24/09/2014 BBC Wales Today

Friday to discuss joining the US air strikes against Islamic State in

Iraq. Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's

headlines: The ambulance service again under

fire for failing to meet targets, despite the Health Minister

demanding improvement. was forced to work for no pay, sleep

in a rat-infested shed and wash in an animal trough.

The Labour leader Ed Miliband tells Wales Today he's open to further

powers being devolved if he wins next year's General Election.

Kayleigh Davies had to endure months of pain, waiting for a prescription.

Now new rules allow physiotherapists to give them directly to patients.

It's one of the oldest working steam engines - The Talyllyn celebrates

150 years of service. Good evening. The ambulance service

is again under-fire after failing to meet its target for reaching

life-threatening incidents. That's despite the Health Minister

demanding improvement. The Welsh government have called the figures

disappointing and opposition Conservatives said urgent answers

were needed. More now from our It is an emergency service that find

self on the front page is too often. Look at the headlines. A catalogue

delays, disputes and departures and a crescendo with complaints. And

that is just in the last month alone. But this isn't a new

phenomena. The Ambulance Service has been under fire here for quite a

while. It has been reviewed and audited more often than any other

part of the Welsh NHS. The most recent review last year called for

changes after finding fundamental flaws in performance. Across Wales,

the Ambulance Service has failed to meet its response time target for

the most urgent calls in every month except one since the summer of 2012.

That led to seemingly frustrated health Minister in June to make this

pledge. I have said to them all but I expect an urgent improvement over

the next few months. I don't want to be coming before the assembly in

September to find that the performance we have seen in a and

has continued into June as well, I do not want to be here having to

explain to you why the Ambulance Service has not been able to make

the necessary improvements. So what are the headlines today? In August,

it turned up at just 57% of the most serious calls within the target time

and performances had deteriorated despite fewer emergency calls

overall. It is significantly worse than August last year. 50% of

ambulances in Wrexham turned up in time but in Caerphilly, less than

half. The buck stops with the Labour health Minister. He cannot come up

with excuses in the chamber. They are dealing with a very difficult

financial settlement as a result of cuts imposed by the Welsh government

and I am afraid that the end result of that is that patients are facing

the brunt of it. The Welsh government says it is disappointed

but points to improvements over the last few months. It says it is only

two thirds of the way towards implementing a plan to turn things

around. 21 paramedics have been recruited since April, with dozens

more to follow. For the university is where many of the next generation

are being trained. Demand for this course is high and students come

from far and wide. Most say they are keen to stay in Wales when they

qualify, despite having first-hand experience of the pressures while on

placement. The guys are really under pressure, doing immense work but

they don't have the days off or if somebody gets sick, everyone has to

relate that back onto each other and they take the brunt. It is a family

more than a workforce. They also argue the problems are not confined

to Wales. It is the same kind of pressures, talking to friends and

colleagues in services in England as to the troubles they are facing.

There are no doubt that some front-line staff feel frustrated and

undervalued and unions have threatened industrial action. Until

the most important targets are met, it could take some time for this

emergency service to make headlines for the right reasons.

You have been speaking to ambulance staff. What have they been telling

you? I have talked to a few but the same

phrases keep coming up. They talk of feeling frustrated, fed up and not

being looked after. They said morale has never been worse. One

contentious issue is new rules about rest breaks. We could take those at

their home but now they have to take them at their nearest hospital or

station and that has caused anger. Another one was angry at what he

viewed with the ambulance staff being made escape goats for wider

problems within the health service. He said, it isn't our fault

ambulances are queueing outside the hospital. It is the hospital 's

fault for not having enough beds. The Ambulance Service is saying it

is doing all it can to raise morale and turn things around, even hiring

taxis and private ambulances when the pressure is on. Some of the

changes might not bear fruit until Christmas and it could take three

years to turn things around completely.

Thank you. A man, described by prosecutors as

timid and vulnerable, has told a court how he worked on a farm for 13

years without pay. Darell Simmester said he lived in a shed and washed

in a horse trough. Two men a father said he lived in a shed and washed

in a horse trough. Two men, a father and son from Newport, deny forcing

him to work against his will. Caroline Evans reports.

