:00:00. > :00:10.still no decision on the long-term future of hospitals in Bedfordshire.
:00:11. > :00:13.And London to Luton Airport in 30 minutes - the big plans
:00:14. > :00:19.And another cold night on the way, with the risk of frost.
:00:20. > :00:34.First tonight - three reviews costing more than $6 million
:00:35. > :00:43.but still no decisions have been made into major health care changes
:00:44. > :00:48.NHS bosses have been looking at a variety of options.
:00:49. > :00:50.They include moving Bedford's maternity services to Milton Keynes,
:00:51. > :00:52.merging services at three hospitals and saving money in A
:00:53. > :00:56.Bedford Hospital has been under the shadow
:00:57. > :01:02.In 2013, the ?2.2 million Healthier Together report was
:01:03. > :01:05.published, which examines the future of services at five
:01:06. > :01:12.In June this year, another separate report recommended
:01:13. > :01:18.the maternity services here in Bedford be moved to Milton Keynes.
:01:19. > :01:24.That report had taken two ydars and cost ?4.5 million.
:01:25. > :01:30.Instead, it was absorbed into another wider review.
:01:31. > :01:35.In fact, there have been multiple reviews, costing millions of pounds.
:01:36. > :01:38.Now it's been leaked, the latest, which looks at Bedford,
:01:39. > :01:41.Luton and Dunstable, and Milton Keynes,
:01:42. > :01:45.suggests options including sharing back office staff and making A
:01:46. > :01:49.savings, but crucially it's unclear whether maternity services
:01:50. > :01:55.People I spoke to today at the hospital weren't happy.
:01:56. > :01:59.It's pretty scary because if there are any issues or problems
:02:00. > :02:02.with the little ones, it's scary that we don't have a place to go.
:02:03. > :02:13.It could have been spent in the hospital
:02:14. > :02:16.I think that's the saddest thing about it.
:02:17. > :02:31.Tonight the authors of the official report say...
:02:32. > :02:35.The plan is one of 44 being carried out around the country
:02:36. > :02:39.but one expert questions how viable they actually are.
:02:40. > :02:42.The harsh reality is that if we want to keep
:02:43. > :02:45.up with the increasing demand and the ageing population,
:02:46. > :02:50.we need a radical injection of cash into Health and Social Care.
:02:51. > :02:52.And I think politicians are trying to have
:02:53. > :02:54.their cake and eat it by giving little bits
:02:55. > :02:58.of extra money and asking people to make some changes.
:02:59. > :03:00.I'm afraid that's not going to be sustainable.
:03:01. > :03:03.The latest report is expected to be published in full
:03:04. > :03:05.at the end of this month, but it will be some
:03:06. > :03:12.years yet before final decisions are made.
:03:13. > :03:15.The report was leaked to the media by the Mayor
:03:16. > :03:19.Earlier he told me why the local authority should have
:03:20. > :03:30.It is not just hospitals, local councils have been asked
:03:31. > :03:35.The CCGs have been asked to make savings but how can
:03:36. > :03:39.How do we make it that people who do not need to go to the
:03:40. > :03:41.hospital don't go but get the appropriate care?
:03:42. > :03:44.Whether it be the pharmacy, the GP - or actually never go there
:03:45. > :03:46.because of the engagement of social care.
:03:47. > :03:49.Of course, we should be involved in terms of that cos we can stop
:03:50. > :03:52.There isn't any more certainty about maternity
:03:53. > :03:55.But given there's a shortage of midwives across the country,
:03:56. > :03:58.isn't it better to consider one brilliant facility with the best
:03:59. > :04:01.Obviously, we are considering everything but there are
:04:02. > :04:03.3100 births in Bedford Hosphtal there isn't the capacity
:04:04. > :04:05.to deal with them in any other hospital either.
:04:06. > :04:08.They haven't got the physical beds to deal with them.
:04:09. > :04:11.They have got no money to build new maternity facilities at Luton
:04:12. > :04:17.It is important that we do have those births in Bedford.
