27/01/2017 Midlands Today

Health managers in Worcestershire have announced they're planning

to follow Shropshire's example by making it tougher

to qualify for a hip or knee operation on the NHS.

They want to reduce the number of operations carried out

by only offering them to patients who are in so much pain

Here's our health correspondent Michele Paduano.

Severe arthritis makes normal walking an agonising

The 72-year-old from Pershore believes the

She's been trying for a knee replacement for a year,

and on the waiting list since September.

Now she worries her wait will count against her.

They just don't seem to understand exactly

I've said I'll go anywhere to have this operation done.

I don't even mind going up to Russell Hall or somewhere

like that, just as long as I can get it done.

I can't afford to go private. So I'm stuck.

In future, most hip and knee replacements in Worcestershire

will be carried out at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

But there is a scoring system to qualify.

Those paying for the operations have made it harder.

The Royal College of Surgeons said and arbitrary decision to restrict

The Royal College of Surgeons said an arbitrary decision to restrict

NHS care on the basis of pain and disability was alarming.

The commission hopes to save ?2 million, but it says that

ignores the potential impact of delayed treatment,

But with a ?9 million deficit, commissioners here say they're

This sits in a very difficult place with us as a clinical

It's sits in a very difficult place with me as a doctor.

You know, I have responsibilities to my individual patients,

but we've also got responsibilities in terms of the amount

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 other places.

It's not really what we grew up to understand what

It's unfortunate, but I don't see that there's a lot

that we can do about it, given the climate.

We're putting more money into the health service,

but there is this fundamental question of is going

but there is this fundamental question of is it going

Is it being allocated fairly as well?

If the British public wants to spend more on the NHS,

and it looks like we're getting indications that maybe they do,

We are doing that at the moment, but maybe the message

For Mrs Morris, restricting her movement makes her life miserable.

Michele Paduano, BBC Midlands Today, in Pershore.

Around 800 cannabis plants have been found by police

in a series of basements in Burton on Trent.

Together, they form one of the largest factories found

The plants have an estimated street value of ?400,000.

A series of events have been held across the Midlands

At County Hall in Worcester, children from five schools joined

with members of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities

to reflect on the mass murder of Jews under Nazi Germany.

The day also remembers the victims of other genocides such as those

carried out in Rwanda, Dafur and Cambodia.

carried out in Rwanda, Darfur and Cambodia.

More than 1800 drivers were caught using their mobile phones

by Staffordshire Police between 2014 and 2015.

But the force still doesn't think the message is getting through.

It's been taking part in a nationwide crackdown this week,

ahead of a change in the law to bring in even stiffer penalties.

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

on your mobile phone while driving is illegal,

She's talking to somebody. Her phone's in her hand, see it?

We're on patrol with PC James Ralph and Sergeant Mick Scott

They've just stopped a woman who was talking on her phone

Any use of the phone, other than hands-free,

Is that quite a popular misconception that people think

It's probably a little bit of that and it's a little bit of "I'll just

have it down here and loudspeaker and perhaps people won't notice."

Amongst the people we stop, there seems to be a mixture

of confusion over the rules and those who admit

You see as a fair cop? You just made a mistake?

Yeah, it's a fair thing, I understand.

At the moment, the typical penalty for this sort of offence is three

points on your license and a fine of about ?100, and police forces

also have discretion, with some operating safety courses

as an alternative. But all of that looks set to change.

The government wants to introduce a new system,

which would mean an automatic six points on your license

The aim is to create a deterrent in a world where

Credit card in one hard, mobile phone in the other.

The battle for hearts and minds continues.

Elizabeth Glinka, BBC Midlands Today, Staffordshire.

An exhibition showcasing the underground Northern Soul scene

in the West Midlands opened today at the Birmingham City

All Because of You has been put together by a researcher

and photographer who wanted to document the younger generations

now enjoying the Northern Soul movement in the region,

now enjoying the Northern Soul movement in the region.

Onto sport now and the 16-times world champion Phil Taylor

from Stoke has announced that 2017 will be his final year

on the Professional Darts Corporation tour circuit.

The 56-year-old won his first world title in 1992 and went onto win

eight successive titles between 1995 and 2002.

He says he may still play in the Premier League and the World Series.

And there's just one result to bring you from the Rugby tonight.

Gloucester drew with Bath 17-17 in Round One of the Anglo Welsh Cup.

That's all from the late team, but there's just time to wish

Traditional celebrations have already got underway

across the region to welcome in the Year of the Rooster tomorrow.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and that the ones up a little, that

stick a look at that weather. Goodbye. -- let's take a look.

Well, steadily, our weather is changing and that change comes

tonight in the form of the band of rain

We'll see it right the way across the region,

perhaps across eastern parts arriving a little later,

but it is holding up our temperatures.

During the day yesterday, they stay below freezing

Overnight tonight, we'll see them ranging

between between two and five Celsius.

Our weather is finally changing. Low pressure is taking charge,

so we see the weather system clearing away.

A westerly wind direction, which should help to import

something a touch milder, so our temperatures will

start to rise as we head through the weekend.

We'll start the day tomorrow with that rain band across us,

We'll be left with something drier, brighter, some sunshine,

but some sunshine pepping up during the day as well.

Temperatures doing better, ranging between five and seven Celsius.

As for Sunday, we've got an area of rain which is going

Still some uncertainty as to how far north it will get,

More information on all of that in the national forecast next.

I'll leave you with an outlook for the next few days.

Good evening. Not many would argue that January hasn't been dry, but

today, many of us had our first significant rain for some time,

because the transition is on from cold, Continental dry air to milder

Atlantic air, but the transition is a slow one. So we have had ice

today, and freezing fog, in northern England. We had a little sunshine as

well in Norfolk, but we still have the cold air around and about in the

north. All this rain you can see, which is giving is a wet day in some

areas, 10-15 millimetres of rain has fallen, as it comes north there

could be some winter it issues. Snow already falling over Scotland,

possibly over northern England, possibly some sleet