Living sometimes in fear working seven days a week for no pay. Today

Darell Simmester told the jury at Cardiff Crown Court what his life

was like on Cariad Farm. He said he met the defendants, a father and son

known to him as big Dan Doran and Dan Junior, after he was offered

bricklaying work by a man who picked him up off the side of the road. It

was when that work was finished he was taken to the farm where he

remained for 13 years. He worked He said he arrived in the clothes he

was wearing and was given a shed to live in. At night he slept on a

settee and covered himself with a jacket he had worn during the day.

He said at one point the shed had become infested with rats. He told

the jury that the toilet he worked was broken and that he had to wash

in a horse trough. looking after horses from 7am in the

morning until 10pm or 11pm at night, Brecon and once on new year?s eve.

day off once to visit a fair in worked speaking via video link, he

said he fell off a horse and when he went to hospital he gave a false

name, telling doctors he had fallen off the wall. He said someone had

told him to do this and he felt terrified.

when he did his work wrong and he felt frightened asked if he ever

thought of leaving he said no. Both Daviel Doran senior and junior deny

the charge of forcing another person to perform forced or compulsory

Support for Welsh independence has fallen to an all-time low in the

wake of the Scottish referendum, that's according to a poll for BBC

Wales. The survey found just three per cent wanted Wales to be

independent. But there was more support for giving the Assembly more

power. And growing support for UKIP at the expense of the four main

parties. Our political correspondent Daniel Davies reports.

Scotland's independence campaign shook up politics. Now its effect is

being felt here at the centre of Welsh politics.

Our poll found 3% of people wanted an independent Wales - a

record low. 12% thought the assembly should be abolished. But like

independence, support for that notion has fallen too. 26% said the

assembly had enough power already. But the most popular choice was for

a more powerful assembly, backed by 49%.

So what does falling support for independence mean for Plaid Cymru,

the only Welsh party that campaigned for an independent Scotland, and

We want Wales to become independent so we can improve people 's lives

and at present, in the system we are tied to at the moment with the cuts

and austerity agenda coming from London, is likely that people 's

lives will become more difficult future years.

moved in favour of devolution, listen to the view of a Tory Welsh

secretary, whose party once campaigned against it.

I am very enthusiastic about Wales receiving more powers under

devolution in line with public opinion. It is important politicians

work with the queen of public opinion, which is why when we to

devolve tax powers to Wales, there is an important cause which enables

a referendum to take place to see whether the people of Wales actually

want that. It is important devolution moves with public

opinion. The Conservatives, Labour and the

Lib Dems promised more Scottish devolution. But David Cameron wants

to press ahead with English opposes.

Wales's Labour first minister As far as I can see, he said he will

give powers to Scotland and we will have English laws and everything

will be done. It is not good enough, tinkering around the edges. We need

to get it sorted for the future. assembly is tax powers, after a

referendum. Is that in line with public opinion?

Overall, 46% support 36% oppose. intend voting at the general

election next May. Labour remains in the lead - but

it's a lead has been cut by four points.

In fact all of the four biggest parties have lost support to UKIP.

It's in third place, and is up seven points.

UKIP is currently targeting the Clacton by-election in Essex where

Nigel Farage is looking for voters fed up with established politics.

Scotland's Yes campaign tried to do something similar. It fell short of

the mark, but the polls suggest support for Welsh independence

doesn't just have some ground to The Labour leader Ed Miliband has

told Wales Today he's open to the idea of further powers being

devolved if he wins next year's general election. But speaking to

our parliamentary correspondent, David Cornock he stopped short of

promising to make up what Carwyn Jones says is a three hundred

million pound hole in his I think the Barnett formula has

served us well. I understand the issues Wales has and we will

definitely look at those issues. We said that in our 2010 manifesto and

it is a clear commitment we have made. The Barnett former state but

we will look at the issues Wales faces. What do you mean? We know

from this conference that you are not going to make unfunded promises

but Carwyn Jones says we are ?300 million a year worse off. As part of

our fit with back spending review we will look at the needs of Wales

because we understand the needs of Wales and the issue it faces.

