09/03/2016

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:00:07. > :00:10.Sarah's been on antidepressants since she was 16.

:00:11. > :00:12.She's one of a rising number of young people

:00:13. > :00:17.Tonight, concerns are raised by the Children's Commissioner.

:00:18. > :00:19.And a former soldier tells the inquest into Cheryl James' death

:00:20. > :00:21.he was told to "keep quiet" over his concerns

:00:22. > :00:44.A rise in the number of young people in Wales being given antidepressants

:00:45. > :00:46.has prompted concern from the Children's Commissioner.

:00:47. > :00:50.New research - seen by the BBC - shows a 30% increase

:00:51. > :00:55.in antidepressant prescriptions between 2003 and 2013,

:00:56. > :00:59.despite concerns over the risks of suicide.

:01:00. > :01:02.The study has triggered a warning to all doctors to think carefully

:01:03. > :01:08.Hywel Griffith has this exclusive report.

:01:09. > :01:11.Every day since the age of 16, antidepressants have been a constant

:01:12. > :01:20.But six years of medication have brought consequences.

:01:21. > :01:25.I have a whiteboard on the back of my door which I have to write

:01:26. > :01:29.Now aged 22, she works with other young people in mid-Wales

:01:30. > :01:34.She's concerned too many are being put on medication.

:01:35. > :01:37.It seems to be doled out, to me, like Smarties

:01:38. > :01:47.Warnings over the safety over some antidepressants in 2003

:01:48. > :01:52.but new research commissioned by the Welsh government

:01:53. > :02:00.and it is in the poorest communities where they are being used most.

:02:01. > :02:04.What we need to ensure is that when children and young people

:02:05. > :02:06.require pharmacological medication,

:02:07. > :02:10.we are also putting into place those talking therapies,

:02:11. > :02:13.we are also thinking about their education

:02:14. > :02:16.and their wider social circumstances.

:02:17. > :02:18.The Children's Commissioner says the findings are troubling -

:02:19. > :02:20.she fears the problems may be down

:02:21. > :02:26.What we do know is that there are very long waiting lists

:02:27. > :02:28.for psychological therapies in many parts of the UK

:02:29. > :02:33.What our concern would be is whether this rise

:02:34. > :02:38.in antidepressants is being used really as a shorthand.

:02:39. > :02:40.The clinical guidelines on using antidepressants

:02:41. > :02:42.for children here in the UK are clear.

:02:43. > :02:44.They shouldn't be offered initially

:02:45. > :02:48.In more serious cases, they should only be used

:02:49. > :02:57.While each doctor is free to prescribe what they think

:02:58. > :03:01.works best, the guidelines say there are some drugs

:03:02. > :03:03.that shouldn't be used with children.

:03:04. > :03:05.In October, a letter was sent to doctors across Wales warning

:03:06. > :03:08.that when prescribing for depressive illness in children and adolescents,

:03:09. > :03:11.only fluoxetine has been shown to be effective.

:03:12. > :03:13.For Sarah, writing has been a way of expressing

:03:14. > :03:19.but she fears too many other young patients

:03:20. > :03:28.A 36-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Christine James

:03:29. > :03:33.Mrs James' body was found in her flat in Century

:03:34. > :03:38.Kris Wade from Cardiff Bay was arrested on Monday and has been

:03:39. > :03:42.People suffering with flu symptoms or the winter vomiting bug Norovirus

:03:43. > :03:47.are being urged to avoid going into hospitals

:03:48. > :03:51.Wales' Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ruth Hussey, is urging people

:03:52. > :03:56.to seek advice from NHS Direct Wales or to contact

:03:57. > :04:00.Concerns have been raised about how well a crime scene was protected

:04:01. > :04:03.during the investigation into the death of a Welsh soldier

:04:04. > :04:07.The new inquest into the death of Private Cheryl James,

:04:08. > :04:12.from Llangollen, has been told areas of Deepcut Barracks were not taped

:04:13. > :04:16.Some witnesses have questioned the army's original

:04:17. > :04:25.Private Cheryl James, found dead from a single bullet wound -

:04:26. > :04:30.There are now conflicting views about her state of mind at the time.

:04:31. > :04:33.And now questions about whether those who were first

:04:34. > :04:40.at the scene were as thorough and careful as they might have been.

:04:41. > :04:45.Military police were gathering evidence here at Deepcut Barracks

:04:46. > :04:50.But the man who identified her body was concerned -

:04:51. > :04:52.evidence at the scene, he said, wasn't being preserved.

:04:53. > :05:02.Former staff sergeant Terence McEleavey told the coroner:

:05:03. > :05:05.He also had questions about whether Cheryl had killed herself

:05:06. > :05:14.because of where the gun was found, but:

:05:15. > :05:16.He told the court senior officers told him to

:05:17. > :05:19.think of his retirement, "think about pension time".