:04:18. > :04:19.Whether we have those births in Bedford or elsewhere,
:04:20. > :04:23.there is still a shortage of midwives.
:04:24. > :04:24.That's another issue that needs to be addressing.
:04:25. > :04:27.Also, so that families can go and visit if there
:04:28. > :04:30.is a longer stay once the birth has happened.
:04:31. > :04:32.You've said that you are frustrated at being left
:04:33. > :04:35.How engaged are the local community in what's going on?
:04:36. > :04:39.I've had people asking me what's going to happen.
:04:40. > :04:41.It doesn't say that maternity is going to close.
:04:42. > :04:48.and I think the people of Bedford and the wider SDP area need to
:04:49. > :04:50.know what's being said because they are making
:04:51. > :04:53.up their own stories because it is being kept secret and
:04:54. > :04:56.A public meeting has been hdld in Milton Keynes tonight
:04:57. > :04:59.calling for more accommodathon to be made available for the homeless.
:05:00. > :05:03.It's after a man died in his tent on Sunday,
:05:04. > :05:05.the third homeless person to die in the town this year.
:05:06. > :05:09.Our reporter Kate Bradbrook was at the People's Assembly meeting.
:05:10. > :05:11.Tonight, just around the corner from here,
:05:12. > :05:14.there have been discussions about what can be done here in
:05:15. > :05:19.Milton Keynes to stop any ftrther deaths of those sleeping rough.
:05:20. > :05:22.Many of those at the meeting did not want
:05:23. > :05:24.to be filmed, but one who did was Ricky.
:05:25. > :05:32.I've been campaigning about this since my best friend
:05:33. > :05:38.died earlier this year and H was not expecting another death.
:05:39. > :05:41.Of course, any possible solution is going to cost money.
:05:42. > :05:44.One idea put forward tonight was for the council to hand
:05:45. > :05:47.over empty buildings, such as office space,
:05:48. > :05:52.We've got more empty buildings in Milton Keynes
:05:53. > :05:55.including homeless families who are currently in bed and breakfasts.
:05:56. > :05:58.It is very simple maths to figure out
:05:59. > :06:01.that we actually have got f`r more space than we already need.
:06:02. > :06:05.We want to see a change in the system and for people to get
:06:06. > :06:07.access to housing, whoever they are and wherever they're from.
:06:08. > :06:12.The Council themselves say there's no simple solution.
:06:13. > :06:14.They say they are working with voluntary organisations
:06:15. > :06:18.and they are assessing the needs of individuals.
:06:19. > :06:23.Some people's needs related to the fact they've come out
:06:24. > :06:27.of the Army and have sufferdd as a result of being in the Army,
:06:28. > :06:28.some people's needs relate to long-term drug
:06:29. > :06:31.There are different solutions needed for
:06:32. > :06:34.I'm not going to push them altogether in one building.
:06:35. > :06:38.What we need to do is find ` way of helping each person individually
:06:39. > :06:41.to become independent again, to find a pathway back to work and,
:06:42. > :06:44.in the longer term, find their own accommodation.
:06:45. > :06:48.A winter shelter for use during the daytime is due to
:06:49. > :06:53.But what everyone seems to `gree on is that it is a long-term
:06:54. > :07:02.Next tonight, the multi-million pound rail link for Luton ahrport
:07:03. > :07:08.that could help increase capacity to 18 million by 2021.
:07:09. > :07:11.Passengers arriving at the Parkway station currently have to get
:07:12. > :07:15.The new train line will make that quicker and easier,
:07:16. > :07:23.This is how rail passengers currently get from train to plane -
:07:24. > :07:26.a wait of up to ten minutes outside the station,
:07:27. > :07:28.then followed by a bus journey, which can often be
:07:29. > :07:35.You get off the train, you walk out of Luton Airport Parkway
:07:36. > :07:38.and then you're waiting - it could be 10, 15, 20 minutes.
:07:39. > :07:42.Especially bad in the winter times in the rain and the snow.
:07:43. > :07:44.Would you prefer a tram rather than a bus?
:07:45. > :07:46.I think this is terrible. SHE LAUGHS.
