27/01/2017 Midlands Today

Plans to restrict knee and hip replacements in Worcestershire

The hospital says they have to put a line somewhere.

But Mike I am very frustrated and I am worried. I worried that they are

good and leave me like this for a lot longer. TRANSLATION:

The Royal College of TRANSLATION: surgeons describe

And following the pleas at the clamp-down on people using their

mobile phones whilst driving. The Liverpool player whose first

appearance at Anfield Getting up close with the new

generation of Northern Soul fans. And after a few very chilly days,

finally a change is on the way, but although we'll see the back

of the frosty scenes, Just some of the reaction

to plans to restrict hip and knee replacements

to those in severe pain. The proposal by three clinical

commissioning groups in Worcestershire is aimed at saving

around ?2 million a year. But critics say that remaining

mobile is fundamental for people's Here's our health

correspondent Michele Paduano. Severe arthritis makes a normal

walking and agonising punishment 72-year-old Susan Morris believes

the current waiting list is She had been trying for

a new replacement for a year, and has been on the waiting

list since September. Now she worries her wait

will count against her. They just don't seem to understand

exactly what the patients I would go anywhere, I said

I would go anywhere to have this operation done, I don't

even mind going up to Russell Hall or somewhere

like that. In future, most hip

and knee replacements in Worcestershire will be carried out

at the Alexandra Hospital. There is a scoring

system to qualify. Those paying for the

operations have made The Royal College of

surgeons say the arbitrary decision to restrict NHS care

on the basis of pain The commission hopes to save money

but says that ignores the potential impact of delayed

treatment, prolonged pain and But with the ?9 million deficit,

and more and more elderly needing more treatment,

commissioners here say they are This sits in a very difficult place

with the clinical I have responsibilities

to my individual patients, but we've also got responsibilities in terms

of the amount of money we have, and we are being told that we have to

bring down the deficit that we have We asked people in Worcester

their thoughts on rationing care. If people need hip operations,

they should be given hip operations. And I think they could

make savings in It is not really what we grew up

to understand what the But I don't see that there

is a lot that we can do There should be more money

in the health service, but there is a fundamental

question about whether it is going to the right places

and is being allocated fairly. If the British public wants

to spend more on the NHS, and it looks like they do,

then we will continue to do that. We are doing that at the moment,

but maybe the message For Mrs Morris, restricting her

movement feels like restricting her And Michele joins us now from

the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. Is Worcestershire alone

in taking this action? No, not at all. Shropshire took this

action sometime last year, and their situation was even more draconian.

It was five points more serious before you have a hip operation. We

will be seeing more of this. If you look at the NHS five-year plan, they

look at cutting operations. Sometimes up to 20%. Many hospitals

have said it. It is not just hips and knees, back operations are also

going to be reduced. Henne has agreed to be reduced as well. We're

going to see less IDF being available, and the big issue is we

have an ageing population which require more care and we need

funding to provide. Could some people be waiting longer just

because of where they'll? This is one of the fundamental questions

about the NHS, because the idea is where ever you are, wherever you

are, you get the same treatment. This is not necessarily going to be

the case now. Wheels the issue of funding. Some areas do receive more

funding than others. We have elderly people who are deciding to leave

their houses in the city, liquidate their money, getting the countryside

and that is putting pressure on those rural areas like

Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Despite several national campaigns, some motorists continue to break

the law by using their mobile phones while driving,

Between 2014 and 2015, West Midlands Police issued over

2,000 penalty notices, while in the West Mercia force

The lowest figure in our region was recorded by Gloucestershire Police,

Elizabeth Glinka has spent the day on patrol with police

in Staffordshire where 1,800 notices were issued

There can't be many people who don't realise that holding or talking on

your mobile phone while driving is illegal. And yet people still do it.

She is talking to somebody. Her phone is in her hand. We are on

patrol with Staffordshire police. They have just stopped a woman who

was talking on her phone using the loudspeaker. Any use of a phone

other than hands-free constitutes an offence. Is that a popular

misconception that the loudspeaker is OK? A little bit of that and a

little bit of our just habit on and people won't notice. Amongst the

people we stopped, there seems to be a mix of confusion and those who

admit to a momentary lapse. It is against the law. You see as a fair

cop. Yeah, I understand. The typical penalty for this offence is three

points on your license and a fine of about ?100. These forces also have

discretion with some operating safety courses as an alternative.

