31/08/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines: A medical error left

Sophie Tyler paralysed. Three years on, the hospital apologises, and

admits responsibility. I was lying there, wishing it never happened.

Or wishing that they killed me. I had to live with the consequences

Tonight's other headlines: Royal Mail apologies to customers for

missing its first class targets. We'll be asking why the service is

failing to deliver. We're in Finland to see what

lessons Wales can learn from the best schools in the world. We are

placing our teachers and schools under more scrutiny but here in

Finland, nobody is checking. The system depends on trusting her to

do her job. Watch those wing mirrors. Why it's

a squeeze for the new buses touring Conwy.

A final farewell before New Zealand. The Wales World Cup squad line-up

before they leave. It's the last day of summer, the

coolest for many years. But it may turn out to be the driest and

sunniest since 2006. I'll have more later.

A hospital has apologised to a teenager from Risca, near Newport,

three years after she was paralysed from the waist down following an

operation. Sophie Tyler was 14 when she travelled to Birmingham

Children's Hospital for surgery to remove gallstones. An epidural to

control pain after the operation was left in place for too long,

meaning she'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Nicola

Smith has been to meet her. This is the moment Sophie and her

family say was their "reality check". The moment captured on

digital camera, that they realised how much help she needed just to

sit up in bed. A stark contrast to the girl who loved to dance. This

was taken at a ballroom dancing competition. She often brought

trophies home. Sophie's 17 now. With the help of her mum, Sue,

she's adapted to life in a wheelchair. But it hasn't been easy.

When I first came home, it was oppression. I would not get out of

bed. I was lying there that -- hoping and wishing that it had

never happened. I had to live with the reality and the consequences of

someone else's mistakes. Sophie was 14 when she had surgery to remove

gallstones here at Birmingham Children's Hospital. She was given

an epidural to control the pain, an anaesthetic injected into the spine.

But after two days, both her legs had gone numb. The epidural had

been left in too long. The drug had entered her spinal cord and damaged

the membranes, paralysing her. blamed myself. Even though I knew

it was not my fault, emotionally, I felt so guilty. That was one of the

reasons I felt so depressed. Sophie can sit up on her own now, but

needs help with most other basic tasks. Last year, her family moved

into this specially adapted home. Their old house wasn't suitable.

She did not have a bathroom downstairs. She had to shower in

the kitchen so she had no dignity. We were using one family room as

the only social place we could be. Three years on, the hospital says

"we are deeply sorry for the unimaginable distress we have

caused". They say the care they provided "fell below their usual

high standards", and that they have now "implemented a series of

changes" to try to ensure it doesn't happen again. The admission

of liability paves the way for a possible compensation settlement.

She is 70 Nancy's University has been the big focus but it is the

bigger side of it. She will be able to have support in other foot --

other forms through pregnancy and into old age. We have to make sure

that patient safety is paramount. Should -- lessons have to be learnt

across the board. If mistakes that this can happen in such a leading

institution, it can happen anywhere. The family have just got back from

holiday. Next week, Sophie returns to school to finish her A-levels.

She's determined not to miss out on life despite the mistake that's

cost her so much. Royal Mail has apologised to its

customers in Wales after figures between April and June of this year

show it missed first class delivery targets in more than half of the

country's postcode areas. Llandrindod Wells, Newport, Deeside

and North West Wales postcodes all fell short of the 91.5% target for

next day delivery of first class mail. The company has blamed a

major modernisation programme, but says figures for the summer show

improvements have been made. Kate Scott-Williams has been to Royal

Mail's sorting office in Cardiff. This is the largest sorting office

in Wales. One fined 5 million pieces of post go through here

every day. -- 1.5. The director for delivery here is Mr Ian Edwards.

This is obviously a bad service for customers. I would like to

apologise to all our customers. We have failed to meet their

expectations. But we are very disappointed because we work very

hard to meet the expectation. The what reasons can you give? Why have

the targets been missed? We are currently going through a major

modernisation programme that affects every facet of what our

people do from the time they get into work, the equipment they use

and the methods they used to deliver the mail. We are working

hard to bed that in as quickly as we can to avoid disruption.