Scotland will get more powers. Do you think the Welsh government

should to? Yes I do. If you think about the first referendum in Wales,

it was narrowly won. The subsequent referendum was won by a bigger

margin. Carwyn Jones is doing a fantastic job for the people of

Wales. There is the devolved model, the model which is used in Scotland,

devolving power and making sure that we actually have a fair system for

Wales. The powers model. In terms of extra powers, the commission

suggested policing should go. I think it is right to look at the

issue of placing. There are issues about borrowing powers for Wales, I

am open to this. We will have a convention to look at all of these

issues across the United Kingdom and in a way, Carwyn Jones led the way

on the proposal for a constitutional convention.

You are putting the NHS at the heart of your general election campaign

but you know the problems with the NHS in Wales. Are you taking a huge

risk when the BMA said that the NHS in Wales, on Labour's watch, is

facing imminent meltdown? The Nuffield Trust study said that

there was not one health service that was doing better. There are

challenges in Wales and we are determined to confront them and

Carwyn Jones is determined. I have got to say that the last time the

Tories were in power, waiting lists were two years long. Let's deal with

these issues and not use the NHS as a political football. David Cameron

is responsible for the English NHS and I wouldn't recommend those

changes in Wales. Plenty more on that debate tonight.

That is at 10:40pm on BBC1 Wales. Still to come, the steam engine used

to ferry in First World War returns to Wales for the first time in 100

years. Wrexham council is meeting around

now to decide who will be its new leader. This follows a dramatic

split in Labour there, which led to ten members resigning their party

membership. The authority is also to discuss merging with neighbouring

Flintshire. Roger Pinney is outside the Guildhall for us. Roger can we

deal with the merger first? Authorities across Wales are being

urged to link up voluntarily so what is the feeling better?

The Welsh government wants to slim down the number of local

authorities. They want between ten and 12 from 22. The blueprint

involves merging Wrexham with Fincher. I found a mixed reaction to

that today. We are the biggest town in North Wales so we should be going

concern to have our own, I think. You think you're big enough? We

should be. If we can save some cash somehow, fine. I think there is

always an expense in any change and amalgamation will always cost

something in the short term so we will have to wait and see.

This we have been with Wrexham, the rates have shot up. We were in

Denver show before. It will be interesting to see what Fincher and

-- Fincher? Flintshire and Wrexham looks like.

Authorities have already voted against the idea of a merger and

Identix back that to change tonight. I spoke to a leading councillor

today who said the merger was a foolish leap in the dark. That

position flies very much in the face of the Welsh government, which once

the mergers to go through. What about the leadership?

Let me take you back. It all starts with a very public fallout in the

Labour group, which ran Wrexham Council. The councillor was sacked

from his Cabinet job and the leader of that group said that he was

resigning from the Labour Party altogether and was taking nine

councillors with him. Those ten former Labour councillors have since

joined with ten independents to join a group which they hope to run the

council. The leader of that group, Mark Pritchard, has just been

elected leader of the council itself. It is also expected tonight

that the former Labour leader, now an independent, Neil Rogers, will

get the key Cabinet job of economy and business, leaving the rump of

Labour in opposition. They would get two seats on the executive board but

none of the Cabinet jobs which run the council.

A nurse has pleaded not guilty to three counts of wilful neglect of

patients at a Bridgend hospital. Jade Pugh, from North Cornelly, is

one of five nurses charged, while working as a nurse at the Princess

of Wales Hospital. The charges relate to the alleged falsification

of blood sugar readings. The 29-year-old is due to appear at

From today, physiotherapists will be able to prescribe medicines directly

to their patients. The rule changes mean fewer people will have to wait

to see a GP or a specialist to get the drugs they need, bringing Wales

into line with England and Scotland, as Rhodri Lewis reports.

Kayleigh Davies from Carmarthen has had a difficult time of it recently.

She had a tumour on her spine which has now been removed. As part of her

recovery, she's been having regular physiotherapy. But when she started

having spasms in her legs, her physiotherapist couldn't prescribe

the drugs she needed because he wasn't allowed to do so.

