09/02/2017 Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.

Our main story tonight: Think twice before you get ill at night.

Weston Hospital considers restricting access to A

during certain hours, but the trust insists

The ideas being set out here are about ensuring safe and sustainable

services moving forward, they are not about the financial challenges.

But Weston is in deficit - we'll be looking at how other

Our other headlines tonight: Money down the drain at City Hall -

an independent report says inefficiency has cost

Taking on the German fleet - Yeovilton remembers a sea and air

And getting plastered - the former tradesman from Bridgwater

who s going to Vegas for the ultimate

On the day that waiting times at Accident and Emergency

departments in England are reaching 13-year highs, one of our local

hospitals is asking the public to comment on plans to change access

It could mean 999 patients being diverted elsewhere.

Weston General has been struggling with its deficit for years -

today it's said it's looking at options for different kinds

But tonight the hospital chief executive claims it's not

about money but improving patient care, despite the organisation

Weston General Hospital employs around 2000 staff and has 320 beds,

24-hour accident and emergency as well as a small intensive care unit.

But like many hospitals, money is tight and it struggles to fill

vacant medical roles. The health trust being described as clinically

and financially unsustainable for over a decade and it has a deficit

of ?71 million. Changes are on the table. We need to work out how we

can create a hospital with a long-term future that will help

attract new staff who will want to stay here permanently. And also by

working together with other organisations in the community and

other hospitals to look at how we can address the financial

challenges. One of the changes could be to A, diverging 999 ambulances

elsewhere at night time and keeping the Department open for walk in

patients and scheduled ambulances. That would mean longer journeys for

emergency patients during those hours, but the hospital says

proposals are to improve patient care, not to save money. The ideas

being put forward in this engagement exercise are focusing on food

services for patients. The hospital is very important for those living

nearby. The older generation don't always want to go to Bristol. It

does everything we need down here. The A is needed 24 hours a day.

It's pretty important to the community. Something you need during

your lifetime. Getting older, it's nice to know it's there. The public

can see the proposals and have their say on the North Somerset clinical

commissioning group website and there will be open day is organised

over the next eight weeks so people can even give their opinion

face-to-face. As well as Weston General having

a deficit, other NHS trusts Here are a few of

the figures for you. North Bristol NHS Trust has

a projected deficit of ?46 million In Gloucestershire, they say

there will be a deficit And Yeovil NHS Trust

is ?15 million adrift. To help put all this in context,

our health correspondent, Matthew, why has Weston got to this

situation of changing A at night? I think reading between the lines,

it has no option because it can't carry on doing everything. It's

doing a very wide array at the moment. It has an intensive care

unit, but only five beds and it needs eight beds to become viable

and attract the staffing needs. That's why it's looking at A at

night-time. If it can't increase intensive care beds, maybe shouldn't

be having intensive care and they should focus on routine operations

that don't need intensive care. The chief executive said clearly it's

not about money. I think money is an important part of the equation. If

you talk to the clinical commissioning group, who fund the

service, they have a ?14 million deficit in is Somerset and they are

driving this saying we can't carry on funding the hospital to the level

we've been bailing them out. Say they did restrict A at nine times,

999 ambulances would have to go to units elsewhere. That means more

strain on them. Always, and it would put a strain elsewhere. The major

trauma centre at South Lee would be a place they would go. Recently

there have been days where their intensive care beds have been

completely full so it raises a question of whether there will be

capacity. The BBC did a survey about waiting times in A Have you

looked at the figures for Weston? I have. On January 30, these

provisional figures show that 65% of the time they were able to meet the

four hour wait time in A The national target is 95% so

significantly worse than the national target. Swindon's great

Western Hospital. They had four patients waiting 12 hours on

trolleys. Nationally in England there were nine patients. Almost

half the patients in the country were there. Appreciate your

knowledge. Thank you for coming on the show.

Police have released footage of a man being kidnapped from a bar

in Bristol to try to find witnesses to it.

The 22-year was dragged across the floor at the Blue Lagoon

on Gloucester Road, then assaulted and put into a car.

He was driven to Bradley Stoke before escaping.

Two men have been arrested and released on bail.

