:00:00. > :00:00.thank you. That's it from us. They will be
:00:00. > :00:15.Our headlines tonight: night on
:00:16. > :00:16.Hundreds of lives could be saved with quicker access
:00:17. > :00:30.And how do you stop this invasive creature taking over our rivers?
:00:31. > :00:35.And we continue this run of dry or largely dry river is right through
:00:36. > :00:37.the week. Details at the end of the programme.
:00:38. > :00:40.Hundreds of lives could be saved if people with hip fractures
:00:41. > :00:43.are operated on more quickly, according to the biggest study
:00:44. > :00:49.Researchers at Southmead Hospital analysed 250,000 patients and found
:00:50. > :00:51.fewer died if they'd made it into the operating
:00:52. > :00:59.Here's our Health Correspondent Matthew Hill.
:01:00. > :01:01.Doreen has just had an operation to mend her hip
:01:02. > :01:15.I couldn't get up, so I then crawled over, because I knew my handbag
:01:16. > :01:17.was behind the chair and I could get my
:01:18. > :01:20.Unfortunately, it was about 14 inches away.
:01:21. > :01:22.I could not, in any way, touch that bag.
:01:23. > :01:25.So after about an hour and a half, I managed to get artificial flowers.
:01:26. > :01:28.I managed to find the longest one, which I hooked round the handle
:01:29. > :01:31.and managed to get the handbag and get the phone.
:01:32. > :01:34.I phoned my son and he was over within quarter an hour.
:01:35. > :01:41.She was operated within 36 hours her fall.
:01:42. > :01:43.She was operated within 36 hours of her fall.
:01:44. > :01:46.Hospitals are given a bonus payment if they are able to get patients
:01:47. > :01:49.such as Doreen into the operating theatre within a day and a half.
:01:50. > :01:52.This patient broke her hip last night, yet she is
:01:53. > :01:55.A study here at Southmead suggests that if patients
:01:56. > :01:58.get their operation within 24 hours, more lives could be saved.
:01:59. > :02:01.Southmead is the leading hospital in the country when it comes
:02:02. > :02:06.to gathering data about how patients do after their operations.
:02:07. > :02:08.Researchers have analysed more than a quarter of a million
:02:09. > :02:13.8% more patients died if they were operated on between 24
:02:14. > :02:19.and 36 hours compared to those given surgery within 24 hours,
:02:20. > :02:22.and the risk increased to 20% for those receiving surgery
:02:23. > :02:28.There are certain patients who benefit from greater
:02:29. > :02:31.time to get them better, before their surgical procedures.
:02:32. > :02:33.Surgical procedures are not without risk.
:02:34. > :02:36.They are only one part of the care we need to give them.
:02:37. > :02:39.We need to support them with their falls health,
:02:40. > :02:42.bone health, getting up their independence and mobility.
:02:43. > :02:45.It is one important part of their care.
:02:46. > :02:48.I think we have shown for the first time that early surgery in those
:02:49. > :02:52.patients we can get better quicker, is much better for them.
:02:53. > :02:55.The huge data base that Southmead has built up helps identify
:02:56. > :02:58.those hospitals that have higher death rates.
:02:59. > :03:01.The latest registry shows that patients having a hip fracture
:03:02. > :03:03.operation at the Gloucester Royal have been far more likely
:03:04. > :03:11.For example, in 2014 the death rate was 12.5% compared
:03:12. > :03:19.Weston General Hospital is also identified as an outlier.
:03:20. > :03:22.Weston Trust say they realised they needed to do better and have
:03:23. > :03:25.already introduced a number of measures to improve outcomes.
:03:26. > :03:28.Gloucestershire Royal say their latest figures are now
:03:29. > :03:36.The Green Party chose Bristol to launch their General
:03:37. > :03:41.The hastily arranged event came just 48 hours
:03:42. > :03:43.after the Prime Minister, Theresa May, named
:03:44. > :03:46.And the Greens have their own radical plan
:03:47. > :03:48.Here's our political editor Paul Barltrop.
:03:49. > :03:51.Surely the most spectacular setting for a campaign launch...
:03:52. > :03:54.Bristol West is the Green's top target.
