11/01/2017 Look East (West)

A two-week wait to see a GP as demand from patients saw

Demand has massively increased so we are doing another 70 million

consultations over the last five years and actually we haven't

seen a rise in the GP workforce to match that.

Dumped in a cesspit, but she may still have been alive.

The court hears more evidence at the Helen Bailey murder trial.

A boost for the home of British racing -

how a new all-weather track at Newmarket could bring

And I will be 20 feet under the Northamptonshire countryside where

miners will soon be extracting rock to help preserve some of the

country's most historic buildings. First tonight, the growing wait

for a doctors appointment as surgery Look East has carried out a snapshot

survey in our region to find out how long people are having to wait

for a nonurgent appointment While it does vary from practice

by practice, we found that in Milton Keynes the average

wait was eight days. But in Northamptonshire,

patients will wait up to two weeks In fact, one practice in the country

told us the wait was five weeks. Some GP surgeries are trying

to improve appointment waiting times Trevor Whitby survived

a heart attack. The 70-year-old grandfather now

needs regular checkups Today, he's being seen at a duty

clinic nurse Richardson at Today, he's being seen at a duty

clinic by nurse Kim Richardson at Are you happy to

have your injection? Nurse Richardson is one

of a bank of 20 nurses here. Four of them are paired to each

doctor, helping to lighten Two years ago, we introduced

nurse led clinics. What that allowed us to do

was to employ teams of four That allowed us to increase

the number of appointments which were available by using not

only the GP's skills but also the skills that are often overlooked

within the nursing team. On average, Look East has been told

patients in Cambridge and Peterborough face a wait

to see their own GP of up Much has been said of the winter

challenge facing the NHS, some calling it the worst winter

ever faced by the health service. And it's our A departments

like here at Hinchingbrooke Hospital that have been dealing with a higher

than usual number of But they're not alone in facing up

to the winter challenge. Faced with a tightening budget,

fewer resources and more patients through their doors,

it's the front line of GP surgeries The group that's responsible

for making decisions on local health care say GPs are under more strain

in a challenging financial climate. At the moment we have a real

shortage of GPs, the demand has massively increased so we are doing

another 70 million consultations over the last five years

and actually we haven't seen a rise Sometimes it can take more than a

week in order to speak to someone on the phone, so that's frustrating.

They had said to your doctor within a couple of days and check out this,

that and the next thing and it is worrying if you can't get through.

They put us on a voting list and they said maybe a week or two or

maybe three or foul or six weeks but they gave us no answer whatsoever.

-- they put us on a waiting list. of working, putting nurses

at the front line. It's just one way in which the very

idea of a GP surgery is having to change in order to survive

under growing pressure. Waseem Mirza, BBC

Look East, Wisbech. Well, the Department of Health has

a target to recruit 5000 more GPs by 2020 and put more money

into out-of-hours services. I asked Doctor Jonathan Ireland

from Northamptonshire's Local Medical Committee to explain

the scale of the problem. GPs see about 340 million

consultations a year. That is a rise of about 40 million over the last

eight or nine years. That worth the increase in pressure on hospitals,

which we have a lot about in the news and at the same time the

funding in general practices has declined by about 11% over the same

period. We have a rising elderly population, we had a geek reason

number of GPs due to their recruitment crisis, which has been

caused by unsustainable workloads. 60% of GPs feel their work is

unsustainable. The Department of Health is pledging the funding but

the National Audit Office report out today points to the value for money

in the current system whereby if you are opening hours you get is that of

money that is arrogant out of hours -- but is open out of hours you get

pop-up funding. Is that fair? The 24 hour society, I don't get paid extra

quality test my shift. It is about resources and capacity in the

system. You have to ask how much work can GPs do in a day, how much

work can an individual GP work during a day and then continue to

work at night and weekends as well. Most GPs to do what are called

extended hours, in the evenings or at weekends, which is funded

additionally because of course, GPs are responsible for the whole

funding of their practice, including their staffing and their premises

and all the infrastructure costs. Given the pressures on the job at

the moment and the uncertainty about the future is still an attractive

career? At the moment I think we can see from the problem of recruitment

and retention that it isn't as attractive as it should be because

actually, it is a great job. Helping people and helping people with their

health problems and the satisfaction from that is very great but you have

to have the time to spend with people, which of course is at

tension with having a large number of people wanting to see doctors.

