19/12/2013 Look East - East

Adebowale show nod remorse. That is all from us. Now we join our news

teams where Hello and welcome to Look East.

In the programme tonight: A damning report into cancer services at

Colchester Hospital finds five treatment areas are unsafe.

Now the whole hospital will be investigated. We have identified a

number of problems in the cancer service which are replicated across

the hospital. Caught on camera, the burglar

helping himself. More than 30 years after a tragedy

at sea, the memory of that day from one of the survivors. Every morning

when you wake up I always say to myself it is a day that I might not

have had and this has really brought it back to me, it really has.

And the Christmas lights helping to raise money for a very special

little girl. First tonight, a damning report

about the quality of care for cancer patients at Colchester Hospital. It

follows allegations that waiting times were fiddled to meet targets

and the resignation yesterday of the Chief Executive Dr Gordon Coutts.

This is an interim report by NHS England and it highlights serious

failings at Colchester General. A team of experts has been working at

the hospital for the past six weeks to establish the extent of the

problems in cancer services there. They found that, as recently as just

six days ago, five areas of treatment including skin cancer and

urology were unsafe. As a result 13 patients have been recalled to

hospital. Cancer cases dating back to 2010 are now to be reviewed and

all departments at the hospital will be subject to the same scrutiny.

Gareth George has this report. Ever since the Care Quality

Commission revealed that staff at Colchester Hospital had been bullied

into altering the treatment records of cancer patients, NHS has been

preparing its own report. It is nearly 200 pages long and it makes

extremely worrying reading because it reveals the scale of problems in

cancer treatment here. At a media conference the NHS team said it had

uncovered serious failings including in record keeping, departments still

fax each other, there was no lead cancer nurse, standard procedure

elsewhere. It was not even clear who was in overall charge. The report

said that until six days ago five areas of treatment were deemed

unsafe. They were urology, skin cancer, brain cancer, sarcomas and

where it was not clear whether cancer had started. Could someone

have died because of these failings? At this point in time I

cannot answer that. We have a retrospective audit big `` a

retrospective audit of past treatment now underway which could

help us answer the question but I cannot even authoritative answer at

the moment. I asked if there was a concern that failings in cancer

treatment would be echoed elsewhere in the hospital. We have agreed to

do a whole review of the hospital. Sometime in January or early

February we will really be able to answer that question. NHS England

says that cancer patients are still being sent to Colchester Hospital

because it is confident that improvements have been made in the

last few days. If people were to start going off to other trusts

around the country they would not only potentially delay their own

treatment and make it more difficult for us to keep track of what is

happening to them but they would also potentially overload the cancer

services in those hospitals and disrupt the treatment for people in

those areas as well. While the NHS tries to establish how many patients

might have been affected, the report does not question the quality of

chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. The issue of bullying will

be looked at as `` the issue of bullying will be looked at in a

separate report to next year. Earlier I spoke to the hospital's

medical director, Dr Sean MacDonnell. Despite its critical

verdict, he told me he welcomed today's report. I think we have had

all of these teams coming through the hospital and the National

intensive support team looking at our cancer services and it gives us

a blueprint on how to improve the services make them as good as

possible. The kind of things criticised here, understaffing, poor

governance, poor record keeping, this is a clinical problem and just

an admin issue and you are in charge of the clinical side of the

hospital. The doctors are professionally accountable to me,

that is correct. One of the things noted on in the report is the

commitment and teamwork of the clinical staff. I have worked here

for 17 years and these are very passionate motivated and caring

people who want to do the best for the people of North Essex. I have no

doubt that many of them are completely committed by patients

have suffered. It could be hundreds that they find in the future have

actually suffered because of it. We are talking about life`and`death

issues here, aren't we? The survival figures in a North East Essex for

cancer are in line with the national average and are improving. This

report gives us an opportunity to improve our services even more. Just

last week it was announced that you are not meeting your cancer

targets. Why can you not get yourself back on track, knowing the

problems that you have? The staff are working very hard. The cancer

targets in particular, we have had a number of teams coming through the

hospital wanted to interview the cancer specialist. We have had

issues with the capacity in some specialities and we have been trying

to recruit additional staff to increase that and treat patients on

time. We are working very hard to improve all of our services. Are you

concerned that this could be a more widespread issue than we are

currently looking? This report is very helpful to us in that it gives

us the areas which we need to focus on to improve the care that we

provide to patients with cancer. Of course, we are looking at all areas

of the hospital to make sure that we can provide the best possible care

that you can. When you are talking that patients who could be listening

to this and be very concerned, how can you reassure them that their

health and well`being is at the foremost, head of statistics and

targets and any figures that people are trying to keep? Patients are our

number one priority. Throughout this my main concern has been about

patients. Patients have been told that they may have had cancer or

have had a recent diagnosis and they are very vulnerable and they have to

be able to trust the people that will look after them. All I can say

to them is that the staff here are really committed and motivated and

wants to treat the patients in the best possible way. Thank you very

much. We'd like to hear your experiences

if you've had or are having cancer treatment at Colchester hospital.

