19/09/2013 Look East - East

Hello and welcome to Look East. In the programme tonight.

It's been in special measures for months. Now the Government sends

staff from a London hospital to get Basildon back on track. We have had

entrenched problems at Basildon Hospital which we are now

addressing, we have a management team totally committed to doing

that. What is the single thing we can really do to help? Giving them

the support of a successful NHS hospital.

Selling grain to Libya via Great Yarmouth. The changing face of East

Anglian exports. Behind the scenes at the best state

sixth form college in the country. The chief Toril system is great

because we get weekly reminders of what we have to do —— the Chu Toril

system. —— tutorial system. And Hawking the movie — we've been

speaking to the professor's sister about his early years.

First tonight, senior staff from one of the top teaching hospitals in

London are being brought to Basildon to help turn the troubled hospital

around. Basildon is one of 11 failing hospitals to be partnered

with a successful hospital to help bring it up to scratch. In

Basildon's case it's the Royal Free in north London. The Health

Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is keeping all the failing hospitals on a tight

rein: Basildon has been stripped of its Foundation Trust status. In

other words, it has lost some of its independence. Its chief executive,

Clare Panniker, is effectively on probation, with Mr Hunt warning

he'll remove leaders if they're not up to it. She has to write a monthly

progress report and publish it on an NHS website. And like the other

hospitals, Basildon gets a so—called improvement cirector — in this case,

Adam Cayley is appointed by the health watchdog, Monitor. Here's our

Essex reporter, Gareth George. David Bushell is now fit enough to

work in his vegetable garden. It is only a few months and see had major

bowel surgery at Basildon Hospital. He claims the standard of care on

the ward was terrible. An ambulance is expected to get to the other side

of Essex in ten, 15 minutes, yet we couldn't get a nurse come round ten

feet, literally around a corner. Everything was, I will be back

later. It seems hardly a week goes by without the hospital making the

wrong sort of headlines. Today at County Hall in Chelmsford, the

inquest is being heard into the death of an age old from Billericay.

She died at Basildon Hospital in 2011 after contracting legionnaires

disease caused by a bug carried in the water supply —— the death of an

eight—year—old. The government thinks Basildon Hospital can be

improved if it gets help from a so—called elite hospital. This one,

the Royal Free, a major teaching hospital in London. The idea is that

managers and doctors from the Royal Free will help sort out the

problems. The linkup was announced by Jeremy Hunt, the Health

Secretary. We have had some very entrenched problems at Basildon

Hospital which we are addressing. We have a management team and staff

committed to doing that. What is the single thing we can do to help them?

It is give them support from a successful NHS hospital who has done

many of the things they are seeking to do. That is why we are announcing

a partnership with the Royal Free, a very successful hospital which can

give them that intensive support. Clare Panniker, Basildon's chief

executive, has already told Look East that improvements are being

made. Her job is under ongoing review. The Chief Executive of the

Royal Free, David Snowden, said I know there are excellent things

happening: 200 extra nurses recruited by

Basildon Hospital will start work soon and a new respiratory ward is

due to open in December. The hospital will have to work hard to

win back the trust of some former patients.

Earlier I spoke to Stephen Metcalfe, the local MP who was at the

hospital. I asked if he had confidence in the current

management, given that the Health Secretary had stopped short of

giving them his full backing. The team that is in place has been here

just over a year. In that time they have made significant improvements

but there was a culture of complacency that went before. They

are turning that around. While the secretary of health may have stop

short of saying he has confidence, I have complete confidence in the team

as it stands and I think they will turn this hospital around for the

benefit of the people I repress. One of the improvements that has been

made is that 200 extra nurses have been appointed. It begs the

question, if they were needed and they could be paid for, why were

they not there before? I think that is an important and valuable

question. The number of nurses employed at the hospital has

increased since 2010. As part of improvement plan developed by the

new team, they identified there was a shortage of nurses. They set out

to recruit 200 new nurses and by next month they will be in place. I

think it is an indication of the failures of the past rather than not

making progress in the present. Basildon has had its status as a

Foundation Trust suspended. Does it imply that the Foundation Trust was

part of the problem, they were trying so hard to become part of the

Foundation Trust at the expense of patient care? It does beg that

question and I think that when a hospital is given foundation status,

it must be proved to be stained obligatory. In the case of

Basildon, we have discussed the failures of the past, that was not

the case, it was not sustainable. Things will not get better

overnight. They will not, we have to keep the pressure up. We have to

make sure these changes take place in a timely fashion, we cannot let

this go on indefinitely. I hope that within six months to a year we will

have confidence it is a safe hospital delivering good quality

care for everyone. Would you be happy for your family to be treated

there? Of course, I have e—mails all the time from people who say they

have had exemplary care. It is unfortunate there have been

challenges in the past and there are many sad cases where things have

gone wrong. The vast majority of people have exemplary care in this

hospital. Just too often something goes wrong and that is what we have

to stop. More council services in Norfolk are

being cut. Councillors say they need to make savings of £189million over

three years. Hundreds of jobs are under threat. Among the other

proposals — cutting road maintenance and charging people to dump rubbish

at council tips. The details now from Alex Dunlop.

