:00:00. > :00:15.Welcome to BBC London News with me, Alice Bhandukravi.
:00:16. > :00:19.We start tonight with more on those concerns about the state of the NHS.
:00:20. > :00:26.BBC London has been given exclusive behind-the-scenes access at one
:00:27. > :00:29.of the capital's busiest hospitals, on the day that the health service
:00:30. > :00:31.warned that care is becoming unsustainable due to
:00:32. > :00:38.Earlier, the head of the NHS here in London said hospitals
:00:39. > :00:41.are busier than ever, and that things are set to get worse.
:00:42. > :00:43.Our political correspondent Karl Mercer has been to the Chelsea
:00:44. > :00:47.and Westminster Hospital to see how they're coping.
:00:48. > :00:49.Like every other emergency department in London,
:00:50. > :00:55.They're seeing around 450 people a day here.
:00:56. > :00:58.The number they have to admit to hospital is up 13%
:00:59. > :01:03.We are seeing unprecedented numbers at the moment,
:01:04. > :01:08.And more and more people coming through the door.
:01:09. > :01:11.The hospital - again, like most across the capital - is full.
:01:12. > :01:14.The problem a common one, of not being able to move
:01:15. > :01:21.I mean, every single bed in both our sites
:01:22. > :01:31.And it's almost a case of one in, one out, as soon as we can discharge
:01:32. > :01:33.someone, we can move someone through the system.
:01:34. > :01:36.So what is the NHS doing to tackle the issues?
:01:37. > :01:39.Can I check who we've got on from the surge hub, please?
:01:40. > :01:43.Five times a day, every day, this team at NHS London gather
:01:44. > :01:45.to take the temperature of hospitals across the capital.
:01:46. > :01:49.Staffing, the usual few gaps of registered nurses due
:01:50. > :01:52.to short-term sickness and no-shows from the agency.
:01:53. > :01:54.From an infection control perspective, they have seven
:01:55. > :02:00.We're just wondering what level of escalation they are at?
:02:01. > :02:01.They check on things like staffing levels,
:02:02. > :02:04.how many patients are waiting to be discharged, how long patients
:02:05. > :02:07.are waiting to be seen and how many beds are available.
:02:08. > :02:09.And they too have cancelled any nonclinical activities for nurses
:02:10. > :02:15.today and brought everybody back out onto the floor.
:02:16. > :02:18.So the focus is often on emergency departments but what we see
:02:19. > :02:20.is the full picture, the flow through the hospital
:02:21. > :02:23.and that's often what we are able to contribute to.
:02:24. > :02:26.So that it is not just an Emergency Department problem.
:02:27. > :02:28.No, OK, Emma, do you want to move on?
:02:29. > :02:31.Today, as we filmed, the NHS boss in London joined the call,
:02:32. > :02:34.at a time when the service is being stretched as never before.
:02:35. > :02:36.It is the busiest we have ever seen it.
:02:37. > :02:41.We are about 10% up on where we were in terms of hospital
:02:42. > :02:44.activity year on year, this time last year.
:02:45. > :02:47.111 during the Christmas period and the first few
:02:48. > :02:50.weeks into the New Year, about 40% up.
:02:51. > :03:03.But things are expected to get even tougher in the coming weeks,
:03:04. > :03:06.with cold weather and flu outbreaks on the way.
:03:07. > :03:09.What used to be a busy winter surge is not expected to end until May.
:03:10. > :03:27.We heard there that things are going to get worse. Why is that? The NHS
:03:28. > :03:31.is hearing from GPs, services like 111 and A that more children are
:03:32. > :03:35.presenting with flu. Traditionally, if you see more children presenting
:03:36. > :03:39.in flu, about two weeks later, you see a spike in the number of adults
:03:40. > :03:42.getting it. As we heard in the report, there is also normally a
:03:43. > :03:45.spike in the last week in January and as we know, there are reports of
:03:46. > :03:48.cold weather on the way which will add to the problem. Many would think
:03:49. > :03:53.that just throwing money at the problem will help and I'm sure many
:03:54. > :03:57.NHS hospital directors would not refuse it. But the regional director
:03:58. > :04:01.of the NHS in London actually said it would be better to put money into
:04:02. > :04:04.social care which is all about unblocking the system, getting
:04:05. > :04:09.people out who are not clinically ill any more but still in hospital,
:04:10. > :04:10.out of the bed and freeing up beds. Thank you for joining us.