:03:55. > :03:57.At the 2015 general election they came second behind Labour,
:03:58. > :03:59.so today they've brought both their party leaders
:04:00. > :04:05.They'll be back plenty of times before June the 8th.
:04:06. > :04:07.They've already got councillors in a city where being
:04:08. > :04:12.Also popular in a constituency which voted overwhelmingly
:04:13. > :04:17.to remain in the EU is their opposition to Brexit.
:04:18. > :04:20.It's so vital that we send a clear message.
:04:21. > :04:23.We've got a government who've listened so much to Ukip.
:04:24. > :04:26.Ukip have said jump, and they've said "how high?"
:04:27. > :04:34.They're not the only party saying that.
:04:35. > :04:36.In fact, they're now offering an electoral deal with Labour
:04:37. > :04:41.For example, in Gloucestershire they'd co-operate to take
:04:42. > :04:46.In Stroud, the Greens reckon they could win
:04:47. > :04:52.Labour would be given a clear run at the Tories in Gloucester.
:04:53. > :04:54.And the Lib Dems would have less competition in trying
:04:55. > :04:59.So many people live in so-called safe seats where their votes don't
:05:00. > :05:03.count, so we want to look at marginals, see if we can have
:05:04. > :05:06.some discussions with other parties, and see if there can be an agreement
:05:07. > :05:08.around perhaps having paper candidates from some parties.
:05:09. > :05:11.So we would put more emphasis on one of the other ones
:05:12. > :05:17.Labour dismiss any idea of backroom deals, and will aim to stand
:05:18. > :05:23.And officially, the Liberal Democrats are cool to the idea.
:05:24. > :05:27.But their former leader adopts a different tone.
:05:28. > :05:30.Paddy Ashdown today put out a statement saying: "Well done
:05:31. > :05:33.the Greens for reaching out for sensible seat arrangements...
:05:34. > :05:37.Labour and the Lib Dems should respond positively."
:05:38. > :05:39.We'll know whether the Greens have got anywhere when candidates
:05:40. > :05:46.Paul Barltrop, BBC Points West, Bristol.
:05:47. > :05:49.Bath's Conservative MP Ben Howlett won't face any charges
:05:50. > :05:51.after an allegation of sexual assault was made
:05:52. > :05:56.Mr Howlett wasn't arrested at the time, but went to a police
:05:57. > :06:01.In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service says there isn't
:06:02. > :06:08.Mr Howlett has always "strenuously denied any wrongdoing".
:06:09. > :06:11.Tickets to hear the US Senator Bernie Sanders speak
:06:12. > :06:13.at the Festival of Ideas, in Bristol this June, sold out
:06:14. > :06:18.The politician and activist campaigned to become
:06:19. > :06:21.the Democratic candidate to run for the White House,
:06:22. > :06:27.His talk at St George's is expected to give an insight into his election
:06:28. > :06:33.campaign and his hopes for the future of the United States.
:06:34. > :06:36.A group of volunteers in Somerset has been pulling on their wellies
:06:37. > :06:39.and wading into the water, in a bid to rid our rivers
:06:40. > :06:44.The American Signal Crayfish is killing off our native variety
:06:45. > :06:51.Sally Challoner has been to see the project on Exmoor.
:06:52. > :06:53.An army of volunteers and experts descend
:06:54. > :06:59.Their mission isn't easy - to track down, and remove
:07:00. > :07:04.or sterilise the invasive American crayfish.
:07:05. > :07:08.Nicky Green is running the project - she's in the middle of a PhD to see
:07:09. > :07:13.if this method can bring some kind of balance back to the ecosystem.
:07:14. > :07:15.They've laid traps along a stretch of the river.
:07:16. > :07:19.Today she and the volunteers are checking them.
:07:20. > :07:23.Quite a young one, probably no more than a year old, this one.
:07:24. > :07:28.It's a male, you can tell by the things we call pleopods,
:07:29. > :07:36.Signal crayfish are an invasive species, introduced
:07:37. > :07:42.in the 70s as a potential diversification for farmers.
:07:43. > :07:45.But they spread, killing our native white-clawed crayfish,
:07:46. > :07:49.damaging river banks, eating food that fish rely on.