A family of a man who went missing in Bristol last month have

laid flowers at the site where a body was found.

24-year-old Deakon Wilkins from Weston-super-Mare was last seen

on CCTV leaving Motion nightclub three weeks ago.

His family have been laying flowers by Bristol Harbour.

An independent report has made scathing criticisms of the way

Bristol City Council's finances have been run.

It talks of members being misled, and a serious failure

It was commissioned by the new Mayor, who's grappling

Our political editor, Paul Barltrop, joins us from outside City Hall.

Inside City Hall, Bristol city councillors are meeting to discuss

the financial situation - one big topic is this bombshell

report, produced by former head of Audit Commission.

He was requested to look into what had gone on following the election

of the new Mayor last year. Looking back, in 2013,

the council launched a programme of savings and cuts,

but it didn t work. Last summer, the Mayor

said ?30 million of cuts Last month, they announced

the savings needed in the years Today's report sets

out what went wrong. This report says senior managers

knew that planned savings weren't being achieved, but routinely

concealed it. Breaking the bad news to Bristol, Mayor Marvin Rees faced

the media as the Council released the damning report. An expert said a

big savings expert had failed. Officials made assumptions that were

false or artful. The Mayor was not alerted and councillors were

undoubtedly misled. It was a serious collective failure of leadership

within the Council. Several elected politicians bear responsibility. The

suggestions in the report about how and why things happened were pretty

explosive. Not only in terms of the absolute scale, but in terms of the

way it will stun. We're not happy with this at all. Former Chief

Executive Nicola Yates worked alongside the last Mayor, George

Ferguson. She's been unavailable for comment, but he released a

statement. The counsellor he had in charge of

Bristol 's finances does express reserve -- regret and feels let down

by officers. I end up feeling that I have misled councillors because I

was being told certain things were true when they were not. It does say

there was a failure of political leadership and that would include

you. It would. We did fail in the sense that we have this vast

deficit. Senior managers criticised in the report are gone, leaving

councillors shaken. Like a lot of people when I read the report I was

pretty shocked. This was hidden for several months. Actively hidden. It

wasn't a simple matter of people not realising, they did know it was

there and they did not share that with councillors. The catalogue of

failings in the report has sent shock waves through city Hall. The

new Chief Executive and the new head of finance are in post. The focus is

on putting things right and making ?100 million worth of savings over

the next four years. Either they are working very late at

City Hall, or somebody has left the lights on!

It's Alex and David with you this evening.

Stay tuned, we've got lots more still to come,

Hello, Lizzie Yala and -- Lizzie Yala Alt, Olympic skeleton champion.

It's one year to go. And we meet the former plasterer

who has set his sight on success Avon and Somerset Police has been

told it must improve the way it records crimes after an inspection

found it was failing to log more Incidents of rape,

violence and modern slavery Inspectors said the failures

were due to a poor understanding Crime recording is quite

complicated and very technical. We're going to do some more training

with our officers to make sure they understand exactly how

they should report crime. We will be doing more checking

and testing of our systems to make sure that the crime has been

correctly reported and recorded. We've recently introduced

a new crime recording system to help things and we need to get that

embedded still further. Inspectors say Avon and Somerset

will be monitored for the rest The Bristol City striker

Tammy Abraham faces court action after a car crash near the club's

training ground in Failand. The 19-year-old, who is on loan

from Chelsea, is alleged to have been driving

without a licence or insurance. He's also been reported

for driving carelessly. It's not yet known when

he'll appear in court. A spokesman for City said the club

was aware of the situation. World War II grenades were blown-up

in Trowbridge just after midnight The phosphorous grenades were dug up

by builders on Wingfield Road. The fire station used social media

to let residents know about it, One of the most daring

and courageous actions in the history of naval aviation

was remembered today. A service was held at

the Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church in Yeovilton to mark the famous

