0:00:10 > 0:00:11Good evening.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13There's more evidence tonight revealing the pressure
0:00:13 > 0:00:14facing our hospitals.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17New figures from the NHS show that during the first week of this year
0:00:17 > 0:00:20almost half of the acute trusts in this region raised serious
0:00:20 > 0:00:23concerns about the demands being made on them.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Two on Merseyside declared a major alert on the same day,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28meaning patient safety could be at risk.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32But there was also confusion over the accuracy of the figures.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Our chief reporter, Dave Guest has been
0:00:35 > 0:00:37to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I asked him what the situation was there during the
0:00:39 > 0:00:42first week of the New Year?
0:00:42 > 0:00:45On January 4th, this hospital declared what's known
0:00:45 > 0:00:47as an Opel four alert.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Basically, that means the pressure on its services
0:00:50 > 0:00:53were such that patient care was in danger of being compromised.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56On that same day, a similar alert was raised
0:00:56 > 0:00:59at the Southport Hospital.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04One stage below Opel four is Opel three.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06In official jargon, that's when local health and social care
0:01:06 > 0:01:08systems are experiencing major pressures, which
0:01:08 > 0:01:10compromise patient flow.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14In plain English, too many people are occupying beds in hospital that
0:01:14 > 0:01:15shouldn't really be there.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Folk, who through no fault of their own,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19are in hospital when they should be receiving care elsewhere.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23The problem is, there isn't any elsewhere.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26But as we've said, some of the details in today's official
0:01:26 > 0:01:28figures were wrong, weren't they?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Yeah, NHS England initially said that another two
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Merseyside hospitals, Aintree and Alder Hey,
0:01:35 > 0:01:40had also declared Opel four alerts on January the 4th.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Those two hospitals begged to differ this morning,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and this afternoon, NHS England admitted a mistake had been made,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48due to what they called a technical error.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Aintree had been registered as having an Opel four alert,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55when it was in fact an Opel three alert - which is still a pretty
0:01:55 > 0:01:56difficult situation.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And it said Alder Hey shouldn't have been included at all,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01that was a mistake.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04So what's the situation at the Royal Liverpool today?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The hospital stresses that these figures are simply a snapshot
0:02:07 > 0:02:12of a moment in time, the situation changes
0:02:12 > 0:02:14from hour to hour, from day to day.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So to get an idea of what has been happening in there today,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20we spoke to a few patients and visitors as they were
0:02:20 > 0:02:22leaving this evening.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26When I first went in, there was a lot of people in the corridor.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Me dad come in last night, or yesterday afternoon,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31he was in resus for at least eight hours, that's when I left.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34It was the same again today, loads of people in the corridors on beds.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36My mum's been in there quite a while.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And I think the nurses do a really great job.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42They are under pressure, but that's the NHS at the moment, in't it?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Whatever the stats labelled to any hospital, they are all
0:02:45 > 0:02:47facing the same kind of pressures, aren't they?
0:02:47 > 0:02:49That's right, yes.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Let's not forget, in the first week of 2017, almost half of the acute
0:02:53 > 0:02:57NHS trusts in the North West were reporting that they were
0:02:57 > 0:03:01being put under pressure because of pressures on social care
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and other health providers in their area.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Those pressures from outside affecting the patient
0:03:06 > 0:03:10flow inside hospitals.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13It's a story we've heard a lot of in recent weeks,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I'm sure we're going to hear a lot more about it in the
0:03:16 > 0:03:18weeks and months to come.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Meanwhile, the Government's stressing it's aware
0:03:19 > 0:03:22of the challenges that face the NHS, and it is spending billions
0:03:22 > 0:03:24of pounds extra, it says, on trying to address some
0:03:24 > 0:03:25of those challenges.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Thanks for joining us.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Thousands of hens are being slaughtered in the North West
0:03:28 > 0:03:32because fears over bird flu mean they can no longer roam free.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34A re-homing charity says many of its volunteers don't
0:03:34 > 0:03:36have the space to keep them indoors after the Government
0:03:36 > 0:03:39restricted their movement.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Ian Haslam reports.