Consumer focus Wales today has said that the modernisation programme

started in April last year and that these problems should have been

dealt with. Last year's service was disrupted significantly by the

weather and the ash cloud and the other factor is that the

modernisation programme is not a short process. It is a three-year

programme about effects everywhere in the country. -- that affects.

Thank you very much. While male say the improvements have already been

made and many of us will be looking closely to see if that is the case.

-- Royal Mail. For the last 10 years, Niz Mhani

has lived and worked in Cardiff as a dentist. But the uprising in his

native Libya has seen him return home and become one of the leading

lights in the rebel campaign. The 30-year-old has suffered death

threats and seen members of his family killed, but he says he felt

compelled to leave the comfort of his life in Wales to join the fight

against Colonel Gaddafi. Niz Mhani, seen here in the grey T-

shirt, distributing food aid to freedom fighters and refugees in

Tripoli yesterday. Today he was in the city's Martyrs square,

celebrating Eid, but Niz is more at home in Cardiff than Libya. The 30-

year-old has spent the last 10 years in the Welsh capital,

latterly working as an oral surgeon in the University Hospital of Wales.

But seven months ago, as the Arab Spring spread to his homeland, he

decided he needed to be part of the freedom movement. I had a real urge

to be a part of my country's history and that is why I came back.

We lost our workers and. He was shot and killed by security forces.

But the sense of history and urgency and need to change things

in Libya is overwhelming. became a real thorn in the side of

the Gaddaffi regime, carrying out very public acts of defiance. Along

with a cousin and two close friends, they formed the Free Generation

Movement. They flew their flag in the skies above Tripoli and posted

their actions on YouTube for the world to see. They staged

demonstrations and even hacked into Libyan government computers, hi-

jacking a satellite system. When Niz was interviewed anonymously two

months ago, he said spreading their message and recruiting followers

was always a risky business. It is about overcoming the hurdle of fear.

We know it is hard to find people you can trust but we have to grasp

the element of blind faith and trust are the people in order to

make this a more integrated approach to activism. Niz was

denounced on Libyan state television as a rat to be found and

hanged. But now, seven months on, this former Cardiff surgeon turned

freedom fighter believes his country has a brighter future.

Still to come. Warren Gatland heads home to New

Zealand for the World Cup. In the past year, report after

report has found that schools in Wales aren't up to scratch. The

Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, said the system was

failing. Criticism came after international tests found our

school children were behind much of the rest of the world. In those

same tests, Finland consistently comes out top. Tonight, in the

first of a two-part series, our education correspondent, Ciaran

Jenkins, is in the capital Helsinki to see what lessons Wales might

learn. Happy Helsinki children. From age

three to seven at they are here to enjoy themselves. Three years ago,

a similar idea was introduced in Wales. Ali and its children

learning through play. But in Finland, they have been doing it

for over a century and it has brought amazing results.

educational system has some features that make it very

remarkable. So what can Wales learned from Finland's education

Medical? From the moment children start proper classes aged seven,

they are taught to be independent. It is an active curriculum and it

is the child in the driving seat. think one of the things that mainly

is not very common in other countries is that when the teachers

check what children have done, they don't do the marking themselves.

The pupils to it themselves. Finland is famous for its results

and the international tests. 15- year-old like these are among the

brightest in the world. They are on average a year and a half more

advanced than pupils of the same age in Wales. I study languages

like German and French and English and Swedish. Then I study finish of

course. How many languages to speak? 3. That is quite impressive.

At this primary school, it is lunchtime and even this has a part

to play in Finland's education success. As you can see, all the

children take their food and we have a three -- a free lunch in

every school in Finland. The one of the distinctive things about

schools in Finland is that every child is treated the same. I think

it is very important. We also have special support if somebody needs

it but generally, the school system is very equal. At as the concern

over standards grows in Wales, we are placing our teachers and

schools under ever more scrutiny. Here in Finland, nobody is really

checking how the teacher is doing. The system depends on her doing her

job. Finnish society values education. People believe there is

no need for the government to intervene. There are no school-

leaving exams and no school inspections. What if Wales were to

try a similar approach? You can't create trust overnight. You must

work hard for it. People must see good result medication and then

they begin to trust. If Finland's education miracle can teach us

anything, it is that our schools reflect our society. Turning both

around will be a long and difficult task.