"I won't hide the truth" said the council leader, George Nobbs. "Some

painful cuts in services are unavoidable". This is the sum of it:

£189 million in savings — that would pay for the county's fire service

six times over. 700 jobs could go over the next two years. The council

has identified 60 services where £134 million of savings cold be made

initially: Reducing subsidised bus travel for some school children,

charging people to use some recycling centres and cutting

opening times. And cutting funding for road maintenance and changes in

some home care support. I would cut down on school dinners. Would you

cut down on the bus pass for older people? If they were means tested, I

would. We want to save the bus passes for us elderly people. The

children centres are quite important. We want people to get in

a dialogue with us and look for alternative ways of bridging the

gap, for making the budget balance so we can minimise as many of the

cuts as we can do. Why such drastic cuts? The council faces a double

whammy: money from central Government has been cut by £91

million. At the same time, more people want to use vital local

services, like adult and children's care. Norfolk isn't the only one

facing a financial black hole: Suffolk has to save £156 million and

Essex, £235 million. Councillors will decide next February where the

cuts will fall. Sunday Politics will be looking at

cutbacks this weekend. The latest research shows that councils in the

East have cut thousands of jobs over the last three years. The programme

is on Sunday at the usual time of 11:00am.

Opposition to plans for a toll on a section of the A14 appears to be

today, with companies which use the today, with companies which use the

road every day saying it could threaten business. The section to be

South of the existing road to South of the existing road to

Ellington, west of the A1. A viaduct on the existing A14 would be removed

at Huntingdon. The government says it is keen to hear what people think

of this toll road plan and today in Suffolk, critics were not holding

back, accusing ministers of muddled thinking. Rather than consultation,

they want the idea consigned to the scrapheap. If government was going

to think of one thing to shoot themselves in the foot, with the

ricochet that bullet would shoot us in the head, couldn't it devise a

better plan? The government said that a toll is the only option but

at this business festival in Bury, the launch of a new sticker

campaign. The worry, not just the impact on existing firms but those

in the future. The building was crammed with young entrepreneurs,

Chris Swallow from Newmarket is one of them, having launched his cage

and street food venture in April. As someone who is going to be

travelling to events up and down the country, the toll will cost me extra

money on top of my petrol and other expenses so it will have an effect.

It might deter me from travelling further afield. Nowhere else in the

country is anybody having to pay to use and a road. We have paid our

taxes for everybody else's upgrade but when it comes to upgrading a

road that has not been fitful purpose for years, we are being

asked to pay a toll. —— not been fit for purpose. It has been called the

Golden Triangle for its contribution to the national economy. If it is so

vital to the government say campaigners, ministers have a funny

way of showing it. A woman in a wheelchair, who fell

onto the tracks at the railway station in Southend, did so

accidentally. The police have now ruled out foul play. A rail worker

who rescued her — and was suspended for breaching safety regulations —

has since been reinstated. The accident happened on August 28th.

The biggest grain ship ever to dock in East Anglia has arrived in Great

Yarmouth. The MV Fraga will take barley to Libya. And in the process

it's saved hundreds of lorries from having to travel much further

afield. Slowly but surely, the MV Fraga is

filling up. It can hold 27,500 tonnes of barley, grown on farms

across East Anglia but bound for North Africa, for animal feed. This

is the first time a cargo this big has been loaded here. It is a

massive deal, not just for the company but also for the port and

farmers in general in the area. It is providing them with an

opportunity to reach markets they were previously excluded from. This

company normally uses ports outside East Anglia for big shipments and

this is a huge logistical operation. 250 lorries arrived at great

Yarmouth's outer harbour every day, each with 29 tonnes of grain. These

trucks may otherwise have gone as far as Humberside all Tilbury. This

is what it is all about. East Anglia and feed barley, most of it from

local farms. This year there has been a surplus of barley because the

weather conditions last winter meant it was one of the few things farmers

could actually so. This is a huge vessel for Yarmouth's outer harbour,

the water is ten metres deep. When it is full the MV Fraga has just 20

centimetres of clearance. It was not easy but it was not too difficult.

This vessel is good with an experienced pilot, experienced

master on board. The loading will take all weekend. Then it is ten

days and the bilingual reach its final destination —— the barley will

reach. It's final destination of Libya.