All of that look set to change. The Government is introducing a new

system which would mean an automatic six points on your license and fines

of ?200. The aim is to create a deterrent in a world where we had a

big key to our phones. This young driver was paying a bill. Mobile

phone in hand. When we talk to him, it is clear that sometimes the

temptation is too much. It makes you want to pick the phone up and look

at it. Leave your phone alone concentrate on driving. That is what

is important. Because prices are serious. Including four other

members of the public. The battle for hearts and minds continues.

A 25-year-old man from Birmingham has appeared in court charged

with murdering a man on a bus on Monday night.

36-year-old Leon Barrett-Hazle from Smethwick was stabbed

and killed as he rode on the top deck of the 11A in Handsworth .

Kieran Gillespie who lives in Handsworth denies the charge.

Staffordshire Police are investigating a cannabis factory

discovered in a series of basements in Burton on Trent.

Around 800 cannabis plants have so far been recovered,

with a possible street value estimated at ?400,000.

The police say it's one of the largest cannabis factories

It is a massive basement area underneath a large premises where

several rooms, all large, have been utilised to grow the cannabis,

including water supply and electricity.

It is so large that a tractor and trailer was utilised in

order to remove the goods from here, and that was obviously noted by

members of the public who called it into us.

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, and there have been events

across the Midlands to remember the atrocities.

Originally created as a remembrance day for the mass murder of Jews

at the hands of Nazi Germany, the day also commemorates more

recent genocides such as Rwanda, Darfur and Cambodia.

You may find some of the pictures in Kevin Reide's report, disturbing.

In wolverhampton today, many gathered to remember those

who perished for no other reason than for who they were.

A service was held and wreath layed at the Cenotaph

in St Peter's Square, then a statement of

But about Holocaust Memorial Day is a chance for us to stop and remember

the horrors of the Second World War, and the Nazi regime, as well as all

those other places since then where other genocides have taken place.

The day was created to remember the six million Jews

who were exterminated in death camps across Nazi Germany and Poland.

Susi Bechofer who lives in Rugby survived when she and her twin

were amongst 10,000 Jewish children rescued from Germany

She's written a book about her Mum, Rosa, who had to stay in Germany

before being taken to Auschwitz's gas chambers, all

This is a tribute to browser, and all the parents who relinquished

their children to be safe. The majority of parents perished in gas

chambers. Today National Holocaust Day

is also about remembering all genocides such as Rwanda,

Cambodia and Darfur. At the Hive in Worcester, Jewish,

Muslim and Christian communities As well as children from five

schools. I think it is important for young people to be educated about

what happened, so we can pay our respects. What happened to people's

grandparents, parents and great-grandparents, it shouldn't be

forgotten. And for Susi, it's about

turning horror to hope. I think valuing other people for who

they are, whatever their race or creed, is paramount.

Kevin Reide, BBC Midlands Today, Warwickshire.

Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this is our top

story tonight: Plans to restrict knee and hip operations

in Worcestershire to those in severe pain.

You've been getting in touch with us on this story.

Rosalie Daubney says "If they don't agree to do my husband's knee soon,

it's going to cost them more in the end, because it's

While Timothy Evans wrote, "There is a line.

Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly.

Recording our robins and other garden birds.

Why the RSPB needs you to keep your eyes peeled this weekend.