Professor David Reynolds is a senior education adviser to the

Welsh Government. Lots of questions raised there. First of all, no end

of school exams. How do they measure success? Like they do in

America way you have continuous assessment and you have grades in

the different subjects. If you are going to college or university, the

college would look at your grades and the system would trust the

schools that the standards are the same for the different teachers in

different schools. Here, there is so much emphasis placed on those

exam results. Is it the system we should be switching to? I don't

know because historically, if you look at Finland, they did similar

things to what we do now. They had an inspection system and they had a

national curriculum. But they did these things to make themselves

better like we are trying to do. It would be a mistake probably to get

rid of what we're doing to go their way to quickly because if you have

Trust broken down between a society and its schools, we need to shine

light on the system to find our best people and to benchmark

against them and find our less good people and do something about them.

We are a very different country so can we really aspire to that kind

of model? They are so different. They are middle-class society and

they do not have much disadvantage. But in the long term, one would

aspire to take in the system and take off some of the pressure of

schools. But the system has to get itself right before the pressure

comes off. The pressure comes off On tomorrow night's programme, as

part of their week-long Learning Lessons series, BBC Radio Wales

will be speaking to Professor David Reynolds about how the decline in

Welsh education can be reversed. That's at 7:00pm tomorrow.

Sir Tom Jones has left hospital in Monte Carlo after being admitted at

the weekend with severe dehydration. The 71-year-old had to cancel his

concert in the city. His spokesman said Sir Tom is in very good health

and thanked people for their messages and concern.

HMS Dragon, the latest warship to be affiliated with Cardiff, has

arrived at her home port of Portsmouth. She replaces the last

ship to be twinned with the city, HMS Cardiff, which was

decommissioned six years ago. The warship is one of six new Type 45

destroyers to be built for the Royal Navy.'s New, larger coaches

are causing problems in Conwy because they're struggling to fit

through the town's medieval walls. Traders say something needs to be

done before the town starts to miss out on vital tourism business.

Chris Dearden reports. Another tight squeeze. Conwy's 13th

century town walls mean that the ways in and out are through arches

like this. Coaches have been getting bigger but the arches have

not. For the visiting coaches, they are unfamiliar with the area. Some

of the Archers are not square to the road. Of course, drivers

nowadays are very concerned about the vehicles. They are larger and

more expensive. Even the most experienced drivers get through

with very little to spare. This is one of the hardest to negotiate but

coaches have to go through it to get to the coach park. Some people

in Conwy while worried it will put tour companies off coming

altogether. We are dependent on the coach drivers being happy to come

to the town. If the coach drivers are not happy, if they think they

will get stuck, they will go somewhere else. For the moment,

they are still coming. The local authority says it is already

working with the coach companies to find a solution. I think we do need

to take a fresh look at what is available. Can we provide sites for

the coaches to drop off and then park outside of town? Whatever

happens, everyone agrees it is not going to be easy. There are plenty

more discussions to take place in the weeks to come. No such travel

problems for the Welsh rugby team today. Here's Claire with tonight's

sport. Good evening. Wales are on their

way to New Zealand, to play in the Rugby World Cup. The 30 man squad

are in the air and after a stop over, they should arrive in

Wellington on Friday. Wales Coach, Warren Gatland said today they know

it's going to be tough but are feeling confident about the next

few weeks. He also said he's very close to knowing his starting 15.

There was just time for a last- minute check that nothing had been

forgotten and with the bags packed and the coach ready, all that was

left to do was grabbed a final farewell and a cuddle with loved

ones. If things go well, the players could be away for six weeks

and they seemed in buoyant mood for the final squad photograph. They

should arrive in New Zealand by Friday. It has been a tough road to

make the squad and this morning, the coach said he has a good idea

of who will start in the first match. We are probably very secure

about a number of positions. But we are not too far away it with what

we have in our mind of the starting 15 for South Africa. The itinerary

for the next month looks like this. The first Test is a week's Sunday.

It is South Africa in Wellington. A design evening kick-off, an early-

The previous six World Cups have been pretty much a mixed bag for

Wales. They have reached two quarter-finals and one semi-final,

that was back in the first year in 1987. What the squad of 2011 can

now achieve, we are about to find out. While the Wales squad head out

to New Zealand, one man left behind Gavin Henson doesn't look like re-

joining his former side, the Ospreys. Director of Coaching,

Scott Johnson met with him last week at Henson's request, but says

he wants players who are focussed on rugby. Gavin is a talented kid.