How does that happen? What would make GP's lives easier in the next

Young months? We need to see is a more sustainable workload so to some

extent it is about making the plans that are in place reasonable without

knocking general practice over. At the moment that general practice is

meant to pick up the pieces and have the best of the NHS out.

Tomorrow, we'll be looking at the crisis in our

hospitals and we'd like to hear if you've been affected.

You can call us or e-mail us, the details are on

your screen now, get in touch on Facebook

your screen now, get in touch on Facebook or Twitter,

Next night, the jury at the Helen Bailey murder trial has

heard that she may still have been alive when she was dumped

Home Office pathologist Doctor Nat Cary told the court

that the children's author could have been put in martial arts

neck lock while drugged and then suffocated.

Her body was found in the septic tank beneath her Herefordshire home

three months after she was reported missing by her partner, Ian Stewart.

Kate Bradbrook was in court and joins us from St Albans now.

Yes, the prosecution evidence today centred around the state of Helen

Bailey's body when it was recovered from that cesspit and also the fact

that traces of a sleeping drug were found in her system. Now, it is

claimed that Helen Bailey was sedated weeks before she died and

then killed by her fiance, Ian Stewart. We also heard it was

possible she could still have been alive when she entered the septic

tank. Forensic pathologist

Doctor Nathaniel Cary, the first witness to be called

in this case. He performed the postmortem

on Helen Bailey's body when it was discovered in a cesspit

at her home in Royston three months He told the court he couldn't

be sure how she died. He said she was found fully

clothed but barefoot, We heard the cold water had

slowed the composition We heard the cold water had

slowed the decomposition and that there was no evidence

of any injuries But we heard in this case a sleeping

drug called Zopiclone was found It had been prescribed to the

accused, Ian Stewart, in January. Doctor Cary said that

although he couldn't roll out the possibility Helen Bailey

was alive when she entered the water, the drug may have made

it easier to kill her Doctor Cary said the drug had been

going into Helen Bailey's system The court also heard levels

of Zopiclone found in her hair suggested she ingested the drug

on multiple occasions. The prosecution allege Ian Stewart

had plotted to sedate and kill his fiancee in order

to inherit much of her Ian Stewart denies murder,

perverting the course of justice, fraud and preventing

a lawful burial. Now, we also heard today the

postmortem tests on Helen Bailey's. Also proved inconclusive in finding

a cause of death. Tomorrow, the expected to hear from Helen Bailey's

brother. This case is expected to last about seven weeks.

Next, it's been a bumper year for Luton airport with more

than 14 million passengers travelling through the airport

in the last 12 months, making 2016 its busiest year ever.

And the airport has plans to expand even further in the coming year,

Later in the UK's fifth busiest airport and throughout 2016 its

passenger numbers continued to climb. Demand for UK air travel

remains at an all-time high and last year they broke all records with

growth at 18.5% growth. We also saw our busiest Christmas ever with the

first time ever the past 1 million passengers in December and that is

growth of around 25% based on the same period last year. Without is

raging about future expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick, Martin is

taking advantage by wanting to further increase its passenger

numbers. Cartoonist taking advantage. It is undergoing huge

redevelopment and passengers will rise from 12 million to 8 million by

20 20. Those developments include the redesign of its main passenger

terminal and the construction of a new multistorey car park. Are

spending an hundred and ?10 million redeveloping the entire airport,

transforming the passenger experience. 110 the compounds. In

the next few months passengers will start to the that transformation

come to life. Later this year, the airport also apply for planning

permission for a new tram system, which will connect Luton airport

Parkway rail station with the terminal building. It is new

connection also attract more passengers. Of course, my passengers

means my flights, something not everyone in the surrounding villages

support. But the airport's management and Luton Borough Council

say growth at the airport is vital to the towns and country's economy.

A deaf amateur sailor from Cambridge has beaten an Olympic medallist

Gavin Reid, who had no sailing experience, was taking part

in the Clipper round the world yacht race when he responded to an SOS

if oil off the New South Wales coast of Australia.

in the Clipper round the world yacht race when he responded to an SOS

off the New South Wales coast of Australia.

