04/06/2013 Look East - West

the programme tonight: Patients spending too long in A&E.

The hospitals where more than one in ten waited longer than four hours.

More on that and the rest of the day's news with Janine Machin.

Finding the right formula - a Cambridge MP argues for science to

be pushed up the Government's agenda.

The fitness instructor from Haverill jailed after attacking a judge in

court. And, hidden history - the Bronze Age

boats preserved for posterity in wetland just outside Peterborough.

Good evening. First tonight, the hospital Accident and Emergency

departments where more than one in ten patients aren't being dealt with

quickly enough. Two of our hospitals are falling significantly short of

Government targets for A&E waiting times.95% of people should be seen

within four hours, but in one week last month, figures from NHS England

show that only 88.5% of patients were seen in time at the Queen

Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and it was a similar figure in

Kettering, where only 88.3% of patients were seen within four

hours. Earlier I spoke to the Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter.

Kettering General Hospital has spent the last 12 months almost constantly

in the headlines. The future of the hospital was the focus of the last

year's by-election, but it is their performance which has butted in the

spotlight. Last year, it was put on red alert after a damning report by

the health care regulator, which highlighted the hospital's

persistent failure to meet waiting time targets and criticised

financial management. These latest figures again show Kettering has

fallen way below the target for A&E waiting times. The hospital is not

doing enough. We have still got this problem. The hospital does realise

it has more to do and it has made its top priority. It has political

support from MPs. They are trying to get extra investment into the A&E.

The management here at Kettering General Hospital did not want to

speak to us today, but did provide us with a statement in which they

say they are embarking on a transformation programme. They say

they are working closely with local GPs to find better ways to refer

patients to the hospital without using a and E. They also say they

are looking at better ways to move patients through the hospital and to

make the A&E department itself more efficient. Bosses also hope this

place, the urgent care centre, will play its part in reducing waiting

times. Many believe the pressure on A&E departments will only be

relieved when the public realise there are alternatives. Now we know

that most practices, pharmacies, have all set themselves up to be

able to give people advice at the right level, and is much more timely

and convenient, and more friendly. Kettering is by no means alone in

its struggle to meet targets. Kings Lynn is also ranked as one of the

poorest performing hospitals in the country. We have not given patients

as good an experience as they should have had. However, I know that we

provide safe care and that we endeavour every day to make sure

that patients get treatment as quickly as possible. These figures

reflect the last week in May. In that time, Northampton General

scored 98%. But, figures over the first quarter of this year, showed

that Northampton failed to meet targets. It is better news here

where it has cut waiting times. Nationally, the A&E performers is

said to be the worst in nine years. I asked Dan Poulter what the

government put that figure down to. What we know from these figures is

that the NHS has had a difficult winter. We have had problems with

flu and bouts of difficult weather, which has made it difficult for

staff to get into work, and also has meant that older people have been

falling over, having breaks and bumps and strains. That has put a

lot of pressure on them. Having said that, the last five weeks back

contract and ten 1-macro is performing well and back on target.

At Kettering general, they say that they have seen the number of people

visiting A&E double over the last 20 years. That is not down to one bad

winter. You has to wonder whether the service has been underfunded for

too long. The current government is committed to putting more money into

the NHS, but in Kettering there has been a considerable population

growth. The big challenge for the NHS has been this increase of 1

million additional patients. A lot of those patients are frail, elderly

people with complex medical needs. A lot of discharge without any

treatment because a lot of young families find it difficult to access

GPs in the evening and end up turning up at A&E. Part of the

solution is to address this problem and have wider access to GPs, and

more GPs in the NHS in years going ahead. It is also about having a

more joined up approach for older people and making sure we are better

able to look after older people with complex needs. Is there a danger

here that the message we are giving to the members of the public is that

accident and emergency departments are struggling so please don't turn

up there, we have had problems with ambulance response times throughout

the region, we know that the out of hours GP service is not functioning

as well as it should, nor is the nonemergency 111 line. Is there a

danger that people will die because they simply don't know what to do?

What we do know is that when people turn up at A&E, medical

professionals always look after the patients in front of them and

prioritise the sickest patients first. Thanks to action that I took

and Norman Lamb the social care minister has taken, we now have a

thorough review of the and events service and we will see some

improvements and additional resources put into the front line.