:05:20. > :05:22.The inquest also heard today from the civilian GP

:05:23. > :05:26.based at Deepcut at the time of Cheryl's death.

:05:27. > :05:29.She said it was a place that was in decline,

:05:30. > :05:34.young soldiers were coming to her depressed and demoralised.

:05:35. > :05:37.She said young female soldiers were coming to her regularly

:05:38. > :05:41.help with sexually transmitted infections, or even abortions.

:05:42. > :05:44.She said six days before Private James died, she spoke with her

:05:45. > :05:50.and had got the impression she wanted to leave Deepcut.

:05:51. > :05:53.She said on the day of Private James' death,

:05:54. > :05:56.she was surprised at the number of blue flashing lights but also

:05:57. > :06:02.at the numbers of hangers on around the area where her body was found.

:06:03. > :06:04.She was surprised, she said, that the area had not been

:06:05. > :06:09.We have had four weeks of evidence so far here

:06:10. > :06:13.several more weeks of evidence to come.

:06:14. > :06:15.The Coroner indicating today that he could come to

:06:16. > :06:24.a verdict or a conclusion by the middle of May.

:06:25. > :06:27.Plans for a 42-storey tower in Cardiff city centre,

:06:28. > :06:29.which would be Wales' tallest building, have been approved

:06:30. > :06:36.The 132-metre high building would provide accommodation

:06:37. > :06:42.The developers say the building will be completed in 2018.

:06:43. > :06:46.Pembrokeshire has become the first place in the UK to ban smoking

:06:47. > :06:50.To coincide with National No Smoking Day, the council has launched

:06:51. > :06:57.The ban will be voluntary and also apply to e-cigarettes.

:06:58. > :07:01.The Chief Executive of UK Anti-Doping has said there's a big

:07:02. > :07:08.Nicole Sapstead says there's evidence indicating steroid use

:07:09. > :07:12.Yesterday it was confirmed that Adam Buttifant,

:07:13. > :07:15.who played for Bargoed RFC, has tested positive

:07:16. > :07:19.He's banned from all sport for two years.

:07:20. > :07:22.I don't know if it's the demographic within Wales.

:07:23. > :07:26.I mean, what I can say is we are seeing intelligence

:07:27. > :07:31.indicating that there is a big steroid problem

:07:32. > :07:35.particularly within Wales generally, a societal problem.

:07:36. > :07:39.And it may be that inevitably that starts to encroach

:07:40. > :07:46.and rugby union are just in the frame right now for that.

:07:47. > :07:51.Time to get a check on the weather forecast with Sue.

:07:52. > :07:57.Thank you, it was a very windy Wednesday across Wales, particularly

:07:58. > :08:02.the part of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, but improving

:08:03. > :08:06.through tomorrow, a drier day with sunny spells and if we take a look

:08:07. > :08:10.at the map, strong winds for a time but they will die down overnight.

:08:11. > :08:16.Any showers will peter out. Some cloud lingering in the east but

:08:17. > :08:20.turning cold, temperatures hovering around freezing with the risk of

:08:21. > :08:23.frost and ice patches first thing tomorrow. High pressure starts to

:08:24. > :08:27.build from the south-west America would think settling down and winds

:08:28. > :08:31.turning lighter. Fronts trying to push on to the north and west of the

:08:32. > :08:37.UK. Some early frost and ice patches tomorrow and then turning into a

:08:38. > :08:40.largely fine day. Across the UK, though, it will be cloudier in the

:08:41. > :08:45.east and the Midlands, overcast with the odd shower. West is best the

:08:46. > :08:48.sunshine. But thicker cloud and drizzle pushing in later across

:08:49. > :08:55.Northern Ireland and the Western Isles, -- Western Isles, and the

:08:56. > :08:59.fine end to the day across Wales, some thicker cloud further eased the

:09:00. > :09:03.decent sunny spells as well. Generally, brightest in the west,

:09:04. > :09:09.much lighter winds than today and temperatures starting to rise

:09:10. > :09:13.slightly, and tomorrow night is looking very quiet, staying mostly

:09:14. > :09:19.dry with clear skies, so turning Calderwood frost and fog patches

:09:20. > :09:23.developing. Friday is looking settled, maybe cloudy the Times at

:09:24. > :09:26.border counties but Sun if much of Wales, fairly light winds and

:09:27. > :09:32.starting to turn more south-easterly so drawing kidnap milder air, eight

:09:33. > :09:37.to 11 Celsius. High pressure builds steadily over the next few days,

:09:38. > :09:40.holding the fronts in the west at bay and southerly winds introducing

:09:41. > :09:46.milder air so not looking bad at all as we head into the weekend. Largely

:09:47. > :09:47.dry, variable amounts of cloud, sunny spells, milder by day but with

:09:48. > :09:52.some chilly nights. from everyone on the late

:09:53. > :09:55.team, good evening.