A crewman of a boat nearby had got stuck at the top of his mast.

And for his daring rescue, the 28-year-old has now picked Rio

And for his daring rescue, the 28-year-old has now pipped Rio

gold medallist Giles Scott, also from Cambridgeshire,

Let's join Stewart and Susie for the rest of

Still to come tonight Alex will mention the S word.

at Newmarket as they unveil plans for an all weather track.

And new slate from an old mine -

There's been a 14% drop in the number of undergraduates

applying to study at Cambridge University next year ..

and many academics say it's another sign of the impact

Today a leading professor in Cambridge appealed to MPs to make

the free movement of staff and students a priority

If it doesn't happen she said uur universities will suffer.

Let's get more from our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair

If anyone will be affected by Brexit, it is our universities such

as Cambridge. There was a delegation to Brussels shortly after the vote.

It is not a concern about the loss of funding, it is a concern about

the loss of the staff and students. It would probably be the biggest

disaster for the university sector in many years. A college in Oxford,

the event, it is the first public hearing by a committee of MPs about

how Brexit is affecting universities. We have seen a 14%

reduction in the number of applications from the European

Union. That was the first of several revelations. From what the

University can tell, some EU students are thinking twice about

coming to Cambridge. They are worried about the uncertainty of

funding, anti-immigrant sentiment, and loss of possible collaboration

with EU institutions going forward. But her more pressing concern was

the impact Brexit will have on staff. Researchers make universities

great, and if they want reasons to come here, they may go elsewhere. It

is a concern held by many institutions. At the University of

East Anglia, 350 staff are from the EU. Leading researchers are globally

mobile. Uncertainty about fundamental things like immigration,

Visa and work status, any uncertainty there is a problem.

Those who supported the accents there is uncertainty. But say

universities could do well. There could be more money, less red tape

and easier to bring in staff from outside the EU. The MP for Essex

University says it could be a exciting future. The opportunities

to go global are considerable from Brexit. It is up to universities to

talk about how full the class is. Not the empty bit with the

uncertainty at the moment. It will depend on what she can negotiate.

That will take time. The uncertainty for universities will continue.

Professor Barnard from Cambridge says universities in Ireland and

Germany are making overtures to British staff and researchers. MPs

were told they excepted Brexit could bring advantages, but on the whole,

they are pretty nervous about the future.

Have you ever parked in a parking space set aside for drivers

Who don't have a blue badge or small children

Now a Co-op supermarket in Suffolk is taking drastic action.

Around 50 parking fines being issued - every day.

This isn't a knee jerk reaction by the East

of England Co-op, quite the

In 2014, it started putting up warning

signs and had people in

the car park in its store at Combs Ford,

Over the last month, it has been relying on an enforcement firm.

The Co-op knew it had a problem here.

That is why it brought in this private company in the first place.

But even it has been surprised by the figures over a ten day period

It demonstrates, says the company, apathy among drivers

I need that room to get in and out of my car.

You dare not say anything because, if you do, you get a load of abuse.

There are 100 spaces in the car park, with eight set aside for

drivers with disabilities, six for young families,

and one for people making a quick stop to use the cash machine.

The Co-op says, while there is always discretion with

every case, it has a duty to keep the designated areas free for those

I think we got to the point where we tried education, we

tried to speak to people, we try that on a one-to-one basis.

And in some cases, actually, we received

The only way we could do that is to a

People need to follow the rules, the rules are there to be followed.

The punishment is ?60 if paid within two

All the money goes to the enforcement

Of the 500 or so fines issued, 125 have been paid, 33

The position with the remainder is so far unclear.

But some drivers are determined to dig in.

But that's the ATM bay with my kids and partner.

She used the ATM Bay, three minutes, three

or four days later I got a

The Co-op has around 120 food outlets in the

As for whether more sites could follow suit, it says any

decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

For decades, racegoers at Newmarket have enjoyed horse racing across six

months of the year - at two different courses.

There's the July course and there's the Rowley Mile.

But now there are big plans for a third -

an all weather track to allow racing to continue through the winter.

The new track would be one of only six winter

The new track would be one of only six winter courses in this country,

Newmarket, the world's biggest racing training Centre.

