09/04/2014 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Dominic Heale and Anne Davids.

Our troubled Ambulance Servhce is under fire again.

Welcome to Wednesday's programme. Police investigate reports of

gunfire on a city street. Plus fire engulfs a chapel where the

family of D.H Lawrence is btried. Hello. I'm Warwick Davis. Fhnd out

why I'm treading the boards here with the Reduced Height The`tre

Kyoto protocol. `` Theatre Company.

Good evening. Welcome to Wednesday's programme.

First tonight more criticisl of the East Midlands Ambulance Service

Inspectors from the Care Qu`lity Commission inspected the troubled

trust and found a number of essential standards are not being

met. Against a backdrop of tight finances and ever increasing demand,

staff spoke of being overworked and under`resourced. More improvements

have been ordered. In a momdnt we'll hear from the woman with possibly

the unenviable task of turnhng the organisation around. But first our

Health Correspondent Rob Sissons reports on the challenges f`cing the

service. Year after year thd control room answers record numbers of 99

calls, but how in control is the service? It is not rocket science,

it seems it can be a diffictlt art though to get there quickment here

is just three examples. First tonight, the ambulancd and

hospital delays that led to the death of a Nottinghamshire lan.

Brady Watson was playing football last month in Nottingham whdn a

tackle left him face down on the ground with a broken leg thd he

would be there for almost three hours before ambulance crews

arrived. It was a low priority case, but it

left an East Midlands woman waiting for an ambulance for hours. The

inspectors looked at six care standards. Now the East Midlands

Ambulance Service missed fotr of them. The reasons, well minhmum

response times to life thre`tening calls were not met. Inspectors also

found there were not enough vehicles and insufficient staff suit`bly

qualified, skilled and experienced. Standards hit, infection control and

a good complaints system was recognised, but this reveals the big

improvements still needed. We recognise that the trust has made

some improvements. They havd got a long way to go in terms of leeting

the essential standards of puality and safety.

Staff told inspectors what ht is like. We put other peoples voices to

their comments. I can spend half my shift looking for a spare vdhicle.

We don't have enough resources on the road. We are short of staff it

is horrendous. Sometimes we have three people to do the same job Now

some 999 calls, the less serious ones are getting advice rather than

an ambulance. It eases frontline pressure, but patients don't like

it. Their first argument maxbe I wanted an ambulance, that's why I

rang for an ambulance. After so many changes, Sue Noyes is the ndw woman

filling in at top. If she h`s ambitions for the job permanently,

it is likely sustained improvement will have to be delivered.

Sue is with us. Can sustaindd improvement be delivered?

We are focussed on improving and sustaining the service that we have.

We were able to demonstrate in March that we delivered close to the

national response targets, but clearly, we are not complacdnt, we

know we have to improve. March was on improvement, but if Febrtary

nearly all the targets were missed. It is not much of an improvdment, is

it? It isn't, but it is a significant improvement for the

trust. They hadn't delivered previously in March on some of the

key targets, but I would stress we are in no way complacent. Wd

recognise and it is mentiondd in the report, we are in the middld of a

quality improvement programle. I was asked to come to the trust to do

just that and that's what wd're in the middle doing. With respdct, we

have heard these promises of improvements and the pledges before.

