I was so thirsty.

She was eventually taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary

and was treated by plastic surgeon Nigel mercer

He opened my leg from the top of the five down to my knee and thdy left

For Dr Beckham, sepsis meant a year to get back to her NHS job

at the Gloucester Royal and three years of operations on her leg.

This is a 60 centimetre scar which goes all the way round and down my

The hospital where she works happens to be one of the first trusts to

introduce six simple ways to treat sepsis, known as the sepsis six

You give IV antibiotics, fltids oxygen, and you take blood tests.

Very simple care but effecthve if it is done properly.

90% of patients in Gloucestdr and Cheltenham are now getthng this

Evidence from the charity The UK Sepsis Trust shows that if xou get

emergency care in the first hour it can double your chances of survival.

It is vital front`line staff are trained to spot the signs.

Sepsis claims more lives th`n breast, bowel

If more hospitals learn to treat patients like Dr Beckham

then that shocking statistic could be rapidly improved.

Matthew Hill, BBC Points West, Gloucester.

Well, joining us now is Dr Ron Daniels, who set up

How many lives do you think could be saved if sepsis was

We conservatively estimate that we could save around to thousand 5 0

lives more per year. That is more lives than if `` 12,500. Winner`mac

is that a scandal? It is a scandal that someone can go into hospital

and suffered delays. She was very fortunate but some hospitals are not

doing anything about sepsis. How are we doing in the West Countrx? Very

well. Our all`party Parliamdntary group took a report and it came out

well. What we really want to do is raise the basic bar so all hospitals

deliver sepsis care well. It is something not many of us have heard

of and we hear that professhonals have not either. Some peopld may

have heard of septicaemia or blood poisoning, sepsis is the current

term for that. People do survive but have life changing conditions. It

affects over 100,000 people every year and their families. Hopefully

we will raise awareness by talking about it.

A 16`year`old gymnast from Bristol is fast becoming one of the stars of

the Commonwealth Games. Clatdia Fragapane has now won three gold

medals. And we've some spechal guests tonight with record`breaking

swimmer Siobhan`Marie O'Connor and her parents joining us. Herd's Ali.

Yes, great to see Siobhan hdre complete with all six medals ` a

are incredible gymnasts and to get gold it was great. I came hdre

hoping to get an all`round final and that's what I did. It's amazing to

A proud moment for the coaches, too, who've brought her this far.

It's fantastic. She is such a star. And she is just like that in

training. Really proud of hdr. Unbelievable to stand here `nd watch

And in Portishead, where Ruby trains,

I had a few tears last night and I know some others did. Ruby `nd

Claudia trains together and they're really close. It is nice to see her

And today Claudia was at it again ` this time in the vault final.

A performance that earned hdr a third gold medal of the g`mes

And a bronze for Ruby Harrold in the floor discipline. A memorable 3

There was a bronze medal for Paul Brown in the para bowls today.

The Bristolian was part of the three`man team which beat Scotland

He said afterwards it was the best moment of his life.

There was little doubt who the star of the first week of the Gales was.

Look at the time. Stunning. It is gold for Claudia Fragapane. She has

won Commonwealth gold. `` Siobhan`Marie O'Connor.

The gold medal was the spechal one. We've been seeing you in a swimming

site or tracksuit for the l`st two weeks, is it nice to be norlal

again? It is good but it is kind of surreal when you are there so it is

nice to be home with my famhly and see my friends and stuff. There were

a couple of silver medals to start with and you were pretty close to

getting gold and then you got to your favourite event. Was there

extra pressure in that one? Yes but the kind of pressure I put on

myself. I knew I wouldn't gdt another opportunity like th`t. I was

swimming well and I was havhng good results already stop I couldn't have

asked for a better first dax and it got me off to a good start. Swimming

is about confidence and feeling good. There was pressure but it was

just because I wanted it so badly. With swimming, it is hard bdcause

you can be feeling good but things can go wrong. I wanted to ptt a good

race together. Which one of you has the sporting genes? Neither of us

can swim very well. She could swim faster than ours when she w`s about

six. I play a lot of sport but not very well. I am not very sporty at

all so it has nothing to do with me. You came back last night to Bristol.

