0:00:00 > 0:00:00weather website and by attacking the BBC weather app. Very snazzy new
0:00:00 > 0:00:12graphics, Sarah,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Welcome to BBC London News.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I'm Katharine Carpenter.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19A man from Essex who waited more than 13 hours for an ambulance
0:00:19 > 0:00:22after suffering a stroke has raised concerns that his case wasn't
0:00:22 > 0:00:27going to be investigated until he complained.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29The East of England Ambulance Service said it was "under severe
0:00:29 > 0:00:32pressure" that day and always tries to prioritise the most
0:00:32 > 0:00:33life-threatening calls.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Nikki Fox reports.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Home from hospital, building site manager
0:00:41 > 0:00:43David Axford is on the mend, but feels let down by
0:00:43 > 0:00:45what he went through.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49He just said he had an excruciating headache,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and he was literally just, you know, with his head, he just
0:00:52 > 0:00:55kept laying down all the time, he couldn't really stand up.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00I was telling them, you know, that I couldn't feel my legs.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03You know, she'd phoned and said I'd had a nose bleed.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06His eyes were a bit blurry, he was slurring, he started to lose
0:01:06 > 0:01:09the feeling in his legs, they went a bit tingly.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11He had pains on his spine, at the base of his back.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13They were told a paramedic would be sent.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15They thought they'd get a response within 15 minutes.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18They kept trying to reassure me, the ambulance is coming,
0:01:18 > 0:01:19the ambulance is coming.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And then he's obviously starting to get stressed.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26So it's making it much worse, the pain in his head and everything.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And he actually said at one stage he felt like his head
0:01:29 > 0:01:30was going to explode.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31That was lunchtime.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33What they didn't know - the Trust was under severe pressure,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35with more than 4,000 calls.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37They decided it needed a two-hour response.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But by the evening, the Axfords were still waiting.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Four times they dialled 999.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45David's wife was even asked to take him to hospital,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47but couldn't lift him.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48He thought he was going to die.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49I did, yeah.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Yes, I thought he was going to die.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54That was the hardest part.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Face, has it fallen on one side?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Just last week, an NHS campaign highlighted the urgency of calling
0:02:00 > 0:02:04999 after signs of a stroke.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10David's ambulance finally turned up 13 hours later, at 3:30am.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13His prognosis is good, but his eyesight's worsened and his
0:02:13 > 0:02:17driving licence is withdrawn.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Something somewhere is going wrong with the system.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22And obviously it does need seriously looking at,
0:02:22 > 0:02:27because I could have been sitting on my own.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Until he complained, David's case wasn't even one
0:02:30 > 0:02:31of the 40 under investigation.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Proof the Christmas delays may well be more widespread
0:02:33 > 0:02:34than first thought.
0:02:34 > 0:02:44Nikki Fox, BBC London News.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The row over who should pay to remove cladding
0:02:58 > 0:03:01similar to that used on Grenfell Tower from a housing
0:03:01 > 0:03:03complex in Croydon has gone before a judge today.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Leaseholders at Citiscape have been told they may have to pay up to 30
0:03:06 > 0:03:08thousand pounds each to replace the flammable material.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10The property management company says residents should also contribute
0:03:10 > 0:03:12towards the cost of fire wardens.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15GPs should be able to prescribe e-cigarettes and hospitals should
0:03:15 > 0:03:17sell them to help patients quit smoking - that's the view
0:03:17 > 0:03:19of Public Health England following research by a London university.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Experts from Kings College London were among those who contributed
0:03:21 > 0:03:23to the independent review.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26They have helped tens of thousands of people quit smoking.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But currently in the UK, people have to buy e-cigarettes,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32unlike nicotine patches and gum.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Public Health England want that to change,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and for doctors to start giving e-cigarettes to patients
0:03:36 > 0:03:37on prescription.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39The latest evidence reviewed suggests that although vaping
0:03:39 > 0:03:45is not entirely risk-free, it's much safer than smoking.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46The organisation says e-cigarettes are 95% safer
0:03:46 > 0:03:48than regular cigarettes, as they don't include most of
0:03:48 > 0:03:54the toxic chemicals found in smoke.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Researchers estimate e-cigarettes contribute to at least 20,000
0:03:56 > 0:04:01successful new quits per year.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02Despite their popularity, around 40% of smokers
0:04:02 > 0:04:06have not tried them.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Experts say the evidence in favour is so compelling,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11smokers who want to quit shouldn't wait for free prescriptions before
0:04:11 > 0:04:14trying e-cigarettes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16We are confident that they are substantially less harmful
0:04:16 > 0:04:21than cigarette smoking, so we recommend that smokers
0:04:21 > 0:04:23who are really struggling to stop should try an e-cigarette,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and that might help them to stop smoking, which would probably be
0:04:26 > 0:04:30the best thing they can do for their health.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32In the meantime, Public Health England suggests hospitals start
0:04:32 > 0:04:34selling e-cigarettes to patients, and change smoking shelters
0:04:34 > 0:04:38into vaping lounges.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42But they also warn that non-smokers shouldn't start vaping.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Michelle Roberts, BBC News.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49When women were given the vote for the first time 100 years ago
0:04:49 > 0:04:53it was of course a big moment in the fight for women's rights.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But a century on there is still inequality when it comes to things
0:04:56 > 0:04:58like pay and opportunities.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Steph McGovern has been to meet women at different stages
0:05:01 > 0:05:06of their careers in the capital to hear about their experiences.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Making your way up in the world is still not as easy as it
0:05:09 > 0:05:12should be for women.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15But there are more and more breaking down the barriers.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Katie is an award-winning crane driver.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I've come to meet her with Lois, an apprentice in building
0:05:21 > 0:05:24services, and Katherine, a structural engineer.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26You're all working in an industry that's male-dominated.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Does that bother you, Katie?