You can point to individual monthly improvements, but overall, for years

now, the trust has failed to hit all of its targets. You are not keeping

the plates spinning, are yot? This is some long`standing issues that we

have and we are addressing. The improvement programme is not about

the frontline response times, it is about every bit of the organisation

working as best it can. There are a number of comments in the rdport. I

have been open and talked about the fact that we need to improvd morale

and improve opportunities for our staff to progress. The report says

morale is rock bottom? When I joined the trust and I was clear and I

talked about this openly th`t we need to do more. We are listening to

our staff. We are wanting to engage with them. And we want to ptt the

opportunities in there for them to develop, but there is more for us to

do. This report, one of the central conclusions could not be worse given

that you run an Ambulance Sdrvice. The bottom line is that according to

the inspectors, minimum response standards to life threatening calls

are not being met. People c`nnot be assured they will receive c`re in a

timely and effective manner. What is the point of an ambulance sdrvice if

they That can't be guarantedd? We are clear that's what I'm hdre to

do. It is what the new team will be here to do. We want to deliver. When

do you think you are going to be able to deliver this? We have heard

this so many times before. Ht will be delivered, but nobody saxs it

will be by then? Our contract, with our commissioners, demonstr`tes that

we have to deliver and we are tied to deliver on that contract. We want

to deliver. The whole organhsation, when I have been in there h`s said

to me, we don't want to be where we are, we want to make the

improvements. When? We have to deliver from this month. We have to

start delivering at a trust wide level and through the coursd of this

next year, we need to start delivering on individual cotnty wide

levels as well. One of the things you have to look

at is the issue of vehicles and equipment. In the report, you will

have seen it, one staff member recounted how an ambulance developed

a flat battery on a call out. The family of the person they wdre

called to had to use their jump leads to restart the ambulance.

Clearly, that's a poor standard of care and a poor standard of

experience and I wouldn't w`nt us to have that. I recognise that and we

do apologise to people when we get it wrong. They mention very often,

all the staff say there is not enough staff. How many more staff

have you recruited and by that, I mean net staff? Actually dpra

numbers? `` extra numbers? We have rdcruited

over 110 new staff. There is a mix of par med UK's and emergency care

assistants. I want to ask you about the emergency care assistants.

Again, they say, one of thel speaking to on the report, ht says

that it is frightening becatse people expect experts, ie p`ramedics

turn up, they turn up and they can't give paracetamol. The clock stops

when they get there. The emdrgency care assistants, an important role.

They support the paramedics in the traditional ambulances such as you

see behind me, but their role is to support. We have opened up

opportunities for them to do increased training. But we `re also

recruiting more paramedics `nd clearly, this is something that we

keep under review and we look and say what else do we need? Vhewers

watching you at home maybe wondering what will happen tonight if I fall

seriously ill or if I am in a bad accident? Will I be able to rely on

an ambulance turning up in time You will be. We are strengthening a

number of areas. We are in the middle of an improvement programme

and we k recognise this is going to take sometime. We are not complacent

and we know what we need to do. Sue, thank you very much indeed for

coming in and speaking to us. Still to come: The Premier League

party that fell a little fl`t. After the highs of promotion, it is

back down to earth with a btmp for Leicester.

Detectives investigating a shooting in Nottingham are asking for help

from hospitals across the E`st Midlands. They're trying to trace a

man who's believed to have been shot in the foot. Let's cross to St Ann's

and our Social Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy Ball. Good

evening. What more can you tell us? Well, it is more than 24 hotrs now

since the police were called here after a fight outside this takeaway.

Some people heard a loud bang, but it is far from clear what h`ppened

here. Throughout the day, officers have been scouring the scend here.

We are told they have found evidence that a gun was fired. So far though,

no damage and no victim. Tonight, they are investigating CCTV

recordings. Some of that footage appears to show a man being shot in

the foot and now, officers `cross the region are being asked to help

them trace that man. Detecthves want to trace a group of men who were

seen arriving here in a blud Ford Focus. That was around the same

time, around 4pm yesterday `fternoon and finding that car and its

passengers are a priority tonight. Thank you.

The Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan is to become the new Financial

Secretary to the Treasury. Lorgan will also attend Cabinet in the role

of Minister for Women. The reshuffle has been sparked by the reshgnation

of Culture Secretary, Maria Miller. The Conservative MP for Loughborough

was elected in 2010. The owner of a care home has denied

breaching health and safety rules after an elderly resident w`s killed

by a falling wardrobe. 80`ydar`old Ena Bennett is thought to h`ve

suffocated underneath the w`rdrobe when it toppled onto her. It

happened at this care home `t Milford in Derbyshire, two xears

ago. Owner Gerald Hudson today pleaded

not guilty before Derby magistrates'. He'll now facd a trial

at the city's crown court. @ A former chapel in Nottingh`mshire

may have to be demolished after a fire. The blaze broke out in the

early hours of this morning. No one was injured, but it took several

hours to bring under control. The building is in the grounds of

Eastwood Cemetery where somd members of the writer D.H Lawrence's family

are buried. Helen Astle reports Through the trees, you can see the

flames and smoke of the fird lighting up the night sky. By day,

it is a bleak picture. The former chapel has been severely dalaged.

Simon Taylor lives nearby and filmed the fire. I woke up when my little

boy woke up and I could smell smoke and I looked out the door and I

could see a big orange glow in the sky over there. There is fl`mes all

coming up which, it was massive you could tell it wasn't a garddn fire.

The roof was aplays. You can `` ablaze. You can hear the rafters

burning and clattering away and falling into the church. It was a

fireball to be honest. The Fire Brigade were called at around 1

50am. 30 firefighters tackldd the blaze including some who were called

from neighbouring Derbyshird to help. It was large enough and

significant enough to not commit crews inside the building. There is

significant structural damage. There is risk of collapse now.

Investigations have been continuing throughout the day to find out

exactly how this fire startdd. It seems likely that this formdr chapel

that was built in 1888 will have to be demolished.

A refugee from Somalia has told a murder trial that he stabbed the

football coach Antoin Akpom in self`defence. He said it was after

he and another teenager werd threatened with a dumbbell on a

Leicester street. 19`year`old Hussain Hussain said it was a

split`second decision. He fdared for his life after Mr Akpom and a group

of men confronted him and Abdul Hakim. From Stafford Crown Court

here's Quentin Rayner. Hussain Hussain came to the UK as a

refugee when he was seven. Last June, he shared a prison cell with

his co accused Abdul Hakim. The Somalian's conviction include

carrying a knife. He said the pair of them were watchdogging along Kent

Street when Antoin Akpom ch`llenged Abdul Hakim for being in his area.

Moments later, he returned with six other well`built men from a nearby

gym and swung a dumbbell at them. Hussain Hussain described how Abdul

Hakim produced a knife, but it dropped to the ground. He s`id, " I

made the decision to pick it up and strike Abdul Hakim." The st`bbing

was a split second decision." Zblefs He was asked by his QC if hd

intended to stab Abdul Hakil? No, sir. Was asked how he felt `bout the

football coach dying. He sahd pretty bad. My actions caused his death.

Antoin Akpom's mother left the court in distress. Hours after thd

stabbing, four members of the same family were killed in a fird at a

house two doors down from Abdul Hakim's mother's home.

Both teenagers deny murder. Next the third in our series on this

region's links with Brazil. Hundreds of Brazilian students are now

studying in our universities. Their Government pays for many of them to

go overseas to be educated. De Montfort University in Leicdster

says it's a new and important market and it has set up a partnership with

a university in the City of Sao Paulo. Mike O'Sullivan reports.

In the heart of the Sao Paulo three university students who havd

returned home after spending a year at De Montfort University in

Leicester. Something like the snow that they will never forget It

strengthened the links betwden two cultures, Brazil and the Brhtish

culture. It is important to maintain this link. Like Leicester, no one

knows about Leicester. When you say, "I went to Leicester." And they say,

"Oh, Leicester Square in London " Everybody that was there was doing

the same thing as me, studyhng abroad. De Montfort Univershty has

signed a partnership deal on research and teaching with LcKenzie

University in Sao Paulo. It comes as the Brazilian Government ails to

send 100,000 students oversdas in its science without borders

programme. On a foggy morning in Leicester two

Brazilian students. I wanted to come to England, to the UK, to ldarn

about public health because we have a very famous system, the NHS. This

knowledge, it will make me ` step ahead of everyone else just for the

experience that I had here. Back in Sao Paulo, the head of McKenzie

University told me they havd much in common with De Montfort University.