New figures released show that Coventry University is the highest

in student intake. More than 8000 students were accepted places across

the university group. The future of farming and the Brexit is still

uncertain. As with the referendum itself,

some in agriculture are optimistic, while others fear

for their livelihood. Joanne Gallacher has been to meet

two farmers who have a very different take on the future

of farming after we leave Newborn lambs - a sign of fresh

starts and new beginnings, but for this Oswestry farmer,

the future's a worry. Malcolm Roberts exports his produce

to France, Italy Spain and Germany. In fact, 40% of UK

lamb goes to Europe. He voted to remain in

the European Union and is concerned Brexit could make things

difficult down on the farm. Our business needs sound economic

growth, and my time of life I hate to say it, but if we are messing

around with our business for the next 15 or 20 years, that is

probably going my career done. The message from the Government

is everything will be fine, Can see the concern. And join it

will still be subsidies but the devil is in the detail. Every

individual farmer gets a different subsidy depending on the size and

efficiency of the farm. Farming accounts for about ?1

billion worth of business a year On farms like these, farmers receive

around ?70 an acre in EE subsidies, but with Brexit that money is likely

to go. Leave campaigner Owen Paterson

is the MP for this area. He says farmers like Malcolm have

nothing to fear from Brexit. They have a wonderful opportunity to

help design a completely new rural policy tailored around their

industry and our environment. Just 50 miles away in Staffordshire,

the atmosphere on this 500-acre beef and arable farm

is one of excitement. He wants to take back

control and he has no We're still in Europe, we still farm

in Europe, we still trade with Europe. I still think in the future

we will be trading in Europe. They need us, we need them.

There may be a stand-off for now, but it's inevitable there'll be

a locking of horns as ministers try to get right the terms of Brexit

And you can see more on that story on Sunday politics

The RSPB's big garden birdwatch starts this weekend.

The charity's asking us to record the birds that visit our gardens

over the course of an hour, so they can work out

which species are doing well, and which ones are struggling.

So for some top garden bird-watching tips we sent environment

correspondent David Gregory-Kumar to meet Springwatch star

Kate MacRae, who took these amazing pictures

Last year in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch,

So let's get some tips for this weekend.

What are your top tips for how to feed birds,

how to get more birds into your garden?

Well, I think you have to think of it a bit like a

The more different kinds of food you can put out

and different kinds of ways you can feed them, then the more

different species you're going to attract because not all birds like

the same food and not all like feeding in the same way.

Kate has spotted over 50 different bird species

But about a lot of the cheap stuff is bowled out with wheat, and the

only species that are going to like the plea by the pigeons. It isn't

worth saving up spending a little bit more and having a bit more of a

gourmet mix, you will get a better selection of species. Cake has

bodied many different species. The Midlands gardenwatch top five:

sparrow, blue tip, starling, blackbird and wood pigeon have

all been caught by her cameras. But she records less

common visitors, too, Well, one that is always

really exciting to get is the woodpecker, and Great Spotted

Woodpeckers were another species that have taken advantage

of our changing in the way we feed. And this year the whole

event has been extended by a day

to cover the Monday as well as the weekend,

and that means you don't

have to do a whole hour in your garden,

you could Garden Birdwatch is our largest

citizen science experiment, providing vital information on how

all our garden birds are doing. David Gregory-Kumar,

BBC Midlands Today, Lichfield. And for more details on how

to take part in the garden FA Cup fourth round weekend -

always a treat, if your It's only a two-horse race,

but Wolves are the 10-1 outsiders to pull off a shock

victory against Liverpool. Anyone who saw them cruise past

Stoke City in round three might But one former Liverpool player

knows exactly how tough He was born in the red half

of Merseyside, joined Liverpool's Academy aged six,

spent 15 years with the club, played twice for the first team,

But never at Anfield ... How are you? 24 hours before the big

game. But Mac I can't wait. It is good to be a great occasion.

Everyone is looking forward to it. No wonder Conor Coady was chuffed

to bits when Liverpool Because he'd already set his heart

on playing for Wolves at the home If only Wolves can repeat the sort

of form they showed three weeks A little bird tells EU went bananas

when the draw was made. Yak, to draw them was fantastic. It is massive

for everybody. Everybody was to be on the best team.

If only Wolves can repeat the sort of form they showed three weeks

ago to beat Stoke City, they must have a chance.