We are trying to get rugby focused players. He has plenty of external

issues. There's little more than four hours left for deals to be

done on football's transfer deadline day. And it seems Wales

striker Craig Bellamy could be on the verge of a dramatic return to

Liverpool. He's reported to have left the Wales camp this afternoon

to have a medical with the Reds. The Manchester City player has also

been linked with QPR, Stoke and Spurs.

Elsewhere, Cardiff have signed Coventry defender Ben Turner, while

Swansea are closing in on a deal to bring Fulham's Algerian defender

Rafik Halliche to the Liberty Stadium.

Golf and Wales will host the Senior Open Championship in 2014. The

likes of Ian Woosnam and Greg Norman are set to play at Royal

Porthcawl, which will be become the 12th course to host the prestigious

senior tournament. Cricket and Glamorgan looked like

posting a reasonable first-innings And just a reminder, Welsh 400

metre hurdler Dai Greene goes for gold in the final at the World

Championships tomorrow. The race is scheduled for tomorrow lunchtime,

1:30pm our time. Of course we'll be keeping our fingers crossed.

The search is on for someone to become caretaker of a 120 foot high

Victorian chimney in the middle of Wrexham. It was bought from a

brewery by the former MP and Assembly Member John Marek 21 years

ago, but he now wants to give it away to someone who'll look after

it. Matthew Richards has the story. Built in 1894 as part of the Soames

brewery using distinctive red Ruabon brick, the chimney is a

familiar part of Wrexham's skyline. Now one of the last remnants of

Wrexham's once thriving brewing industry, it was threatened with

demolition in 1990 so the local MP at the time offered to buy it for a

pound. But now he feels it's time to hand over the keys. You will

need someone interested in heritage. You could form a trust. You could

then ask for money and I am sure that the public in Wrexham would

contribute. This could all be done but my time is up. It is for

someone else to start this. Marek says if Wrexham Council don't

want it he'll give it to anyone who wants it for nothing. Though they

might have to pay insurance and maintenance costs. Would you want

it? I would not know what to do with it. I think Wrexham council

should take it all the Assembly Government should take it. It is

part of Wrexham added is an important part. They need a red

dragon up on the top and lighted up. Not a bad idea. If you did that --

if you owned it, you could do that. No takers yet then for a long

Time now for the weather forecast. It has been a mixed summer.

According to the Met Office, this summer has been the Corus across

the UK for 18 years. There are already signs of autumn. Take a

look at these trees. These are all stressed that trees. -- horse

chestnut. It is a similar picture up-and-down the country. Some of

you have had to put the heating on. Temperatures this summer have been

below average but this may come as a surprise, sunshine, we have had

slightly more than usual. Rainfall has been on target. There

will be variations across the country, from place to place. This

summer could turn out to be the driest and the sunniest since 2006.

Looking ahead, tomorrow is the first day of August -- autumn and

it is going to get a little warmer over the next few days. Tonight,

the dry weather is set to continue. Cloud across the country. But where

it does clear, it will turn chilly. Last night, temperatures in parts

of mid-Wales dipped as low as four Celsius. Tomorrow's chart shows

high pressure close to Britain. Low-pressure near Iceland, that is

the remnants of Hurricane Irene, and that will bring us some rain

over the weekend. Tomorrow, drive across the country. There will be

some cloud. Some breaks as well. It will brighten up in places. Some

sunshine. It will be warmer than today. Top temperatures 21 Celsius.

It will feel quite pleasant in the afternoon. Across Neath Port Talbot

tomorrow, a nice day. Temperatures The outlook, more warm-weather on

Friday. Then over the weekend, some rain and showers. Some sunshine as

well and then to Nick -- turning fresher on Sunday. It has not been

a great summer but the first few days of autumn will bring us some

warmer weather and you never know, we may have an Indian summer. You

have to be optimistic! A reminder of the main headline

tonight. A hospital has apologised to a teenager from Risca, near

Newport, three years after she was paralysed from the waist down

following an operation. Sophie Tyler was 14 when she travelled to

Birmingham Children's Hospital for surgery to remove gallstones. An