Some Some research maybe usdd. This partnership will be very frtitful.

De Montfort University describes Brazil as an important markdt as it

aims to find new income strdams and become an international university.

That's the end of Mike's report from Brazil. It has been fantasthc. He

never mentioned coffee once though! Still to come:

A towering talent. We catch up with the actor Warwick Davis, st`r of the

silver screen and founder of the Reduced Height Theatre Comp`ny. He

is great. Another towering tea lent is Natalie.

`` talent is Natalie. First tonight Leicester Citx's

promotion party didn't exactly go to plan. A 4`1 defeat to Brighton not

what anyone was expecting. Lanager Nigel Pearson says they'll lake sure

their remaining performances are right in their push for the title.

Kirsty Edwards was at the Khng Power Stadium.

The fans were ready for a promotion party. Brighton hadn't read the

script. When you go into a game and you want to celebrate, you have got

to celebrate with a perform`nce first and foremost and that's what

we have done all season. Tonight, we didn't get it.

It is in. Leicester City ard up against it.

If you are going to come back down, you come back with a massivd bump

and we did tonight. It is into the Leicester box. It is

2`0. Well, someone didn't rdad the invite to this party. That's not the

way the celebrations were stpposed to take place! It is mistakd after

mistake after mistake. One or two players may have burbt the candle ``

burnt the candle at both ends, I don't know. Oh dear, oh dear. This

wasn't meant to happen. That's football. Football has a grdat way

of levelling one's ego if you have got one. The players tonight were a

little bit shell`shocked by what happened.

Despite the scoreline, the fans did their best to stay upbeat and

finally, they got something to really cheer about.

Leicester 1, Brighton 4. Let's not underestimate what we have `chieved

so far. We have gained promotion with six games to go. Tonight has

not been a very good night for us, but we'll get back to work `nd make

sure our performances are rhght from here on in.

Five games to go, Leicester are still in the chase for the title.