Channel Dash 75 years ago. The brave naval aviators who took

on the might of a massive German battle fleet as it tried to escape

over the English Channel Theirs was a mission of impossible

odds, as Amanda Parr They came today to remember the

extraordinary actions of 18 men. In a hushed stillness at this year of

Alton Church, the story of a desperate, hellish mission was

retold. In 1942, three huge German battleships made a dash for home

from breast to Germany through the English Channel. They expected to be

targets so the screen of German destroyers and minesweepers, plus

200 fighter aircraft, went with them. One of the finest exhibitions

of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty the war has witnessed. Towards

that fearsome sight went six Spitfires. They never got close

enough to drop their bombs. Shells and bullets ripped through the fuse

are large. All were shot down and 13 men were killed. Today meant an

awful lot to relatives. We'll never forget. Our lives today were shaped

by what these folks did for us. Our men and other men, otherwise and

husbands, and future generations. Any war that has happened, further

back in history or anything that might happen in the future. We have

to thank people for what they've done. Today's Naval air Squadron

paid tribute in its own way to those brave colleagues from history. It

was awesome, very, very brave. In the finest traditions of service,

they knew their chances of coming back were minimal, but they still

pressed on with their attack. Bravery is even more commendable in

the face of defeat. Anyone can be brave when you're winning, but to be

brave when you're losing is impressive and that's what they did

in 1942. All 18 aircrew were heroes that day and it was heroism made all

the more extraordinary in the face of such overwhelming odds.

As we revealed on yesterday's programme, Bristol is vying

to be a national testbed for 5G technology.

The city wants a share of a ?1 billion fund to make it happen.

5G promises ultra-fast, ultra-reliable phone signal

It's set to revolutionise our homes and our streets, as Robin Markwell

On the mean streets of the University of the West

of England, they've clocked up 500 miles in a car without a driver.

It relies on high-tech sensors to find its way around.

You can't be buffering when cruising at 70 mph.

They're not quite ready for passengers yet, but had

For a glimpse into our 5G future, I thought I'd take a little spin.

At the moment, I'm in charge of this simulator, but flick a switch

Actually, 5G is key, it's going to be key

Capable of driving probably ten times better than a human driver.

Instant reaction times, no blind spot and the ability

Now scientists think robotic cars will soon have the upper

Something that brings together industry and all

Talk to another visionary and you'll find the change won't just be

People are getting used to this idea that their homes

are becoming smarter, people are already controlling

things like their thermostats, their central heating,

This idea of homes having a brain that is collecting together

lots and lots of data and lots of information,

that all defines the way telecoms needs to operate.

I think we will see increasingly this idea of objects and devices

that are just talking to the network all the time.

It was time to look at the bigger picture.

With so many devices generating so much data,

it was hard to see how you could make sense of it all.

I found my answer inside Bristol's Data Dome.

Here, they show what it all means when everything is pulled together.

Real-time information about the traffic on our roads,

the quality of our air, the health of the population.

It all promises a better understanding of who we are.

But with technology now moving quite so fast,

some will fear this brave new world risks spinning out of control.

