13/09/2013 Midlands Today

Whack to Midlands Today today. Are medical wards for the fit the answer

to bed—blocking? We are better prepared than last winter. The

leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage is accused of croneyism. Unfortunately,

Nigel is picking people who don't argue with him or even sharpen him

up. He's just wanting people to agree with him. Graduation success

for the woman who had to teach herself to walk and write again

after an horrific riding accident. Moorcroft Pottery celebrates 100

years of bright and beautiful. But the same can't be said for the

weather. The first storms of autumn are on the way. Will the weekend be

a total wash out? I'll tell you later. The hospital wards for the

medically fit. There are no doctors and all patients are well enough to

be discharged. It might sound like a contradiction,

but it's the latest idea from a health trust hoping to avoid bed

blocking. It's investing £2 million for patients who could go home, but

the help they need to look after themselves isn't available. The idea

is that beds in specialist wards are then freed up for patients who

really need them. Patients being patient. Meet the

walking well, all fit for discharge. 89—year—old May Skidmore is healthy

but can't go back to her own house. I was took ill. That's why I was

brought in here. It's nice because you have company here. There are ten

beds here at Rowley serving Sandwell. It could increase to 50.

Michael had breathing problems and was homeless. Social services are

trying to find him somewhere to live.

I've no fixed abode. They are trying to sort me out a place to live. They

have helped me a lot. Last onetering they were so busy, there were two

days when there wasn't a single bed left across the entire trust. ——

last year they were so busy. The wards are managed by a full team

of nurses but there aren't any hospital doctors. In an ideal world,

this will prevent people from blocking the queue to the hospital

bed and it's a better environment for somebody that's medically fit

for discharge. Instead of blocking beds on specialist wards, local GPs

visit to keep an eye on them. As the GPs, we are coming in throughout the

week to make sure they are healthy and ready to go home and deal with

any issues that crop up prior to that. Not all bed blockers are

waiting for social services' help. No—one from Sandwell or Birmingham

was able to talk to us today. The council today said in a statement:

The hospital's Chief Executive says everyone must work smarter. We need

to make sure that our district nurses and therapists, local GP

colleagues and social care colleagues work more closely

together to make sure that patients move through the system. Hospitals

looking after healthy people may seem strange, but these wards should

save money. Our Health Correspondent joins us

now. Some people will be thinking, gosh, £2 million, how can the

Hospital Trust afford this? Well, they can't really because they are

having to make 4% year on year savings themselves but they don't

have any choice. If they don't get the patients out of the beds, they

can't get people in to have operations done so don't get paid so

hospitals are doing all sorts of things. University Hospital

Birmingham is opening extra wards, another hospital is buying beds in

care homes and putting patients in them temporarily. How bad is the bed

shortage? The crisis is severe. Last year, the accident and emergency

consultant said the system was at breaking point and it could fall

apart. The Government's put in £250 million to the system to try to do

something about it, but everyone's keeping fingers crossed that

onetering will be mild and they won't have too much flu or

norovirus. Coming up in the programme: Back to

see Syd Smails, no longer unsung, but very much a hero to his team.

A West Midlands Euro MP has resigned from the UK independent party amid a

scathing attack on the party leader, Nigel Farage. He quit UKIP last

night, accusing Mr Farage of being totalitarian and comparing him to

the Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe. Here is our political

reporter. The party leader versus the old guard. UKIP's men for the

West Midlands didn't take kindly to being deselected as a candidate. Now

he's jumping ship with some harsh words for his former boss, Nigel

Farage. In my view, he isn't a good leader.

This is a problem he has with wanting to control every aspect of

the party. I would point to that and say he is in fact totalitarian and

he's going to such an extreme now that the process by which mens are

recruited into the different lists in the different regions is being

gerrymandered, in other words fixed. UKIP says its new selection process

is fair, but it's no secret that Nige Elle Farage wants to attract a

broad range of candidates. He's been accused by the Prime Minister of

leading a Prime Minister of fruit cakes and nutters. They are far from

totalitarians. In fact, we are the opposite in every respect. Mike's

been a member of UKIP for some time, he's worked hard for the party and

we wish him well. These The former party chairman isn't the first UKIP

men to leave. Nicky Sinclair was expelled a year after winning

historic I have triwhen UKIP came in second place in 2009. UKIP surpassed

expect aces last time around. The two seats they won in the West

Midlands may now be held by independents but I'm told they fully

expect to win them back and more at the European elections next year.

That won't stop Mr Nattrass from trying his luck and he intends to

stand against UKIP in May. Our Political Editor is with us now.