:04:11. > :04:13.London's controversial Garden Bridge is on the verge of collapse
:04:14. > :04:17.after accounts published today show a significant funding shortfall.
:04:18. > :04:20.If it isn't built, around ?40 million pounds of public
:04:21. > :04:22.If it isn't built, around ?40 million of public
:04:23. > :04:26.The trust behind the project says it still expects to start
:04:27. > :04:31.Our transport correspondent Tom Edwards reports.
:04:32. > :04:34.This is where the Garden Bridge is meant to span the Thames.
:04:35. > :04:39.The idea is it'll be a haven for wildlife and plants,
:04:40. > :04:44.but there is now considerable doubt around the project.
:04:45. > :04:48.The trustees say they are ?56 million short and the project is no
:04:49. > :04:55.Campaigners say the bridge would destroy protected views
:04:56. > :05:01.There remain issues about land and whether the mayor
:05:02. > :05:07.They are admitting the costs are rising inexorably,
:05:08. > :05:11.What maniac is going to put money into this project?
:05:12. > :05:17.If there are delays to the project, the trustees said the initial
:05:18. > :05:22.estimate of ?185 million could rise substantially.
:05:23. > :05:28.The mayor is now carrying out a review of this project.
:05:29. > :05:31.The trustees say that is hindering their attempts to raise more funds
:05:32. > :05:38.The project will use ?60 million of public money.
:05:39. > :05:41.The rest is meant to come from private donors.
:05:42. > :05:44.I think it's nearly dead and it's about time we put
:05:45. > :05:50.I think the current mayor needs to break with the previous one
:05:51. > :05:54.and make sure he doesn't sign the guarantee for the running costs
:05:55. > :05:57.of the bridge in order to fulfil the pledge he made of no more public
:05:58. > :06:02.If the mayor doesn't underwrite the maintenance costs and the issues
:06:03. > :06:06.around the land aren't sorted out, the trustees admit the project may
:06:07. > :06:16.The mayor has already said that could cost the taxpayer ?40 million.
:06:17. > :06:23.We have had to disclose the risks that remain for us to overcome
:06:24. > :06:25.before we begin construction and none of them are new.
:06:26. > :06:28.We need to secure the land and the funding.
:06:29. > :06:31.We are confident that we will be able to do that but as far
:06:32. > :06:34.as the accounts go, we had to disclose those risks.
:06:35. > :06:36.The trust says constructions will start this year.
:06:37. > :06:39.Critics say the Garden Bridge is on the brink of collapse.
:06:40. > :06:43.Uncertainty around the project means time is running out.
:06:44. > :06:49.A BBC London investigation has discovered that unlicensed barbers
:06:50. > :06:54.in London could be putting customers at risk.
:06:55. > :06:58.At the moment, anyone can set up a shop offering haiircuts
:06:59. > :07:00.At the moment, anyone can set up a shop offering haircuts
:07:01. > :07:01.and shaves without proper regulation.
:07:02. > :07:06.For millions of men, visiting a barber is fairly routine.
:07:07. > :07:08.Usually, they leave looking and feeling better.
:07:09. > :07:20.Walking down London's high streets, you will see more barber
:07:21. > :07:25.They are top spots for trendy haircuts and popular meeting places.
:07:26. > :07:28.But the UK barbering industry is difficult to regulate and barbers
:07:29. > :07:30.here don't even need a license to practise.
:07:31. > :07:33.For some in the capital, this is causing huge problems.
:07:34. > :07:36.They were here and here... Meet Jacob.
:07:37. > :07:38.He got a fungal infection after his barber used dirty
:07:39. > :07:44.In the summer of 2015, I started to get some pretty bad
:07:45. > :07:47.bumps on my head and there would be pus coming out.
:07:48. > :07:51.Every time I would wake up, I would look down and there would be
:07:52. > :07:57.So I was put on antibiotics for about four weeks.
:07:58. > :08:00.But nothing, really, it would subside but come back
:08:01. > :08:11.I wasn't able to shave without opening up the wounds again.