0:05:30 > 0:05:31It doesn't bother me as such.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I think if anything, it gives you slightly more leverage.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36There's a stereotype out there about engineers being always
0:05:36 > 0:05:39a male with a beard and a hard hat and high-vis.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But in reality, most of the time I'm wearing a dress and working
0:05:42 > 0:05:45at my desk doing calculations, doing drawings and working
0:05:45 > 0:05:47on computer software.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I feel like I'm listened to.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I'm treated the same as everybody else.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It's great to hear their optimism.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55But what about those a bit further
0:05:55 > 0:05:57on in their careers?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Jennifer and Mina have very different jobs,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01but felt the same pressures when they
0:06:01 > 0:06:05had children.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06There's guilt lurking at every corner.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Guilt that you can't do your job in the way in which you
0:06:09 > 0:06:12want to do it, and guilt that you're not there for your children.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13I've got two children.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The first was fine.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17The second...
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I had my second, I worked for the biggest international
0:06:20 > 0:06:22law firm, and was made redundant literally effectively on my first
0:06:22 > 0:06:25day back at work.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And it...
0:06:28 > 0:06:33It affected me mentally so badly.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35And in fact, it became so stressful for
0:06:35 > 0:06:39me in the end that I set up own business and left, so that I could
0:06:39 > 0:06:43define my own working hours.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45For anyone to get to the top in business,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47it takes a lot of graft.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49So what about the few women who have made it?
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Do they think they've had a harder time because they're a woman?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It takes courage almost every day to speak out and speak up for gender
0:06:56 > 0:07:01balance and gender equality.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Let's do this together.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Let's get men being the biggest voices, the strongest
0:07:08 > 0:07:10voices for getting gender equality up there.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And that's the only way I think we're
0:07:12 > 0:07:14going to do it.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Back on the construction site, I definitely feel like these young
0:07:16 > 0:07:18women are being given more opportunities than they would
0:07:18 > 0:07:21have done in the past.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So, that should mean in future we won't need to make a special film
0:07:24 > 0:07:26about women doing jobs like these, or running companies,
0:07:26 > 0:07:32because it won't be unusual.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Now let's go over to Kate for the forecast
0:07:36 > 0:07:41and a new look to the weather.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Same old me but new graphics.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46Good afternoon.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Well, once again we woke up to a very cold start this morning
0:07:49 > 0:07:50and a little bit of frost.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Patchier than it was yesterday.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53We saw temperatures hovering above zero in some spots
0:07:54 > 0:07:55and below in others.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Had a bit of cloud as well, but the clouds significantly
0:07:58 > 0:08:00broke up very quickly.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05Then we had some decent blue sky. Some cloud is rolling in now, but
0:08:05 > 0:08:08fairly high, so the sunshine is hazy.
0:08:08 > 0:08:14Temperatures will not be too great. We expect one or two wintry showers,
0:08:14 > 0:08:19mainly towards the east. We will still see some sunshine, the
0:08:19 > 0:08:24showers in the East blowing through. Sunshine to the West, temperatures
0:08:24 > 0:08:26getting up to five. This evening and overnight, the Met
0:08:26 > 0:08:32Office has issued a yellow weather warning for further snow showers and
0:08:32 > 0:08:38some ice. This will continue into dawn tomorrow. Showers affecting all
0:08:38 > 0:08:41areas, you could get a light dusting anywhere but towards the morning
0:08:41 > 0:08:46perhaps heavier snow towards the east. It will clear by dawn,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50temperatures dropping to zero or below. Tomorrow morning, if we have
0:08:50 > 0:08:56cloud around, it will clear fairly quickly to some brights and gym.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Blue sky tomorrow, can't see too much cloud, looking up blue sky
0:09:01 > 0:09:05throughout. Temperature is still looking rather cold. Towards the end
0:09:05 > 0:09:09of the week, temperatures gradually start to climb, especially towards
0:09:09 > 0:09:13the weekend as we pick up a slightly milder south-westerly breeze into
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Thursday. Back to you.
0:09:17 > 0:09:17That's about it from me.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Riz Lateef will be here with our 6:30pm evening programme.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23But for now, from us all, a very good afternoon.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Goodbye.