You can call us or email in the usual way or contact us via Facebook

or Twitter. Planning permission has been given

for one of the biggest solar farms in the country. When it opens we

will have a total of eight solar farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

Most power between 2,000 and 3,000 homes. When this new one opens in

West Raynham, it will produce enough power for more than 11,000.

A disused RAF base for 20 years, this is as busy as traffic gets that

West Raynham airfield. A few businesses have started up here. The

site manager says there is plenty of potential for expansion. We have

local businesses into the hangers and we have a lot of interest in the

other two hangars. Next to some of this landscape will be transformed.

You can see from the exposed topsoil where the runway used to be, that

will be the centre of the solar farm. It will cover 225 acres, the

equivalent of 125 football pitches. It will generate every year 48,000

megawatt hour, enough to supply electricity to ?11,200. The company

says that local people will benefit and it will help to fund a new

playground and an RAF memorial and restoration of the control tower. It

has told local residents able put ?25,000 a year into a community

fund. Without the financial sweeteners, would you still be in

favour? Yes, because maybe in a few years time we can get electricity

from them. I do think you will see it. Norfolk countryside it will be

quite well hidden. It has been derelict for years so it is time

someone did something with it because it is a waste of land. The

government is due to cut the subsidy it gives to solar power which means

energy companies need to build bigger farms to make them

profitable. Today local councillors approved this latest project, as

long as the environmental impact is minimised. It is not hugely high and

it is in the middle of a flat lands so it does not really impact and

from any distance away you will not see it. The company says the layout

will encourage biodiversity but not all wildlife groups are convinced.

The panels will soak up the sun next summer and for the next three

decades. A prolific burglar has been sent to

prison for 32 months after he was filmed breaking into a house in

Ipswich. Joshua Smith, who's 21, didn't leave any forensic clues. But

what he didn't notice were the cameras dotted around the inside of

the house. Simon Newton reports. It is the rare sight of a serial

burglar at work. This is Joshua Smith sneaking around the back of

owls in Ipswich last September. He is about to break in. We saw him

looking through the windows at the back and he came through the window

and he went around the house checking different areas. He had

probably done it before. The homeowner asked not to be identified

by Joshua Smith did not have such luck. This is his police mugshot

after he was arrested because what he did not see the tiny cameras

filming every room. When you looked at the footage, could you believe

what you were seeing? It is violating experience to see someone

walking around your house, sneaking around your house and then helping

themselves to any area that you wanted `` that they wanted. The one

that hit me most was in jumping across my bed and going through my

bedside drawers. It was a bit disturbing. Afterwards it was quite

comforting to know that we have the footage there but it was a bit of a

shock to see it. This footage was his downfall. A police officer

recognised him and he was arrested. In court he admitted burglary,

claiming he had done it because he was broke. In a way he might not

have been caught at all because he covered himself up. They did not

find a trace of him being here. Forensics went around everywhere and

we could see where he had been unwary attached you could see him

wiping off the surface. He was wiping everything to make sure

nothing was left. He did not really take anything of any great value. He

left laptops and just stole a child's gun and some laptops `` some

computer games and some perseverance. He did it all for

about a hundred quid 's worth of stuff. It was bizarre. Eventually he

sauntered off with the stolen items in a rucksack. The judge said he had

an appalling criminal record and jailed him for 21 months.

Council officers have spent the day pouring over spreadsheets after the

Government announced how much money it'll be giving to local authorities

next year. Once again the figure is coming

down. Andrew Sinclair is here. How bad is it? None of this has come

as any great surprise, councils had expected another cut this year but

it is still not nice. Next year the average cut in the government grant

for councils in our region will be 3%. It might not seem very much but

if you are a District Council that is ?500,000 less that you are

getting from the government and if you are a County Council it could be

millions of pounds less. The big losers are once again great

Yarmouth. They are losing more than ?1 million. The two big winners from

our region this time around Cambridge and articles Flood. They

get more money next year because they have been rewarded for building

new homes. How are the council is expected to make the shortfall? Not

by raising council tax. The government has made it clear they

expect them to freeze council tax and they do not believe they should

cut services either. They think council should become more efficient

by looking at the back office. With English councils spending billions

this year councils must focus on cutting waste and making sensible

savings. There is significant scope for councils to merge back office

services or do more joint working. We seem to be talking every year

nowadays about councils cutting their budget. Will this carry on

happening? Council budgets have now been cut by more than 40%. The

councils say they are trying their hardest but they cannot keep on like

this. Thank you. A driver who deliberately ran over a

young pedestrian has been jailed for 12 years. Adam Reeve, who lives in

Wisbech, swerved into his victim in Falcon Road in June last year. The

25`year`old man was thrown into the air. Still to come on the programme

tonight: Survivors of a shipping disaster 31 years ago come to

Felixstowe to remember those who died.