She had to wait months to see a consultant to

It was a few months before I could see consultant and then I had to

wait. I get Botox injections to help with the spasms, which were

hindering my rehab. Morris is the first physiotherapist

in Wales to be trained to write prescriptions which can be given

directly to patients. Podiatrists and chiropodists will be able to do

so too. In many long-term conditions like

neurological conditions that we treat here, it is that combination

of physical treatment, like exercise and physiotherapy, and the medicines

management. If they work well together and they work in an

integrated way, that is where you get the best results so it puts us

in a unique position to meet the needs and help the poor have a

better quality of life. -- help people.

The new rules bring Wales into line with England, where the right to

prescribe for physiotherapists was brought in last year. They've been

in force in Scotland since May. The body which represents

physiotherapists says it's still early days but it has made a

We are getting positive feedback with things like neurological and

must go -- skeletal areas. This is where they will be using their

say precisely how many doctors visits will now not be necessary. As

well as Gary, four other physiotherapists working in north

wales will also be able to prescribe drugs, like he does, very soon.

They began their working lives when Queen Victoria was in her

mid-40s and are still going strong. The Palmerston steam engine

was used to ferry soldiers to training camps in Ceredigion during

World War One and is back there for the first time in a century. And

today enthusiasts came to Talyllyn near Tywyn to celebrate the return

of Locomotive Number 1, 150 years after it first rolled onto the

through a birthday banner can be a task. But the Talyllyn is a

survivor of the Welsh railways. Rebuilt several times, it's not one

to give up. Completed on this day in 1864, it

was brought to Tywyn to bring down slate and help complete the railway,

it would then work on. In its day it was state of the art.

When it arrived, nobody knew how it worked. It was a horse and cart

economy and nobody knew how it works. They had to get the fitter

down from Whitehaven, where they built it, to run it. It was a

And for the first time in nearly a century this steam engine is rolling

again on a stretch of railway in Aberystwyth. The Palmerston is also

marking it's 150 years in service, it was one of the first four

locomotives built for the Ffestiniog Railway.

loaned to the Rheidol line. Then it was used to ferry soldiers to large

Territorial Army camps at Lovesgrove, near Capel Bangor and

Devil's Bridge. It's returned to mark the centenary of the outbreak

These carriages would have been packed with soldiers having heading

to their army base. Now it is filled with tumours, making a nostalgic

journey. Think about the number of soldiers who possibly travelled on

this line, going to train in Aberystwyth and then on the main

line back to their barracks and then to go abroad to fight in the

trenches. And to think that many of the soldiers had travelled on the

sign and never return from France. historic one and for the drivers

it's still all about the love of People say that the steam engine is

the closest thing we Aberystwyth with the Palmerston, as

the train will make it's final journey on this track at the

weekend. But for the Talyllyn events Mice and dry for today's

celebrations. Will it stay that way?

One of the driest September is an record. A breezy day tomorrow.

Plenty of clear spells leading to a chilly night in land. The breeze is

holding up temperatures on the coast at around 11 or 13 Celsius. Cooler

in the countryside. Tomorrow some brightness first thing in the

south-east but plenty of cloud thickening through the day, enough

for some light rain or drizzle, easing as it moves south eastwards

and remaining largely cloudy. A change in wind direction meaning it

will be slightly warmer with highs of 16 Celsius in Pembrokeshire. We

keep the crowd tomorrow night, thick enough to produce some patchy rain

and drizzle and the cloud holding up. A cold front moves south

eastwards across Wales on Friday so it is a fairly weak feature that a

cloudy and damp start on Friday with patchy drizzle. It will dry up

through the day and brighten up from the north-west later on with

temperatures in the mid to high teens. Looking fairly settled into

the weekend. A chilly start on Saturday but mostly dry with bright

spells and southerly winds. Temperatures a touch higher. Thanks

to high pressure keeping things largely fine, dry and settled. These

fronts could bring something more unsettled early next week but some

uncertainty. The high pressure could just keep them at bay.

The main story this evening- the prospect of military action in Iraq

moves closer as Parliament is record.

US air strikes continue. MPs have been summoned back to

Westminster for a debate on Friday. That is Wales Today. A quick update

at 8pm and more after the BBC News at 10pm. Thanks for watching and

have a good evening.