I wondered if that was ever going to end! The report? Very, very

dramatic. Now we can use our phones to switch off the light. You can use

your voice to switch off the light. Or you could just get up and push

the switch. I do like the old-fashioned ways, but it's

progress. Lazy progress! It's exactly one year to go

until the Winter Olympics in South Korea and skeleton champion

Lizzy Yarnold has her sights set Lizzy, whose training base

is at the University of Bath, has recently returned to competition

after taking some time I caught up with her earlier

and began by asking Yeah, that's the big,

massive goal that gets me out of bed every morning,

trying to be the first British winter Olympian

to go to an Olympic Games Even though it's a great goal

and I love having that, it's quite It's a big thing to ask,

to be at the top of your So all I can do is every day,

the same for all athletes, working every day in the gym,

try to perform at my best in training and hope that it comes

to fruition in competition. The World Championships moved

from Russia because of How important was that for you that

Germany is now hosting the games? The move from Sochi to Germany

with the World Championships I think The IBSF needed to make this

decision because athletes need to compete confidently

in an environment they know is going I think now we'll have

a really good competition. It's a fantastic

track for spectators. There's places where you can

get lunch and doughnuts That's what sport is about,

competing with the true Olympic I think if the sport

was about doughnuts, I'd probably be quite good

at it as well! You keep talking about these

hurdles you have to climb and to get back into it,

mentally and physically. What's the single most

daunting thing for you? The single most daunting thing

would be a bit after a year's time I absolutely adore what I

do, day in, day out. I'm very lucky to be

a full-time athlete. I wouldn't be here without

the funding from UK But the Olympics, being able to go,

being selected for my second My big fear is when that Olympics

is then over and then Congratulations on being selected

and we wish you well, of course. You're obviously an all-round

athlete, you could do Why not take up tennis where it's

nice and warm rather than being out No, I don't think I could

be any other athlete. Skeleton, when I found it,

I knew it was the sport for me. That's the interesting

thing, I didn't find it Growing up loving sport,

I knew that I could be successful at something,

but I hadn't yet found it. That's the little piece that

I really enjoy telling You have the talent to be good

at something, you just have She's lovely, isn't cheap, and so

dedicated. Talking about finding your sport late in life, I think

I've found mine... A mixed martial arts fighter

from Somerset is about to step into the big time with a top-level

bout in Las Vegas. I'd love that! David! I'd walk

out... A little banner in front of you.

Mark Godbeer from Bridgwater has been selected for

the Ultimate Fighting Championship - the Premier League of his sport.

Mark, a former plasterer, has his sights set on glory

It is the most brutal of fight sports.

But with high risks come high rewards.

Especially for the biggest stars, like bearded

Now said to be worth more than ?20 million.

A million miles away, you might think, from this small

industrial estate in the middle of rural Somerset.

But inside a converted workshop, a former plasterer has stars

Do you get scared when you get in the ring?

I think that's what I'm addicted to, the fear factor.

Before MMA, it was motocross, before motocross it was rugby.

I suppose I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

This is Mark Godbeer, who in the sport of mixed martial

arts, is already at the top of his game in this country.

Fighting out of Somerset, England, Mark "The Hand Of..."

In less than a month's time, he'll be heading off to Las Vegas,

stepping into what is in effect the Premier League

I'm repping the UK now, not just little old Somerset.

I'm happy, really happy to be here, really happy with my achievements.

My journey has just begun so let's see where it takes me.

Those who work with him, sometimes painfully,

believe he has what it takes to make it in a sport which is

a mixture of boxing, wrestling and kick boxing.

He's been through every single person in the British division

Without sounding arrogant, there was no real competition in the UK left.

It's a long way from Somerset to Vegas, but Mark will take

on an American called Todd Duffee and if he does well, riches await.

Good luck to him. Alex will give you a scrap, Mark, if you run out of

competition. Let's get the weather and Ian is on a very cold roof.

Indeed, decided the nippy story about the West Country at the

moment. If anything, with the breeze picking up, it will exacerbate the

cold field tomorrow. In other respects are very similar day.

Extensive cloud and increasing tomorrow and overnight. The risk of

more snow flurries or snow showers. This is a wider look at how things

are shaping up. The easterly flow is now well developed, bringing in cold

air and extensive amounts of cloud. Most of the snow showers will be

confined to eastern parts of the British Isles, but with the flow

having increased tomorrow and Saturday, that will tend to

propagate further out into the Midlands and some parts of our

region. For the rest of tonight, quite extensive cloud. There will be

some breaks, particularly out towards the West. Some light showers

which will be predominantly if not exclusively wintry in nature.

Nothing of any note. Temperatures tonight will be broadly in the range

of two Celsius to -1 or minus two. A cold start tomorrow morning and

that's how things will Remainer. Through the rest of the day, the

wind chill will be more pronounced competitive day. A little snowflake

just went past me then! I know some of you have seen some in

Gloucestershire today. Tomorrow you'll probably see more. Tending to

increase in a few places as we get later into the evening. Temperatures

tomorrow will be in the range of one to four depended on the elevation.

It will be a cold day. As we look towards Saturday, this is where we

are peaking in the risk of seeing wintry showers coming from the North

East. It gets complicated later because we've brought in some

slightly less cold air all the way from the Black Sea which will change

things into rain or sleet. Thanks. Mixed reactions in homes

across the West. OK, everyone, have you got

your bamboo sticks? If you just paint

what you want to paint, I've turned around,

my painting washes away. ..and take on

The Big Painting Challenge. Remember, you're not painting

a pond.