When I did well in my exams or something like that, my pardnts

would get me a treat. What hs your prize? It is just to be homd with my

family. I wouldn't be here without them. The amount of support that

they have given me. They have travelled all across the world with

me, competing. It is not just that, it is the day`to`day struggles I

have gone through. Swimming is tough and I have had to sacrifice a lot. I

have had tough lessons and they have got me through everything. Ht has

been such a journey. I wouldn't enjoy it or Love it is much as I do

if I didn't have them. I am thankful they gave me the opportunitx to do

what I love. Just show us your collection of medals again. Not

often we will see six medals. Thanks for the time you've given us

as well. We are bathing in your refldcted

glory. A play based

on an undiscovered novel by the Gloucestershire war poet FW Harvey

has opened in Cheltenham thhs week. Will Harvey's War is based on

a manuscript amongst his belongings Harvey, who came from the Forest

of Dean, ended up as a prisoner Here's our Gloucestershire reporter,

Steve Knibbs. FW Harvey's writings capturdd

the spirit of the Great War and his longings

for his beloved Gloucestershire Famous for his poetry,

it came as a surpirse to many when a novel he'd written was discovered

in an old trunk at his formdr house. A sentimental romance,

part autobiographical, it offers an insight into how war

changes people's lives. In the preface to the book,

Harvey says, However we dislike it,

the fact stands that for this generation the war must be

the supreme historical event. For until

the sacrifice is understood and I went back to Harvey's old home

in the Forest of Dean to medt his She found the novel under

his old writing desk and kndw I was just gripped with turning

the pages and thinking, this didn't happen in real life, and, I know

that name, but it didn't fit there. And the sequence of dates,

it was really intriguing. I began to think, then,

that he was playing around with times and places or moving them

around in some method of wrhting. The novel has been adapted

into a play at the Everyman in Cheltenham and concnetrates

on the thrilling and romantic elements of thd story

as Will Harvey falls in lovd with A life built upon words

and language. A story that, true to Harvex's form,

is Gloucestershire through The whole of act one is completely

set in Gloucestershire, then they go off to the war

in act two and then they cole back It is for Gloucestershire

we have created this play. I have seen gypsies before

in Gloucester, selling heather And to keep it local, the four main

professional actors are backed up It's a great opportunity

to work with professional actors but also get to know other people as

well. It's very exciting. And married to someone dark, someone

that foreign to you. The play, will Harvey's War, runs

until Saturday and is a major part of Gloucestershire's commemdortaion

of the centenary of World W`r I For three decades the names Mulvaney

and Rogers have been big news The Wiltshire couple are faled

for their work creating somd of Now they are celebrating 30 years

in the business with a private commission that is perhaps

their most challenging yet. It's in the Boulevard St Germain

and it's Its latest incarnation is actually

a retail store and we made ours When you open it up, you'll find two

floors of haute couture ` You would go to the beautiftl French

period lift and you would rhse to the second and third floors,

which are a luxury apartment. It is 1/12 scale, which is the

standard for the creative industry. So that basically means an hnch to

a foot. It's very important to get

the atmosphere of a building, It sounds silly to recreate

an atmosphere but I think wd are You're constantly refining what

you're doing, constantly looking to see if an edge is, when you get

down to it, slightly wobbly, or a I think if you really focus down

on the detail, It's a very, very chic,

cool little area. You've got a lovely French stone

staircase that winds up around with the typical verx ornate

French handrail in wrought hron I think it is quite nice to actually

show that a beautiful lifestyle like this doesn't magically happdn and so

we have got an under`stairs cupboard with a bare light bulb and posh

carrier bags hanging in there, and a Henry hoover

and paint`stained ladder. Lhttle touches like that are very fun to do

and I think they kind of pohnt up What takes a `` what a work of art.

I'll buy you one for Christlas. More than a few spots of rahn. There

are still some showers around in parts of Gloucestershire but

elsewhere are clear, blue sky for many. Tomorrow, a lot of cloud which

will bring showers or more prolonged rain. More so in the afternoon and

evening. In the morning, a fair number will escape with dry if

cloudy conditions. The showdrs will be fading away as the evening goes

on. As the day goes on, a lot wetter story. Many of you today have barely

seen a drop of rain but othdrs certainly have seen some fahrly

heavy downpours in places. @s the night wears on, dry conditions will

be with us for daybreak tomorrow. Temperature is around 14 or 15 for

the majority. The rush hour tomorrow looks like it should be dry. As the

morning goes on, some showers take shape. Then there is a greater

likelihood of these spreading further north and east. Somd of

those will be quite heavy and places overnight Friday and into S`turday.

There could be some thunderx downpours on Saturday. Tempdratures

tomorrow, perhaps 20 or 21. Unsettled into Saturday with

thundery downpours but Sund`y looks like a better day. Fewer showers and

more sunshine. This has been the warmest month for eight months so I

wonder what August will bring. We will put the piece about the

miniature is on our Facebook page. There is lots more if you would like

to have a look at that. We are back at ten o'clock.