S So not the best night but overall what a season so far and yot can see

a ten minute film on the schence of City's success on the BBC sport

website. Onto Derby and Fordst. Today the Rams recalled strhker

Mason Bennett from his loan spell at Chesterfield. Last night Derby

demolished Blackpool to go back up to third. Meanwhile Forest drew 3`3

at home to Sheffield Wednesday. What a night, the referee blew the

whistle and some of the fans were still getting into their se`ts when

seconds in, Blackpool took the lead. But the scam Rams didn't drop and

Chris Martin scored his 20th goal of the campaign. He has become the

first player to get 20 goals in the season for the Rams since Ddan

Sturridge 18 years ago. Bryson was on hand to help with the

second before scoring himself. Derby are flying in third spot in the

championship. Nottingham Forest haven't won in 11

games. They were 1`0 when the half working Jamie Mackie pulled one

back. Within an hour, they were 3`1 down. They had it all to do, but

they started the comeback. Dven though Danny Collins was sent off,

Jamie Patterson earned Forest a point. The Reds are tenth in the

championship with five games to go. Cricket and Nottinghamshire have

made a winning start to thehr County Championship season, beating

Lancashire by 45 runs. Therd's more good news because Australian star

Peter Siddle will make his debut in the next match. Jeremy Nicholas

reports. A beautiful sunny start herd at

Trent Bridge. Nottinghamshire are hoping this could be the se`son that

they win the county championship. At the start of any season, when you

play for a county like Nottinghamshire, you want to win all

three trophies and that's what we will be starting out to do. But this

first month is all about crhcket. I think we can achieve it all. It

would be nice to get over the T 0 hurdle if we can and championship,

we have got a few good signhngs and it could be easier to get the 2

wickets we struggled to get last year. In the changing room, there is

a lot of experience. A lot of young kids coming through. If we put it

together, we should be at the top challenging. One man wearing the

Nottinghamshire whites is Pdter Siddle and the coloured kits are

perfect for an Aussie, yellow and green, the big name signing is in

Notts before being tied up. Siddle should about been leading the

bowling attack in this game, but visa problems kept him in Atstralia

and he is here now. Bringing someone of international class like Peter

Siddle provides us with mothvation and every time we walk`out there, to

bowl to the best of our ability we want to stay in the team. L`st year,

we didn't take 20 wickets often We felt we needed to strengthen that

department. We think we've done that with a world`class bowler. Peter

Siddle has three days beford his debut against Middlesex and he will

be on our programme tomorrow night. A sunny day at the cricket. The

weather soon with Anna. From Star Wars to Harry Potter, the

actor Warwick Davis has madd a name for himself on`screen. But now he

has taken to the stage in a play at Derby Theatre. It's the first show

to be performed by the Reduced Height Theatre Company, set`up by

Warwick to give shorter actors more opportunities. Here's our arts

reporter, Geeta Pendse. You are an imposter. I beg your pardon. Who are

you? I am the Bishop of Lax. The actor Warwick Davis whose the

wartime farce See How They Run for the Reduced Height Theatre Company.

He got his break at the age of 1 playing in Star Wars. He wants to

give other shorter actors more opportunities.

Give them a platform, a levdl playing field that celebratds them

as actors and that's why I have reduced the scale of the set

slightly as well so you comd into the theatre and you see the play and

you are treated to an illushon at the same time that you totally

forget that we're short. I wonder if you could maybe give me

say five grand just to live on? Treat it like a charity don`tion. It

is not the first time he toxed with audience's perceptions, Lifd Is Too

Short followed a fictional version of Warwick. It held a mirror up to

society of the a lot of things happened to the Warwick Davhs

character have happened to le in real life and Ricky Gervais and

Stephen Merchant took those moments and spun them up into a comhc scene.

Warwick Davis of Life's Too Short isn't you, but what's it like for

you when you are out and about? Whenever I'm Christmas shopping she

can trace her presents on Twitter because people have taken a picture

of every shop I have been in. See How They Run is on at derby Theatre

until Saturday. Warwick hopds it is the first of many productions for

the company. We must congratulate the whole of

Leicestershire. It was after victory in the Great British Sewing Bee

Last night on BBC Two, Heather Jacks from Willoughby Waterleys ndar

Lutterworth beat off compethtion from two other contestants to win

the title. Her success follows Sam Bailey who won The X Factor and

Frances Quinn who won the Great British Bake Off. A county of

winners. Will it be wet or watery? Not really, Dominic. Look at this

beautiful picture, thank yot, Jill for sending it in. Overnight

tonight, it looks like it whll be dry and there will be clear skies.

The cloud increased through the afternoon, but it has been breaking

up to give us lovely evening sunshine and we will see more in the

way of clear skies for a tile. That is going to allow the temperatures

to drop, but we are looking at lows of six Celsius tonight. It should be

frost`free. As we go into Thursday morning, we start to see more in the

way of cloud as we go through the morning. It will break at thmes to

give bright or sunny interv`ls. One or two showers around, but on the

whole, a dry day to be had. Temperatures not bad, out in the

sunshine, we are looking at highs of 14 Celsius. You might just start to

see the cloud and the rain creeping in here to the north`west and this

is a weather front that's going to move its way south through Thursday

night. It will give us light, patchy rain. Nothing too significant. Once

it clears, the skies clear behind it and we are in for a really lovely

day. The high pressure is btilding behind me here and that's going to

keep us settled through the day on Friday with sunny spells and

temperatures, not as nice as today, we are looking at highs of 01

Celsius, but feeling pleasant. The good news is if you are enjoying the

settled weather, it stays dry throughout the weekend, but I can't

promise you wall to wall sunshine. You can't promise us wall to wall

sunshine? We will get somebody who will.

We will send out for somebody who will.

From all of us here, bye`byd. 'But mostly,

you've got to be In It To Win It.' The new series of the

National Lottery: In It To Win It,