:07:47. > :07:52.It's very annoying to take the bus all the time.
:07:53. > :08:05.It's an easier access to the airport from the trains than a bus.
:08:06. > :08:08.This is the end of a runway here and the terminal building
:08:09. > :08:11.is just beyond that, but the rail station is just
:08:12. > :08:18.As you can see, there is a real height difference,
:08:19. > :08:21.so building this light rail link will be a real
:08:22. > :08:28.And this is what that light rail tram scheme could look like -
:08:29. > :08:33.all part of the airport's plan is to increase passenger
:08:34. > :08:37.numbers by 5 million, to 18 million every year.
:08:38. > :08:39.We are the fastest-growing `irport in the UK currently.
:08:40. > :08:43.We will be at 18 million passengers by 2020.
:08:44. > :08:45.By 2020, the impact of the airport will
:08:46. > :08:52.be ?2.3 billion on the UK economy, over ?1 billion
:08:53. > :08:57.per year to the Treasury and support over 7000 jobs.
:08:58. > :09:00.Luton is currently at a competitive disadvantage to other
:09:01. > :09:07.The region pass business community also
:09:08. > :09:10.agree with the airport's management that this link
:09:11. > :09:15.Simply, a lot more business being done, a lot more people
:09:16. > :09:17.being employed, economic growth more people stopping on their way
:09:18. > :09:20.through, which is of course good for the business in the town.
:09:21. > :09:23.It will become more of a focus for people doing business ottside
:09:24. > :09:26.the UK because the airport will be easier to get
:09:27. > :09:33.Public exhibitions on the plans are now underway.
:09:34. > :09:36.If approved by 2021, taking to the skies after taking the
:09:37. > :09:44.train will undoubtedly becole significantly easier.
:09:45. > :09:46.A Cambridgeshire police officer has been cleared
:09:47. > :09:49.PC Rodger White, seen here leaving a disciplinary hearing,
:09:50. > :09:52.was accused of saying all black people from London were liars.
:09:53. > :09:55.During a three-day disciplinary hearing, he argued his commdnts had
:09:56. > :09:57.been deliberately twisted by a colleague in order
:09:58. > :10:00.Cambridgeshire Police has confirmed no further action
:10:01. > :10:04.Alex has the weather next and the national
:10:05. > :10:10.Temperatures have already taken a tumble this evening and cdrtain
:10:11. > :10:14.Under clear skies, we may develop some mist and fog patches,
:10:15. > :10:16.and for some parts of the region, temperatures could get
:10:17. > :10:18.below freezing, bringing the risk of a frost,
:10:19. > :10:21.so perhaps down to around -0 Celsius in some parts.
:10:22. > :10:24.It's going to be a cold start to the day tomorrow,
:10:25. > :10:26.but actually quite a lot of fine weather around.
:10:27. > :10:28.The pressure pattern shows an area of low pressure pushing
:10:29. > :10:30.in from the Northwest, but it will make slow
:10:31. > :10:33.progress across the country, so for us here in the east,
:10:34. > :10:36.after that chilly start and once we've cleared the mist and fog,
:10:37. > :10:39.it looks like lots of fine weather, certainly for the first
:10:40. > :10:43.As the day goes on, though, this area of cloud will start
:10:44. > :10:47.It's starting to turn a cloudy in those northern counties
:10:48. > :10:50.into the afternoon and tempdratures are on the cold side.
:10:51. > :10:53.We'll only get up to around 9 Celsius through tomorrow.
:10:54. > :10:55.Eventually, this cloud coming in and bringing us some
:10:56. > :11:00.The national weather's coming up but here's our outlook -
:11:01. > :11:06.it's staying cold, with some rain expected over the weekend.
:11:07. > :11:13.up to around 12. Mick Miller has the national picture.
:11:14. > :11:18.The weather may have turned colder but for many of us today there was
:11:19. > :11:22.abundant sunshine. This is from the end of the day from Oxfordshire.
:11:23. > :11:24.end of the day from Oxfordshire Cold and clear