In terms of reforming the NHS and improving the delivery of

high-quality care, there is no silver bullet. It will take a number

of years to get our servers where we needed to be, which is making sure

we keep people better supported in their homes, in their communities,

so they don't have to turn up to A&E in a state of great distress.

Britain will "sabotage its future" if it doesn't boost investment in

science, according to a Cambridge MP. In a special Commons debate

Julian Huppert called on the Government to ring-fence a budget

for science projects in order to protect the industry.

Launched on a Russian rocket only yesterday, another communication

satellites built in Stevenage. Silverstone is not only the home of

Formula one, but it is also a hub of technology and innovation. And,

Cambridge, with Alnwick University receiving more EU funding than any

other in the country. Tonight, Cambridge's MP will call for more

money for scientific research in this region. Nobody when they

started work on the World Wide Web or the like would have known where

that would lead, but all of these are transformational William dollar

issues which have made a huge difference for the whole of the East

of England. This Institute in Cambridge is a biotech world leader.

They say the MP has a point. problem we have at the moment is

that the funding for the last spending review gave a flat line

funding over a certain period of time. Inflation in the machines were

used to carry out research is gradually eroding that sum of

money. The government's technology strategy board invested �26.4

million in the last year. That reached 1450 organisations. They say

the result was a �184 million boost to the local economy. In terms of

the big names, they don't come much bigger than that. That is

Microsoft's new European headquarters here in Cambridge.

Soon, another global pharmaceutical company will move their headquarters

here, creating 600 new jobs. So, do we need more government money? If

you have a mobile phone, chances are one of this company's chips is in

it. They say investment and education are key. Part of it is the

government creating the right environment for technology

companies, and also education. We are very keen to see the next

generation of engineers, the next generation of entrepreneurs capable

of coming up with innovative ideas. This high-tech centre has a first

for knowledge and innovation, but that can cost.

A new Chief Constable is about to be named for Bedfordshire. Colette Paul

has been selected by the county's Police and Crime Commissioner to

take over the force. Today, the Police and Crime Panel has been

putting her through her paces, as our home affairs correspondent Sally

Chidzoy reports. Colette Paul, the current Deputy

Chief Constable of South Wales and Beds police and crime commission

once her to be his next Chief Constable. First, they had to face

the new Police and Crime Panel of councillors before his toys can be

confirmed and she can get to work. Colette Paul is a former

Metropolitan Police and CID detective. The meeting ran late into

the afternoon. It is not quite a grilling, but members of the police

and crime panel are asking Colette Paul a number of questions right

now. She said she has worked around the world and had extensive

experience of dealing with diverse communities. When asked what she

would bring to all neighbourhoods in Beds, she said she would have an

effective rural crime strategy. When asked what would be her biggest

challenge, she replied operational and that she was aware of all the

shootings in looting and I would be a critical piece of work. There have

been ten shootings in Luton so far this year as police work to stem the

violence. The police and crime panel has the power to veto the implements

of a Chief Constable, but that is unlikely to happen. She spoke for a

while, but has real challenge will be on delivery. She has got some

challenges in Luton, and also the pressures of finances that overture

is facing. -- Beds. She awaits official confirmation that she has

got the job. A man has been charged with

preventing the burial of two men whose bodies were found in ditches

in remote parts of Cambridgeshire. Leslie Layton, from Orton Goldhay in

Peterborough, has been charged in connection with the deaths of Kevin

Lee and John Chapman. He's due to appear before Peterborough

magistrates tomorrow. Two other men and a woman have already been

charged in relation to both the deaths, as well as that of a third

man, Lukasz Slaboszewski. Police investigating a shooting in

Luton have arrested a 21-year-old man. The shooting happened on

Fountain's Road on May fifth. Today's arrest is the third in

connection with the incident. One man has already been charged with

attempted murder and a firearms offence in connection with the case.

A fitness instructor from Haverhill who attacked a judge, knocking off

his wig, has been jailed for 18 months for contempt of court. Paul

Graham assaulted Judge John Devaux at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Today, his behaviour was described as insulting and intimidating.

I think it says that the judge is saying, "you can't do this, and if

you do, it is a very slippery slope in respect of respect for the law in

this country" . He has to send out this powerful message that this