And with just five days to go you tell us about the best dressed homes

across the region. House prices in the East look set to

rise by 10% next year. A new report says our region will see the highest

rises outside London. The prediction comes from the Royal

Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It says it's already seeing signs of

a hike in prices. In fact, prices have been moving up over the past

three months and it expects that to continue. The reason it says, demand

is now outstripping supply. Back in July Elizabeth put her house

on the market. 32 viewings in just five days, a frenzied stream of

offers. The asking price long for bottom. Then she and her partner

found their perfect home and found themselves locked into their own

bidding war. A lady came along and offered ?30,000 more than us and

then approach the vendors directly over the head of the estate agent

which did not go well. In the end we had to go over the asking price.

Elizabeth secured the deal but many Cambridge buyers are losing out time

and again. There is simply no stock. They are building a lot of new homes

but it does not cover all the new jobs. We are seeing an enormous allt

strip of supply over demand at the moment, particularly for young

families, families in their 30s in what we see as the mid`price range,

there are just not enough houses to go around. Therein lies the problem.

Not enough houses and people reluctant to give up the old ones.

This estate agent has seen more interest from first`time buyers. We

have not used the governments scheme but we have asked to `` that we have

had to ask for help from our family to get the deposit because the

amount of money that you need is 15%. In the New Year house prices

are expected to rise by 10% but there will always be peaks and

troughs across East Anglia. It is the obvious areas, those that are

commutable to London and the cities with their own dynamics. Other areas

are going to be more subdued, reflecting the weaker economic

fundamentals around the area in which the residential property

market is based. For Elizabeth it was outwith the old and in with the

new, quick and easy, but other buyers may be so lucky.

31 years ago today a ferry, the European Gateway, was leaving the

Port of Felixstowe when she was involved in a collision with another

ship. 70 people were on board. Six of them were killed. Today in

Felixstowe a memorial to the victims was unveiled. And among the crowd

some of those who survived that night. Kevin Burch has this report.

The wreck of the ?18 million North Sea ferry, European Gateway... Think

of their families who have grieved and left without their physical

presence for all of these year. Life hangs by a very thin thread. Six

lives lost that night but others bound freight on their side and made

it, only Jost. Simon from Felixstowe was one of them, 23 at a time and a

merchant seaman. I was relatively young then and the man who dropped

in mid`dash`mac jumped in with me was not and the cold stopped his

heart and unfortunately he was one of the casualties. What was

surprising was that the accident happened so soon after the ferry

left the port of Felixstowe. People were just getting their heads down

and half an hour into the journey when there was suddenly mayhem.

There was a knock on the door saying that we are sinking and I said, get

off, you are joking. I fell out of bed because we started to tip over.

I was rescued by the pilot Bo Stanley `` I was wreck # I was

rescued by the pilot boat and he must be recommended because we had

to jump from the ship onto the lifeboat. Every morning when you

wake up I say to myself it is a day that I might not have had. This has

really brought it back to me. This event really affected our town. It

had an amazing impact and cast a shadow over the town for many weeks

because it was lying out there in the sea. This memorial is high up

over the spot where are the spot where their ferry came to grief. Now

most people stand to take in the view they can always take time to

remember those who died and the incredible bravery of those who'd

I'd `` who took part in the rescue. Most people are looking forward to

winding down for a few days over Christmas but if you're a football

player or a manager it's the busiest time of the year. The games come

thick and fast and there is little time out to enjoy the celebrations.