Still to come, we need your suggestions for the region's unsung

sporting heroes. And the best college in the country for A—level

results, so how do they do it? We speak to the principal and the

students. The UK Independence Party is meeting

in London tonight for it's annual conference. The party leader has

told us he's proud of the role UKIP councillors are playing on local

authorities in this region. Four months ago, the party gained 45

seats on our county councils. Critics say those new councillors

haven't been good enough. But leader Nigel Farage rejects that, saying

they've been playing a constructive role. Our political correspondent

Andrew Sinclair is in at Westminster.

We seem to have a problem getting the sound. I think we can hear his

report. It is the party that refuses to go

away. For the last 14 years its opponents have claimed UKIP is just

a flash in the pan. Yet it keeps on winning elections. In Cambridgeshire

and here in Norfolk, so many UKIP councillors were elected that they

were able to persuade the authorities to change the way in

which decisions are made. We have really shaken things up. Cabinet

government is to end in Norfolk County Council because of UKIP,

array. Normally UKIP hold their conferences in hotels. This year

they have picked the grand setting of Westminster Central Hall. The

party believes it has turned a corner and is being taken more

seriously. At those who have to deal with UKIP on a daily basis have

concerns —— but those. They claim its members don't turn up for

meetings and obsess about national issues. I am not convinced they are

making the sort of impact that benefits the people of the county in

the way that they would like. It is naivete that goes with that. A real

lack of understanding of what Cambridgeshire is about, of what the

places they represent are about. One of the criticisms I often hear is

that your councillors know a lot about Europe and immigration and

national issues but they are vague when it comes to local issues, are

they out of their depth? No but they proved we have a bit to learn. But I

think they will, and the reason I think that is because our

councillors, like MEP candidates, are being drawn from a very wide

background and different experiences of life. Nigel Farage knows that

with councillors in local government, his body has an

opportunity to show the public it can be serious if given

responsibility. —— his party has opportunity. When he meets them he

will say well done but he will also say, don't mess up.

We will try again. Those UKIP members meeting just down the road

tonight and they are in buoyant mood. This really has been the year

that UKIP entered the mainstream of British politics, winning 150

council seats across the country. Mr Farage was saying he does not want

them to be dogs in a manger commie wants them be very constructive. The

problem is that UKIP is under enormous scrutiny. Already one

councillor has resigned and two are under investigation in Norfolk. In

Cambridgeshire, a councillor has been investigated and in

Lincolnshire, the entire party has fallen out with each other. It has a

long way to go before anyone will take it very seriously.

If you are looking for a school or college that gets good results in

A—levels and gets students into the right university, look no further.

The best place in the country is Hills Road Sixth Form College in

Cambridge. So how do they do it? A one—to—one tutorial system is, they

say, at least part of the answer. But now a change in the way colleges

are funded is making it increasingly unaffordable. Ben Bland has spent a

day with staff and students. Achieving your goals isn't always

easy. But each year most of the students at Hillsborough in sixth

form college get places at top universities including Cambridge and

Oxford. And this is what gives them the edge. Hazel wants to study law

and in this personal tutorial session, she's getting advice on

application. We were going through my personal statement, Miss Higgins

was helping me identify what I could expand on. It is only in the

one—to—one meetings that they can hone in on smaller things that are

specific to you like extracurricular and things like that. It was the

best performing state sixth form college in England. 80% of the

greats that students got here were within the range of grades required

by top universities. It is significantly higher than the

national average. That is why this college gets many more applications

from students than there are places available. Practical subjects like

science are popular here, but expensive to provide. The way the

government fund sixth form education is changing this month. Under the

new formula, colleges like this could get less money, making it hard

to keep providing those personal tutorials. We have to find a way to

ensure we continue to offer that high—quality guidance. It is a

challenge, it is not going to be easy but we have to find a way to

keep it. It is really at the heart of what we do. That will mean making

savings in other areas and was welcomed in the common room. The

tutorial system is great, we get weekly reminders of what we have to

do. My tutors help me a lot, I wasn't sure if I wanted to take a

gap year and he has provided a lot of support. There have already been

cuts to further education for 16 to 19—year—olds in recent years. The

challenge is to find ways of saving even more money by keeping a prized

possession at the top of the table —— position.

The search is onto find this year's BBC East Sporting Unsung Hero. We're

looking for people who give up hours of their own time to help others

play sport. If you know someone who fits the bill it's time to let us

know. Shaun Peel is the organiser in the East region. What kind of people

are we looking for? The centre forward in football scores a

hat—trick he gets the credit. Nobody thinks of the groundsman. The

swimmers get the medals and a credit, nobody thinks about the

coach, the people working behind the scenes. People who enable others to

play sport. They wash the kit, they do the runs in the minibuses and the

cars, they go to the meetings, the unsung sporting heroes and it is

time to sing up for them. And we've had a good record in the East,

haven't we? We have had a couple of people in recent years who have gone

on to win the national title. Lance Haggis from Bedford, the basketball

coach, went to the NEC in 2010 and one a national title. Doreen Adcock

from Milton Keynes, the swimming coach, also won the national title.

