27/01/2017 Midlands Today

Plans to restrict hip and knee replacements in Worcestershire

to cut cost are described as "alarming".

I'm very frustrated and I'm worried. I'm worried that they're going to

leave me like this for a lot, lots longer.

Hundreds of cannabis plants are found in an industrial-size

The RSPB's big garden birdwatch starts this weekend.

There are plans to restrict the number of hip and knee

The proposal is that unless patients are in enough pain that it

stops them sleeping, they won't be considered

Our health correspondent Michele Paduano is in

Well, this is an unusual situation because across the region people are

having to make very difficult decisions and we already know that

with a five-year NHS plan going forward there is talk of actually

cutting planned operations back 20% but they have hit on what is going

on here in Worcestershire. We have been today to see one lady, Susan

Morris. She actually started trying to get onto a waiting list about a

year ago in January and September because of a severe arthritis she

got onto that waiting list for a knee operation but she doesn't know

yet when that operation will take place and is clearly extremely

distressed by the pain. They just don't seem to understand exactly

what the patients go through. I'll go anywhere, I said I will go

anywhere to have this operation, I don't even mind going up to Russell

hall or somewhere like that, it's just as long as I can get it done. I

can't afford to go private so I'm stuck. Well, I am joined now by the

chairman of Bromsgrove clinical commissioning group and I had to ask

you the question why are you changing the criteria, why are

people going to have to suffer more pain before they can get these

operations quiz green? The NHS only has a certain amount of money and I

don't want patients in pain but we are clear that these are life

changing operations and they should take place. We also very clear that

in many cases actually if they could lose weight, perhaps we did use

physiotherapy, and actually many patients don't need that surgery and

I think that is probably the main thing. But you are rationing, aren't

you? The Royal College of surgeons said there is no justification. The

NHS is in a very, very difficult place at the moment, a certain

amount of money can an ageing population, a good thing here in

Worcestershire, but we only have a certain amount of money so we have

to draw a line somewhere. So what we try to do with the money that we

have, we have a statutory responsibility to make sure that the

CCG comes in even, that actually we need to do that properly. The other

night I thank you. There is going to be a lot of playing clearly for the

people and the NHS in the years to come. That occurred a lot of pain.

And we've been hearing from you today -

if you have a comment on this story to share with us, good and bad,

get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Police have uncovered a large cannabis factory in Staffordshire

Our special correspondent Peter Wilson is at the

Peter, how did they find out about this?

Well, I am in a basement just below some fast food shops right in the

centre of Burton upon Trent. And police have discovered more than 800

cannabis plants and as is so often the case with these illegal cannabis

factories, the smell is almost overpowering. With me now is Chief

Inspector Rob Neeson. Rob, how did your officers discover the place? It

is as simple as a member of the public calling us about some

suspicious activity with a tractor. There was a tractor? Yes, it is

incredible the length these people go to. As I have said they have

discovered more than 800 and are going through forensics at the

moment and they think the street value could be as much as ?400,000.

Everywhere around here, and it bridges right the way around the

corner you can see these garlic plants just hanging up here. That's

not to mask the smell it in fact to keep bugs away but it certainly

hasn't kept the police away. 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 appeared in court Events are being held

across the West Midlands to mark There is a commemoration

in Coventry this lunchtime Susi Bechhofer lives in Rugby

and survived the holocaust when she and her twin

were amongst 10,000 children But her mother, Rosa,

was murdered in Auswitz. She says she hopes telling

their story will help others. 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 half a million of us 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 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 birdwatch, check out David's

blog at bbc.co.uk/davidgregorykumar. Time for the weather

now, with Rebecca. Will it be good weather

for bird-watching? Still chilly in the centre

of Birmingham this lunchtime, although the Chinese New Year

celebrations are warming things up. For this weekend a change

is on the way - bringing something a little milder,

but I'm afraid we will see rain at times through

the next couple of days. We've been very settled

recently with high pressure controlling our weather -

but gradually this weekend low pressure will take charge

and with that we will see weather ahead of that cloud will thicken

and it will be a wet afternoon - but that should introduce

a different, milder airmass so temperatures climbing

to six celsius today - With another cold front working

in from the west overnight, there will be more rain to come,

slowly moving in from the west, that will keep temperatures up

to between three and five Celsius. Although it's a wet start

to Saturday, that weather front will clear away and there will be

sunny spells left behind, but showers will follow

on through the afternoon. Temperatures up to eight Celsius,

so feeling much different to how For sunday there is still some

uncertainty as rain works its way across the south of the country -

it could push a little further north or drop a little further south,

but it does look like there will be I am off to touch a lion, apparently

it is very good luck! Later, if you remember

the music of Northern Soul, you're in for a treat

in Midlands Today, The FA Cup fourth round,

next weekend, across the BBC. It's incredible, the changes that

have occurred in just 50 years. Oh, my goodness me,

I don't like the look of that. The Robshaws are going back in

time again... Feel a little bit

overwhelmed at the moment. How people did this every day,

I don't know. Calf's head. Leave the teeth

out of it, won't you? It's incredible, the changes that

have occurred in just 50 years.