:07:50. > :07:51.If they are left unchecked, they will basically
:07:52. > :07:57.They will, you know, wipe out all the invertebrate
:07:58. > :08:00.life, plant life, fish, and all sorts of stuff.
:08:01. > :08:04.There are many examples of water courses in the south-east of England
:08:05. > :08:09.where literally the only wildlife in the river is crayfish.
:08:10. > :08:13.Part of the funding for this trial comes from the Environment Agency.
:08:14. > :08:15.They're interested to see if this method can be
:08:16. > :08:21.We are returning the big breeding males, having sterilised them,
:08:22. > :08:24.so that they basically think they are mating with females,
:08:25. > :08:29.So you have fewer eggs hatching out the following spring,
:08:30. > :08:31.which is what we are starting to check now.
:08:32. > :08:38.So far, from two years trapping, we have caught about 6500 crayfish.
:08:39. > :08:42.That's on just over a kilometre of river.
:08:43. > :08:46.What we have found is that the catch rates over the two years
:08:47. > :08:53.By training volunteers, Nicky hopes the work will continue,
:08:54. > :08:56.even after the funding ends this year.
:08:57. > :09:04.Sally Challoner, BBC Points West, on Exmoor.
:09:05. > :09:11.Chris Packham has been cleared of charges of assault in Malta. The BBC
:09:12. > :09:15.Spring watch presenter is on the island filming a documentary on
:09:16. > :09:18.illegal bird trapping. He says he and his production team were shoved
:09:19. > :09:20.and that they were the party who are abused in the situation.
:09:21. > :09:23.Before we get the forecast with Ian and the national weather,
:09:24. > :09:28.It's your chance to see 'A Mayor for the West of England',
:09:29. > :09:30.a special debate that answers all your questions
:09:31. > :09:36.about the upcoming Metro Mayor elections in May.
:09:37. > :09:39.That's all coming up in a few minutes time,
:09:40. > :09:48.but first I'll say goodnight and leave you with Ian.
:09:49. > :09:55.Good evening. We have a pulse of somewhat warmer air coming across us
:09:56. > :10:00.tomorrow. Inherently it will be a fairly warm day. A lot of cloud
:10:01. > :10:03.around, I suspect we will see some brighter spells developing in places
:10:04. > :10:07.through the afternoon. Once again, it will be effectively a dry picture
:10:08. > :10:11.with just the chance of one or two light showers perhaps in the south
:10:12. > :10:14.as we go further on through the day. We have been losing some light
:10:15. > :10:18.showers through the course of this evening, tonight 's temperatures
:10:19. > :10:23.will be comparatively mild. Compared to some recent nights, ever be
:10:24. > :10:26.around seven or 9 degrees. As we head into tomorrow morning, it's
:10:27. > :10:30.looking like a dry start. A bit of brightness around but generally a
:10:31. > :10:34.lot of cloud. Through the afternoon, some of that cloud breaking up with
:10:35. > :10:38.pockets of brighter or even sunny weather. Equally the chance of one
:10:39. > :10:44.or two light showers. I would emphasise, most places will be
:10:45. > :10:51.staying dry. The light, it will feel rather warm, getting up to about 14
:10:52. > :10:56.or 16 degrees. If the sun breaks we will easily achieved 16 degrees in
:10:57. > :11:00.some spots. Reversing the trend into Saturday, somewhat cooler air from
:11:01. > :11:02.the north. It's looking overwhelmingly a dry picture, into
:11:03. > :11:07.the weekend. Turning week for much of the UK and for more
:11:08. > :11:12.about that and the UK outlook, Helen Willetts.
:11:13. > :11:18.The sunshine make such a difference this time of year, only 12 or so
:11:19. > :11:23.degrees under the cloud today but 19 in eastern Scotland not far away
:11:24. > :11:27.from St Andrews. Also in north-east England, where we had the majority
:11:28. > :11:31.of the decent sunshine. Even under cloud it was dry for the most part.
:11:32. > :11:34.We have this week whether forgiving showers in the south. This weather
:11:35. > :11:36.front starting to pep up in the North, it'll change