Where does this leave UKIP and the midland? Whenever political parties

parade their divisions in public, they suffer a penalty for that.

These are particularly scathing comments which reinforce perceptions

that UKIP are a bit of a one—man band. But, so far as the effects of

personality politics are concerned, remember there's a big difference

between European and British domestic elections. In a British

election, people vote for individual, personal candidates

representing the parties. In Europe, they vote for closed lists of lots

of candidates to represent one giant pan regional constituency across the

region. The first of the Party Conferences

is getting under way. You will be interviewing all three party leaders

in the next few weeks on the Sunday Politics, won't you? Is this the

beginning of the run—up to the general election? Definitely the

quickening of the pace is quite clear and I challenged him about

this week's unemployment figures which continue to show our region

well above the national average and he said it's all the more reason why

the Government must press on with policies to bear down on that,

including significantly, his own personal very direct support for

high speed rail, Nick Clegg. As that gets going, we'll be creating 50,000

jobs just on the HSII project alone in the West Midlands. Those are

always wanting to be pressed ahead with, encouraging investment and

working hard through apprenticeships and through particularly the network

of excellent colleges in the West Midlands to provide the skills to

youngsters so that when the jobs become available, it's local

youngsters who have a real fair crack of the whip.

Going back to the general election, the Liberal Democrats did dreadfully

in the local elections, wiped out in Staffordshire. Did Nick Clegg seem

concerned? I reminded him about Staffordshire, but he feels very

bullish that when the election comes he can present the case that his

party, yes he knew they were going to take a hit for what they've had

to do politically, but it was the right thing for the country. That's

the message eel present. You can see that interview with Nick

Clegg on the Sunday Politics starting at 1. 30 on BBC One.

A college that had banned students colouring their faces said it

provided female security guards to provide checks. The college changed

its policy on Vales. —— veils. The college says it needs to be able to

identify individuals because of security. You will Muller Wiseman

are threatening le ak action against protestors after a blockade last

night. Dozens of farmers stage add protest over the praise of milk.

Although farmers receive more money for milk now than this time last

year, they say high production costs means they are still making a loss.

In 1999, Sarah Kemp had a serious horse riding accident which nearly

killed her. She was in a coma for two months. She had to learn to eat,

walk and write again. She never gave up and today, she graduated from

college 14 years on from when she was originally supposed to start

studying. We have been to meet her.

Against staggering odds, Sarah Kemp graduates in chemistry and applied

sciences at Worcester Cathedral. 14 years ago, she nearly died in a

horse riding accident. It's all your hard work. You did

this. You put me back together. There to watch the nurse who cared

for her as she lay in a coma at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

For me personally and with all the hard work, it's just amazing. I feel

honoured to come and see how well she's done.

In 2002, Sarah appeared on Midlandsed Today three years after

her fall on Kinver Edge. Injuries included a blood clot on her brain,

X—rays show some of the 18 screws and four metal plates which hold her

face together. She was bleeding from the eyes,

nose, mouth, ears and she was just, it was obviously... Roan dues

really. At home in Kidderminster, memories of Sarah learning to

swallow and talk again are etched on her father's mind. His helped her

write again and kept the child—like scribbles of a then 21—year—old

woman. It was dreadful to watch because we were getting where she

could hardly touch the paper. I had to teach her how to walk properly

because she had this terrible gait. It was really hard just to

understand what I was reading on the computer on the research and the

books and actually converting that to my English to write down. It was

hard. What kept you going?I'm stubborn. Back to the cathedral then

and celebrations. We never thought we'd make it here. This is just

beyond belief really. She's proved she can do it. That was the whole

point, to prove that she could do it. Until you stop and think about

it, you suddenly realise, blimey, that was actually quite hard to get

here, but I did it. 14 years ago, Sarah had been about

to start a nursing degree. She now works in a shop which she combined

with studies at Worcester College of technology. As for what's next, she

hasn't decided. Inspiring stuff.

Now, a report by the Health Ombudsman's criticised the number of

people dying from an infection that can be spot and cured. Sepsis, or

September seem that, killed 37,000 people in Britain last year, more

than breast cancer, bowel cancer and HIV combined —— septicaemia.