:08:12. > :08:14.Dirty clippers or razors at barber shops can put customers at risk
:08:15. > :08:19.of bacterial and viral infections, like folliculitis, herpes
:08:20. > :08:29.If the barber isn't trained, then in fact what can happen
:08:30. > :08:33.is there is an entry of bacteria into the scalp, the hair
:08:34. > :08:36.bulb becomes infected and they have an infection.
:08:37. > :08:39.If you are trained, you would know it's very important
:08:40. > :08:46.Take a look at these pictures we took inside an east
:08:47. > :08:53.We showed them to one of the industry's leading figures.
:08:54. > :08:58.The councils, I think, need to get involved with health
:08:59. > :09:02.and safety and check - not shut down people, help people,
:09:03. > :09:04.tell them what the legislation is and people will get
:09:05. > :09:09.a qualification, they understand everything else.
:09:10. > :09:12.At the London School of Barbering, hygiene is high up on the priority
:09:13. > :09:18.list for the students, who must complete three months
:09:19. > :09:20.of training before they can practise professionally.
:09:21. > :09:23.In the USA and Australia, you have to gain X amount
:09:24. > :09:28.I think that's something that is essential to the health
:09:29. > :09:34.You wouldn't go to a mechanic that wasn't qualified, would you?
:09:35. > :09:37.We contacted all of London's 32 councils but none could tell us how
:09:38. > :09:41.many barber shops operated in the area and only one
:09:42. > :09:45.So while it doesn't look like anything will be changing soon,
:09:46. > :09:48.it's vital that customers are aware of the risks and always
:09:49. > :09:59.That's it for now from me, but let's find out what the weathers
:10:00. > :10:07.It is cold weather on the way. Cold indeed. I have not had a
:10:08. > :10:13.picture like this so far this season and noticed the pavement. No more
:10:14. > :10:16.clues. Travel disruption is distinctly possible and part of the
:10:17. > :10:20.equation is that the day starts cold and dry. Don't be full by the dry
:10:21. > :10:23.element because not long into the day, I thought you said it was going
:10:24. > :10:28.to be snow, weatherman, well, rain for many of us to start off with so
:10:29. > :10:31.a bit of patience but that'll be a thoroughly miserable day in its own
:10:32. > :10:35.right and none too warm. That is the problem because as the cold air
:10:36. > :10:40.tucks into the back of the rain area, yes, the Met office have a
:10:41. > :10:43.warning out for snow, just in time for the evening commute. It is not
:10:44. > :10:47.just a high ground feature. If it gets quite intense, it could drag
:10:48. > :10:51.down to quite low levels and as it clears the way, too late for
:10:52. > :10:54.commuters, it turns quite icy, just in time, we suspect, for another
:10:55. > :10:58.belt also to work its way through for the morning commuters on Friday.
:10:59. > :11:04.We have got a double whammy potentially leading us into a chilly
:11:05. > :11:05.start to the weekend. Time for the national weather prospects if you
:11:06. > :11:14.are on the move. Good evening, a lot going on with
:11:15. > :11:17.the weather in the next few days, numerous weather warnings in for so
:11:18. > :11:21.buried in mind if you have travel plans. Lots of isobars on the chart
:11:22. > :11:24.overnight which means it will be windy for all. The strongest winds
:11:25. > :11:27.in Scotland, lots of wintry showers with snow getting down to
:11:28. > :11:31.increasingly low levels and some wintry showers in Northern Ireland
:11:32. > :11:34.and northern England. A cold night for Northern England, particularly
:11:35. > :11:39.in more rural spots, frosty and I see for some and some of the snow
:11:40. > :11:42.really blowing around over higher ground in Scotland. Strong wind and
:11:43. > :11:45.further snow to take us into tomorrow. It may well make for some
:11:46. > :11:48.tricky travelling conditions. The forecast for tomorrow in the
:11:49. > :11:52.southern half of the UK's quite tricky. We have got mild air bumping
:11:53. > :11:57.into colder air. The boundary between the two, it will be an ugly
:11:58. > :12:00.mix of rain, sleet and snow developing. Mild air comes in behind
:12:01. > :12:03.the weather front but the rain ahead of that will be mixing with the cold
:12:04. > :12:04.air. Details are a bit