The land behind us will see the introduction of an all weather

Now, an all weather facility proposed on this site near

the links golf course, allowing racing through the winter months.

Newmarket trains 40% of UK flat horses.

It makes sense to build an all weather racecourse here where we

can stage racing across the three courses throughout the year.

The plan is dependent on Kempton Park

Part of the ?100 million raised would be spent on the new track.

Significant that one third of all horses racing at Kempton are

The value of Newmarket's horse racing industry to

And an all-weather facility allowing racing all year round means

For the past two decades, trainer Mark

Tompkins has been campaigning for an all-weather track here.

To cut down costs and travelling times for

I think you have to look forward, you have

And if you've got that, they've got plenty

And if you've got that, they've got plenty of space here still to

And especially for the younger trainers, they can

But there are always winners and losers.

Less than one hour away is another all-weather track,

And there are fears Newmarket's plans would affect them,

with top trainers opting to race closer to home.

We don't see it as a threat to us or a problem.

The transfer of the fixtures from Kempton will go to Newmarket.

The main focus is that we now have planning permission for a

grandstand and a casino, a turf track.

Chelmsford clearly has its own ambitious plans.

To have the best all-weather track in Europe.

For 600 years Collyweston Slate has been used to roof some of the most

From the Guildhall in London to King's College Cambridge.

So now an old mine in the Northamptonshire

of Collyweston has been re-opened to help meet demand.

Deep beneath the Northamptonshire countryside, a new tunnel is being

done. The much sought-after stone they are planning to extract will be

used to restore some historic buildings. A new 80 metre long

tunnel. The miners have just ten metres today before hitting the

slate they want. It will be the first excavated for many years. The

Guildhall in London have a slate roof from this stone. This building

will have the first delivery to replace the old tiles. It will be a

matter for our business. At the moment, using the reclaim supply of

state. If we don't get it, the skills will be lost. Far are

business to survive and the local historical buildings, we need the

supply. To get to the rock face, experts have been brought in to help

open up the new tunnel. We are in a new mine. It has been filled up with

waste rock. We are driving this tunnel through the back of mine to

reach the mineral that wasn't mind when they stopped mining 50 years

ago. One update is the use of the industrial freezer. Planning to use

it to crack the rock into benches. You need frost to get into the

laminations of the stone and split it. We do not get the winters we

used to get. In order to get area liable production, it needs to be

mechanised with this big freezer unit. Within weeks, for the first

time in a generation, this might well be producing precious stone. It

is a rebirth for the local slate and a 600-year-old industry.

It is cold. Here is a Dalmatian walking through the trees. Clear

skies, a cold at night and last night. Cold air digging in. Into

those single figures. The ten a touch of frost in sheltered spot

through the night. A cold start to the day tomorrow. Tomorrow, governed

by this weather system coming in from the west. That could mean

wintry weather. A yellow warning for snow and ice. Essentially, this

weather system is going to bring rain, but mild air heating cold air,

and that could turn to sleet or snow. A dry start with increasing

amounts of blood. Rain spreading to all areas by the afternoon. Made or

late afternoon, particularly north of Western counties, some of this

rain turning to sleet or snow. A cold day, so quite treacherous

conditions around rush hour. For services is the height. The

continuation of the wintry flavour to things. Through the evening.

Certainly some ice around, it could be a problem. It could be slash, but

accumulations are possible. Be aware of the risk going through the day

tomorrow. Made too late afternoon. Then, Friday, this weather system

coming down from the East Coast. Better northerly wind developing,

gales on the coast, wintry showers. For many of us, dry and bright with

some sunshine for Friday. A sharp frost following, and still be cold

theme continues. The wind eases a little, come up for Saturday.

Certainly the wintry weather for tomorrow with the risk of gales for

Friday. Tomorrow looks delightful! We must

have our heating on. No need for that. Good night.

I think my political beliefs are really quite straightforward.

I believe that our country needs to work for everyone.

Not just for the rich, not just for the privileged,

not just for those who know the right people or who've got

the loudest voices, but a country that really works for everyone,

has the opportunity to be who they want to be.

In order to make sure that the country works for everyone,

Standing up for the vulnerable, for the voiceless,