Specialist nurses have been working for a decade trying to spot signs of

it before it's too late. It's estimated they've saved 1,000 lives

already. Joining us now is the man behind that wise decision,

consultant Ron Daniels from GoodHope Hospital in Birmingham. You started

on the mission after an apparently healthy 37—year—old man died from

sepsis. Explain the circumstances? This was Joe, he was 37, I was a

newly appointed consultant, came on duly and found him literally falling

apart in front of our eyes, there was nothing to do to save him and

there had been gaps in his care in the preceding hours. I resolved to

do this enwith I followed his wife down the hospital corridor and took

her into a room to tell her that her strong man wasn't coming home and

she was going to have to go home and tell their two young children that

daddy wasn't coming home from a condition they'd never heard of. And

he'd come in for something routine? Following a vasectomy, he returned

to work and developed flu—like symptoms and then characteristic

symptoms of sepsis. There have been a staggering number of high profile

cases, Pope John Paul II and Christopher Reeve? And Socrates,

Johnny Depp's daughter survived it thankfully here in the UK. There are

many, many cases of this condition, obviously some of those will be high

profile, but we are talking 100,000 a year affected by it. What are the

signs? Presumably it's difficult to spot? It is and it's a challenging

condition. In the early stages, it can look like flu but there are

specific features people might want to look out for. The ombudsman

report highlighted these in the early presentations of patients.

Severe breathlessness, rapid shallow breathing is one. Patients often

become confuse and delirious and slurred speech, some relatives

describing a loved one acting drunk even though they had not touched

alcohol. A third sign that people can look out for is changing in the

skin colour where the skin might become pail, notled. —— notled. You

have spread the word across other hospital Trusts now —— mottled. Yes,

word has spread across the UK, it's now standard in Scotland and Wales

and the ombudsman's highlighted that that should be an important factor

in care in a report today. Thank you for coming in.

This is our top story: New wards for the medically fit — is

this the solution to hospital bed blocking this winter?

Your detailed weather forecast shortly from Rebecca and also,

written a book, need a publisher? Why you should make abiline for

Birmingham this weekend. —— a beeline for Birmingham this weekend.

And bee hives discovered in Sutton Park.

Syd Smails — the Black Country netball coach, last year won the

title of Midlands Unsung Sporting Hero. He said his work in grass

roots sport has given him a new lease of life and it's reunited him

with old friends. Thunted is on to find this year's hero.

The hunt is on. Netball has been Syd smails' love for 50 years and he

shows no sign of slowing down. He admits winning the award put a new

spring in his step. Last year, it was very emotional for me. It's been

a wonderful year. I've almost become famous. Next year, I'll have to go

back. He's so vital to the club that their name is Sydney spelt

backwards. The publicity brought new recruits and it's brought old faces

back into his life. A footballer I played with some

30—odd years ago got in touch and we are keeping in touch and also, an

old relative from 30 years ago, they got in touch as well. They found

that they saw me on the television and looked me up. Winning the unsung

hero was a sporting treasure for Syd, but he's just as happy on the

court doing what he does best. Who can you nominate? We are looking

for an individual or a pair, got to be over 16, and who give their time

voluntarily and for no financial reward, to allow other people to

participate in sport. You can download a nomination form on the

BBC Sport website. Against the odds, a group of writers

have managed to get backing to put on a literary festival. With the

help of a bank, farmers' market and pub, a Birmingham suburb is seeing a

literary festival looking likely to be a major draw this weekend.

Preparing for a pub festival. Those with dreams of being published. The

writers group are behind the pow wow literary festival bringing together

fledgling authors. People offer you constructive

criticism and give you different ideas to think about and consider so

it's positive. Pow wow has managed to secure

commercial sponsorship for their third festival with Mosley's the

Prince of Wales peer garden providing the venue. We like to be

small, local, flexible and keep the character. As far as I know, we are

the only literary festival that takes place in a pub. Most authors

will tell you writing the novel is half the battle, the next hurdle is

getting published. Festivals like this give young writers the chance

to hear from those that know the business. Mosley—based novelist

Maureen Carter, the creator of the critically acclaimed DSB Morris

novel is about to publish another novel.

When you are writing, you are on your own. When you have finished it,

you have got to make sure people out there know that it exists. With

150,000 new titles every year, how is your name going to come to the

forefront? You have to go out and do turns and twirls and twinkle. Pow

wow promises a two—day workshop and guest appearances. Who knows from

Birmingham beginnings to the next Booker Prize winner?

There are collectors around the world, some willing to pay hundreds

of thousands of pounds to own the bright and beautiful designs of

Moorcroft Pottery. A fraction of them descended on Stoke—on—Trent to

join in the centenary celebrations. Retracing the steps of William mar

croft as he moved his small team of Potters to his new factory. As they

re—enacted the events of 1913, the workers were joined by workers from

across the world gathering at the Moorcroft home. Be

There's always a wonderful synergy between the decoration and the form.