Which, of course, affects the whole family. Anne Marie Davies is married

to Karl Robinson the manager of MK Dons. So she will spend a lot of

Christmas without him and his mood will change depending on the

results. Karl Robinson and his wife, doing

what all of us do at this time of year, racing around the shops. Do

you need to go back to work with Mac he is under pressure! I have got 15

minutes. Time is in short supply over Christmas. The MK Dons manager

will spend a big day in Liverpool with his family before travelling

back for Boxing Day match. The games come thick and fast, three matches

in the space of a week. Are you used to being a football widow at

Christmas time? Of course I am! It has been nine years so I am used to

it by now. Does it get easier? No, I actually quite like it sometimes! I

get to watch what I want to watch on the television. It proves that

football can be joyful and also painful in equal measure. Three and

a half years ago when he was appointed he was the youngest

manager. Now he is the country 's sixth longest serving boss. It is

like a roller`coaster, it is so up and down. He does bring it home. You

do take it into Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon. And Monday and

almost to the next game, but it is only because you care. That is the

side of the relationship that I think we need to work on a little

bit better, when to leave it alone. When I asked questions and I am

still waiting for the answer I wonder where his headers. Do you

ever worry about his health because it is a stressful job? Yes, the game

at Wolves just gone I was sat with some of the Wolves fans but it was

tough for me because I wanted to get up and I am passionate about when we

score and I looked down at him and I thought he was going to have a heart

attack so why do worry. It is like a yo`yo. He never keep still.

Anna is an actress who has appeared in several soap operas is which

helps when you are dealing with the drama that football throws up. A

joint Christmas present? What about some good results?

So there you are, a quiet drive, a starlit night the sound of carols on

the radio. And then, there it is, unmissable, as high as the house,

winking out Merry Christmas in bright multi`coloured lights. It

seems that displays are getting more and more sophisticated. One of the

brightest in this region is at Caister`on`Sea near Great Yarmouth.

And Mike Liggins is there now. We are in Kipling close in

Caister`on`Sea where they like their lights. At number 11 we have a

family with a lovely display with Santa and the reindeer. At number

nine it is a bit more understated. It is not until you get to number

seven that the action really starts. Come and have a look at this! This

is number seven. How magnificent is this! Who lives here? It is Jane and

Barry. It is Barry that does all of the hard work. It is not until you

see a birds eye view of number seven that you realise just how much work

goes into the display here. Barry starts work in late October and work

goes on into December. He has lost count of the number of bulbs but let

us just, a lot. It started in a small way but it has grown. We just

had a reindeer when we first had our granddaughter. We had a reindeer

because of the grandchildren. It gradually got bigger and bigger and

they expected it. I think Barry does it for himself as well, he really

enjoys it. This is Barry and James fourth`year and this year the

display is raising money for this little girl who has problems with

her tummy. She has had countless operations and is always out of ``

in and out of hospital. What will you do with the money? We are

adapting our house for her needs. She needs a wet room and bedroom.

She currently shares with her sister and she is unfortunately up quite a

lot in the night and she keeps her elder sister up. Christmas lights

are popular across the region. In Wellingborough this family set their

display to music. Delays sent us some pictures of her

house in Suffolk. OK, Christmas lights are not everybody's cup of

tea but it is hard to argue with the displays like this. They raise money

for charity and they definitely raise a smile.

A lot of us would like snow for Christmas and we are told we will

not get snow for this region but here we do have snow! How good is

this! That is fantastic!

Enough, Barry! That kept quiet! That is fantastic,

what an amazing site! I have got news of rain rather than

snow. A weather front is steadily moving across the country. It has

got to the western parts of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire

with a heavy downpours. This evening and in the next few hours it will

head to the east. There will be a bit of a wintry mix and a bit of a

wintry mix and a bit of sleet mixed in but it is essentially rain. There

will be gusty winds as well. It is not as gusty as last night. Behind

it clear spells developed with cold temperatures. There is a risk of

ice. There could be ground frost. We start tomorrow quite chilly but in

the east it will not be too bad day. We have read the front `` we have a

weather front that will bring us rain but not arrive until quite

late. It will be after nightfall for the western half and in the half

overnight. Tomorrow it will be mainly dry day with the rain turning

up later. It will be on the heavy side and through the morning it is

not a bad start. It will be chilly with sunny spells and a fine

morning. The temperatures are six or seven degrees so it will feel chilly

with a moderate and south`westerly wind. Increasing amounts of cloud

will come from the west bringing rain eventually. It will be patchy

to start with and get going overnight and it could have a few

heavy bursts. It will bring strong wind and gusts of around 50 mph are

possible through the evening and overnight. We get through into our

weekend with the weather front lingering. It is looking like a wet

and windy start with rain sticking around for much of the day. In the

West there is a better chance of clearing the rain away. Temperatures

will be milder but factor in the wind and it will not feel any

milder. It will be a chilly but windy day on Sunday but it will be

largely dry with quite a lot of sunshine. More cloud on Monday with

more rain on its way. Thank you very much. That is all

from us for this evening. Have a good evening. We will see you

tomorrow. Good night. Me and Alan don't always

play by the rules. I think perhaps we should

never mention it again.