0:03:42 > 0:03:462500 hens are re-homed at this farm in Rossendale every year.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49For the last month, its residents have been confined to a shed.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Normally you would see chickens wandering round.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55At the moment, we can't do anything, we can't allow them
0:03:55 > 0:03:56to free range at all.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Adele Hall is one of 500 British Hen Welfare Trust volunteers
0:03:59 > 0:04:03who take in birds due to be sent to slaughter.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07It's had a massive effect, we've not been unable
0:04:07 > 0:04:09to re-home any hens.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12We've lost over 12,000 birds that have had to go to slaughter that
0:04:12 > 0:04:14would normally, by now, be pecking around the garden,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16which is what we're here for.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17It's been heartbreaking for the charity.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And, of course, the restrictions don't just apply to hens,
0:04:20 > 0:04:21they apply to all poultry.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Meaning these turkeys have been stuck inside this shed
0:04:24 > 0:04:27since early December.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Adele's now trying to ensure her birds can get
0:04:29 > 0:04:32at least some fresh air.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35This is the hen run I'm having built, which not everyone can do,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37they don't have the resources to do this.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41One of the important thing that he's going to do is put on a roof,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44something that won't allow droppings to come through on the ground.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Which is how it's believed the disease has been spread
0:04:46 > 0:04:48from migratory birds.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51After cases across Europe, bird flu has been found in North Yorkshire,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Lincolnshire and Wales in the last month.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Thousands of birds have died.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The Government says it's strengthening its surveillance
0:04:58 > 0:05:03on the extent of infection in wild birds.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Police in Rochdale have launched an investigation after the
0:05:06 > 0:05:08body of man was found in an alleyway last night.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11The man - who's believed to be in his 30s - was discovered off
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Promenade Street in Heywood.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16His death is being treated as suspicious.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18The funeral's taken place of a teenager from Lancashire
0:05:18 > 0:05:21who died from a suspected allergic reaction to a takeaway meal.
0:05:21 > 0:05:2415-year-old Megan Lee had eaten food from the Royal Spice takeaway
0:05:24 > 0:05:27in Oswaldtwistle and died on New Year's Day.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Two men have since been arrested and bailed.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33How well do you know your neighbours?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Emmanuel Bushayija lives in a terraced house in Sale.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39His neighbours describe him as normal,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41down to earth, regularly seen putting the bins out.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44He is in fact a king - King Yuhi VI of Rwanda.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46He's just inherited the throne in the country
0:05:46 > 0:05:48after the death of his uncle.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51His neighbours were surprised to hear it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It's a bit weird to find out there's a king living in your road.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56But...
0:05:56 > 0:06:01It is a bit surreal, I think he's away at the minute, in't he?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05At a funeral for his uncle.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07But that's all I really know about him.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10He's a very humble, private man.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I've just got to know him as a friend, really, as Emmanuel,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15the nice man that he is.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And I enjoy his company.
0:06:17 > 0:06:24That's it from me, here's Diane with a look at the weather.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25Good evening to you.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28There could be more wintry weather in our forecast through the night.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30The immediate problem is ice on untreated surfaces.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Temperatures are falling away, most towns and cities around zero.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38But as showers come into this cold air, like last night,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41snow showers could turn up almost anywhere, there could be covering
0:06:41 > 0:06:44in a places in the morning.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46If you don't see the snow, you will see rain.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51The numbers on the chart are for towns and cities,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53rural areas are going to be colder than that.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Very cold first thing on Saturday, taking some time
0:06:56 > 0:06:59for the temperatures to recover.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Through the day there will be a steady rise,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03most places see a tonne of winter sunshine tomorrow, looking
0:07:03 > 0:07:05good, feeling cold.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Coastal areas at the risk of a few showers.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12But it looks like mostly a dry day, top temperatures through
0:07:12 > 0:07:14the afternoon 6 degrees.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Saturday night not too cold, completely different picture
0:07:16 > 0:07:21on Sunday, more cloud around, much milder at around 9 degrees.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24At the start of next week, you can see the mild temperatures
0:07:24 > 0:07:25and damp weather stay with us.
0:07:32 > 0:07:325-6 is the best we
0:07:32 > 0:07:325-6 is the best we will
0:07:32 > 0:07:335-6 is the best we will have.
0:07:33 > 0:07:335-6 is the best we will have. It
0:07:33 > 0:07:335-6 is the best we will have. It stays