Ok, so the bookies disagree and make Liverpool

But few people know the Reds manager Jurgen Klopp better

They go back a long way, and share a strong connection

Very nice guy, but even when he is nice, I would like to send him home

with empty hands. Tomorrow lunchtime,

Klopp's got the Kop, but Lambert's got lots of very loud

Wolves fans, more Labour's support has been fantastic

since I have been here. We're going to have two weather a storm at

Anfield, but the supporters will help us. If the sport is the winning

normally do it will be a great atmosphere. Will you touch the

Anfield sign? ' no, I play for Wills. It is the other way around,

maybe. Not this weekend. Good luck. But today an apology

from Saido Berahino to Albion fans. Yes we heard from Berahino

today for the first time since making his ?12 million move

from Albion to Stoke City. Now Berahino has been

agitating for a move away from the Hawthorns

for the past two seasons. But today the 23-year-old

said that the Albion I have got regrets, I could have

handled it better. I was still a young lad, I was in a situation

where most footballers ever BN. You live and learn. We are here now, and

I'm just glad to be here. The Birmingham Bears were given

a civic reception this afternoon. That's to recognise their victory

in the One Day Cup They were at Lords on the 29th

of August last year. But for cricket-lovers the good news

is that it's only 70 days Nick will be delighted it is only 70

days away. Northern Soul, the dance and music

movement which emerged in the '60s and '70s still has

many dedicated fans. But now, a new generation

of followers is on the scene, and their story is being highlighted

in a new exhibition. We sent out Arts Reporter Satnam

Rana to see them in action. The next generation

of Northern Soul Lovers. The Northern Soul first

emerged over 50 years ago, orginating from the Tamala

and Mowton Studios But it was unkown singers that

defined the music of the movement. it is all about as young people,

which highlight, because it comes from an older generation and it is

nice that we are taking over. 18 years old and they're going out on

knees all night is and are still dancing. It is fantastic. It is

never going to die. Good looking round, people bouncing, music

playing, nothing like it. Also on the dance floor,

Sarah Raine, a researcher from the Birmigham Centre for Media

and Cultral Research, When I dance, and lose myself, and

it is our freedom in that which I think is important.

and potographer Bethany Kane they've decided to document

I found the Northern Soul scene to my friends at work and I was

involved in the reggae scene, I was a reggae DJ, as it came naturally.

There's a surprise in a matter of young people. There are more the

time. Today Sarah adn Bethany are exposing

the young soulies as their work goes public in a free exhibition

at Birmingham City university's A lot of the books and films and

adverts are about the older generation, and the young generation

are as passionate. I think it is important to look at that side and

how it affects their lives. Northern Soul is still dominated

by its orginal fans but new followers are determined

to keep the faith, too. After a cold week, how's the weather

looking for the weekend? Rebecca is here with the forecast -

and you've been in search Yes, Mary, tomorrow marks the start

of Chinese New Year, and with that There will be celebrations taking

place throughout the region. Today they began in Birmingham

City Centre, and I went Bringing a splash of colour

to a cold January day in the centre of Birmingham -

celebrations to mark the start For Chinese people, it is about

having a new start to do away with bad things. We see things like... It

means to which prepares it -- prosperity, always smiling and

cheerful. Each year the event brings

in thousands of people to the city, and organisers are hoping this year

will be bigger than ever. Brown has a lot of culture and good

things happening, so I want to try and embrace that. A lot going on

across the city, in including dancing, and it is good luck to

touch one of these. But it's not just Birmingham

celebrating, across the West Midlands there are events taking

place, for these children in Stoke-on-Trent, there

was the chance to sample Festivities will take place

for the next 15 days, so all that's left for me to say

is...kung hei fat choy. I should be full of some luck. The

year of the Rooster, but is more suited to ducks and the weather this

weekend. It was a co-star today from any of us, but there has been a

battle taking place out there above us, and is between high-pressure and

this look pressure which is good is weeping and steady start to change

our weather. That'll happen this weekend. Today we started to see it.

Breaking through the clouds during the day for some of us, we got some

glorious blue skies, our weather Watchers helped to tell that story.

Cloud started to thicken this afternoon, and it is bearing some

rain as we head to this weekend, that is what we have got to come. We

will still get brightest bells, the sun coming through tomorrow

afternoon, and it is going to be less cold, I hesitate to say mild,

but as the Gulf through tonight the warm front will bring rain, and that

full P Withers overnight, and any second one sleeps in from the left.

Damages between three and six Celsius, yesterday many places

didn't get above freezing, are overnight averages will be much

better. We see that killed five turning into a westerly wind. That

is bringing something more pleasant and then as next weather system

comes in for Sunday. Tomorrow it is good to be a damp start for the day,

the rain cleared away and we will see some brightness. Showers never

too far away. I tempered as I started to climb, about whether we

should be for this time of year. Skies were clear and averages will

fall away for a time, plenty of moisture around, Subic gets hill

fog. Damages will be around freezing and four Celsius. It is the start of

Chinese new year celebrations in Birmingham, so take your brolly for

that. This is that weather system, still some discrepancy about how --

how far north it will go. It will be a rather soggy Sunday, but

temperatures an increased during the week.

From all of us on Midlands Today, have a great weekend.

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