We are looking for your nominations. Give us the details of how to apply.

Go to the website, bbc.co.uk/unsunghero. Nominate your

Sporting Unsung Hero today! Thank you very much. Don't you wish

you could be more enthusiastic! On Tuesday we showed an interview

with the Cambridge scientist, Professor Stephen Hawking, because

this week a new film about him is released. The film is simply called

Hawking. The subtitle: A Remarkable Man, A Remarkable Story. The

premiere is tonight in Cambridge. Mike Cartwright is there.

Yes, we are at the pre—drinks do for the premiere. These are family

friends, colleagues of Professor Stephen Hawking. He is over there in

that corner. Take a look at these pictures, this was his arrival a

short time ago. A lot of media interest into night's events. But

what is truly extraordinary about a night is that age 21, Stephen

Hawking was given just three years to live. Nearly 50 years on, this

special premiere is celebrating his remarkable life.

I have lived over two thirds of my life with the threat of death

hanging over me. His story. A film about the life of the most famous

scientist on the planet. Because every new day could mean my last.

How he defied a disease, Cambridge and a glittering career. His

friends, his family. Mary, his sister, appears in the film. She

told us about a Big Brother who always loved the limelight. Apart

from the motor neurone, he has written had everything that a man

could want. Family life, children, professional career. Fame. Stephen

Moyes wanted to be a celebrity. I am glad he achieved that —— Stephen

always wanted to be. His life changing moment in his words, his

diagnosis of motor neurone disease, his book, a brief history of Time,

and the everyday and the people who look after him. When I went to my

job interview, I thought he was going to ask me about my past

medical history and what I have done in care but he didn't, he asked if I

could cook poached eggs. I was 19 at the time and I lied because I didn't

know how to cook poached eggs. But I got the job straightaway. At

Cambridge I met a new generation of cosmologists. Part documentary, part

dramatisation so why did Professor Hawking make this film now? He had

just turned 70 and that is probably nearly 50 years longer than he was

given to live. I think perhaps he felt now was the time to make a film

that did show more about his life and who he was. He is notoriously

guarded about his past, his life and his family. He is very protective of

his family. He is described as having one of the greatest minds of

a generation. Tonight he will be watching his own life story.

Very soon they will leave here, they had across the road to a cinema for

the premiere. It will be broadcast to numerous and is across the

country and there will be a special Q and a session after that. We

understand there will be special interviews from Buzz Aldrin and also

Richard Branson. It is fitting that Stephen Hawking came to this

premiere in the city where he lives and works.

Thank you very much, from both of us! .

The weather is improving and over the next few days it will stay dry

and gradually warmer. By the weekend the temperature is could be up to 22

degrees. Today we have had some rain, a slow—moving weather front.

For many it has stayed very cloudy right into the afternoon with

continued spots of light rain or drizzle. It has started to clear

away and the satellite image shows how significant that clearance is.

In the last few hours clear skies across much of the region, some of

you may have seen sunshine and blue sky. Overnight we will have clear

skies for some of the time. It is possible in those spots that tend to

get cold, it could get down to eight or nine Celsius. For many of us, it

will stay at ten or 11 degrees. The winds are largely light westerly. We

start tomorrow with quite a lot of clout, it will be a bit of a mixed

bag —— quite a lot of cloud. Temperatures are still expected to

climb to 17 degrees. Perhaps up to 18 Celsius. With a light west to

north—westerly wind it should feel quite comfortable for tomorrow. It

will stay dry for the next few days, our pressure pattern is

bringing high pressure in from the south—west. It means dry weather but

it is going to bring quite a lot of moisture. Some warmer weather. It

may well stay quite cloudy at times and it will be difficult to forecast

where the cloud will thin and break. All these weather fronts being

pushed to the North. The next few days will get gradually warmer. For

Saturday it could end up staying cloudy, that will be hit and miss.

Some places may see something brighter, perhaps something sunny.

It looks better by Sunday for all of us, sunny spells developing. We

continue that theme into the start of next week with that high—pressure

staying firmly in place. With the light winds it should be pleasant.

Overnight lows staying just about in double figures. If you have a

barometer and you need a reading, give it a tap and you will get a

reading of 1005 millibars. Every time I see the forecast that

the budget gets higher for Monday. We're complaining! —— that

temperature gets higher. We