I'm besotted by this stuff because it's the best of British.

Moorcroft is art pottery created by highly skilled workers and the

skills used a century ago remain largely unchanged. Each piece is

still hand—paint and this is the only pottery in the world using

these techniques. Before being painted, each piece is individually

tube lined with wet clay being applied to outline the pattern of

decoration. Because it's hand—painted, it's like

hand writing, it's never identical. I've been here 26 years. I think the

we need to keep the skills in Stoke—on—Trent. It's the skill of

its workers that's behind the company's continued success,

according to its current owners. Every piece takes hours and hours to

paint. That is the same technique that's been used here in this

company for 100 years. That, I believe, is part of its success.

As the company celebrates its centenary, it's ware is increasingly

sought after by collectors. Traditional skills hoping a 21st

century pottery enjoy continuing success.

Beautiful. If you are having your tea, have a

breather because a tiny bug never before found in the Midlands has

turned up in cow pats at Sutton park. It's not the first time

something now has appeared there and you could help the experts discover

more as part of the summer wild life event takes part in Sutton Park.

David Greggy—Kumar is there for us. How can people help —— David

Gregory—Kumar. If people come down here, they can

meet their favourite wildlife presenters, they'll meet baby

animals and will be able to take parts in the bioblitz where they try

to find as many species as possible. Last time they did that, they found

something completely new. Cattle have grazed this landscape

for hundreds of years and what they leave behind has shaped the

landscape too. Matthew, why were you poking around in cow pow? —— cow

poo? You can feigned all sorts, worms, all sorts of interesting

things living and feeding. It provides food, resource, also

food for birds, swallows and at night bats fly around as well. Now

these grubs will become dung beetles and those gathered as part of a

weekend held a bit of a surprise. On the back of the beetle they found a

tiny fat—headed lolly—pop—like structure and scraped them off and

put them under the microscope to have a look. This is what they

found. A tortoise—shell mite never recorded in the Midlands before.

This isn't the first time something new's turned up in the park. 60 or

so years ago, you wouldn't have found this. This is called a gall

and there are some healthy acorns and there's a wasp lava in there.

Now, this wasp didn't live in this country until about 60 years ago and

the first place I found it in Britain was here in Sutton Park.

This weekend, you might discover a new species if you look hard enough.

We have come inside now. There's plenty of shelter here in the summer

of wildlife event but the forecast for the next two days isn't too bad.

More details on our Facebook page. You will also find a link to other

wildlife events happening across the weekend if you can't get here.

One final piece of advice for all prospective wildlife enthuse yas, if

you are poking around in cow poo, it can be very interesting but do wash

your hands afterwards. Great advice.

I don't know about you, I got gently drenched this afternoon. Wasn't too

pleasant. Will the weather be better tomorrow?

A soggy end to the day, a soggy end to the weekend and on top of that,

we have autumn storms to contend with. There will be a brief break in

that. We have a pleasant day tomorrow with good spells of

sunshine, but then through Sunday, stronger winds to contend with and

also the return of some rain. There's plenty of rain about to end

today. Heavy pulses still to come. We could see up 2010 mm of rain

falling in places. It will eventually start to move off through

tonight to leave a dry start to our Saturday. Some cloud overnight is

helping temperatures a little so they'll stay in double figures,

possibly dropping to nine in Herefordshire. We start off Saturday

with a bit of cloud here and there. That rain moves off and the cloud

will start to break and we'll see the sun come out. It will be a

pleasant day tomorrow. The sunshine will help the temperatures. They

will manage to get into mid teens for most. Under the cloud, they'll

struggle a little. It will be a fine and dry tend to our Saturday,

something to enjoy, the calm before the storm, so to speak. It will be

clear skies overnight with light winds. Temperatures will fall away

and we are looking at them dropping down into single figures, possibly

even getting down to six in Herefordshire. Waiting in the wings,

the next weather front. It's coupled with a deep low which is causing

real substantial wind to come through on Saturday. We could see

some really strong gusts on Sunday and there will be some gale force

winds coming through as well, particularly to the north of region

and then the rain will come in, so it will feel cooler and unpleasant.

Temperatures still managing to make it to mid teens, but with the wind,

it will feel unpleasant. As we move through to the start of the new

working week, staying unsettled with more wind on the cards as well.

Diabolical. Thank you! Let us recap on the top

stories: A mother and her three children are killed in a house fire

in Leicester. The police say it's nurseder.

—— murder. Is medically