0:00:00 > 0:00:00Here on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Welcome to BBC Points West.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Our headlines tonight -
0:00:13 > 0:00:17a war hero who enchanted a duchess is seriously ill
0:00:17 > 0:00:21tonight after being attacked by a burglar at his home in Somerset.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24He was bleeding all down his face and everything,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and we brought him in and sat him in the chair.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31He said he'd been knocked on the head with a hammer.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The doctor might not see you now - West Country research shows that
0:00:35 > 0:00:40many online consultations are failing to save time.
0:00:40 > 0:00:46And I'll have the weather forecast at the end of the programme.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Good evening.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54A D-Day veteran is in hospital with a fractured skull
0:00:54 > 0:00:57after being attacked with a hammer.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Jim Booth is said to be conscious but in a serious condition.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Lee Madan reports on the hero who's made plenty of
0:01:03 > 0:01:06headlines over the years.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Sweeping the Duchess of Cornwall off her feet just two years ago
0:01:09 > 0:01:14at a British Legion event, but tonight, World War II hero
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Jim Booth is in hospital, fighting for survival
0:01:16 > 0:01:20after being hit by a hammer by a distraction burglar.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Jim said, "I've been attacked".
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And that was where it started, wasn't it, Tom?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Yes.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31And he was bleeding all over his face and everything.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34We brought him in and sat him in the chair.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37He said he'd beenknocked on the head with a hammer.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Police say a man knocked at Jim Booth's door yesterday
0:01:40 > 0:01:43afternoon, asking if he wanted any work done to the house.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44When Mr Booth refused, the man attacked him.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48He managed to make it across the road to his neighbours' house.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52He's got a fractured skull,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and he was with the doctor for a fair while.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And he had a problem with his hand,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01a big bash on his hand.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05As a Leiutenant Commander with the Navy, Jim Booth was part
0:02:05 > 0:02:08of the crew that took a submarine across the English Channel and gave
0:02:08 > 0:02:10the signal for D-Day to begin.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Tonight, forensic teams are still working at
0:02:12 > 0:02:15his home, looking for clues about his attacker.
0:02:15 > 0:02:22A white male, around 30 to 35 years of age,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26clean shaven, dark-ish hair, described as athletic, stocky build.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32Officers want anyone who saw anything
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Officers want anyone who saw anything suspicious yesterday,
0:02:34 > 0:02:35or who over the last few days
0:02:35 > 0:02:37may have been approached by someone knocking at their
0:02:37 > 0:02:40front door asking for work to get in touch with them.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Tonight, Mr Booth is conscious in hospital with his
0:02:42 > 0:02:43children by his side.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Police say, given his age, they are extremely worried
0:02:45 > 0:02:48about the war hero, who was said to have been delighted
0:02:48 > 0:02:50to dance with the duchess, but has now been subjected
0:02:50 > 0:02:57to a brutal attack in his own home.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00With a national shortage of GPs and the average waiting time
0:03:00 > 0:03:03for appointments now 13 days, it was thought online and video
0:03:04 > 0:03:06consultations would help.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09But according to a new report from Bristol University, they haven't
0:03:09 > 0:03:12been "the silver bullet" they were hoped to be.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Sally Challoner reports.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19They're on the front line when it comes to keeping us all healthy.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But getting to see your doctor can take days.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23There's a shortage of GPs,
0:03:23 > 0:03:251,000 lost in the last two years alone.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The government is trying to recruit, including from abroad,
0:03:28 > 0:03:34but something else needs to be done, like video consulting.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Obviously things like acute chest pain and life-threatening
0:03:37 > 0:03:43illnesses of that sort, heavy bleeding or respiratory distress,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48they need urgent 999 calls, but for things
0:03:48 > 0:03:51that are not pressing and urgent, it is a very good addition to the
0:03:51 > 0:03:54normal way of seeing your GP.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56His surgery in South Gloucestershire was one
0:03:56 > 0:04:00of 36 trialling an e-consultation system in the West.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03They've since changed the system, and the way they use it,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and take-up is now much better.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But does it save time?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It probably adds time.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14By increasing the GP's availability, it means that people
0:04:14 > 0:04:19will consult for less urgent things.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22We have become a source of advice which could be found
0:04:22 > 0:04:25on the web.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The doctors' union, the BMA, agrees it's just another
0:04:28 > 0:04:32route to overworked GPs, and a face-to-face consultation
0:04:32 > 0:04:35will pick up visual signals and clues that
0:04:35 > 0:04:37could be missed online.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39But what do patients think?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44We bank online, shop online, book our holidays online,
0:04:44 > 0:04:45so it's a natural progression.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46But, according to this report,
0:04:46 > 0:04:55we shouldn't ditch the good doctor just yet.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57And Dr Jeremy Horwood from the University of Bristol
0:04:57 > 0:04:59was involved in that study.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Earlier I asked him what their research revealed.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06We evaluated an online consultation system
0:05:06 > 0:05:09where patients could write a form and send it to their GPs.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We found that usage was quite low during the pilot,
0:05:12 > 0:05:13about 18 per month per practice.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15But these things take time -
0:05:15 > 0:05:18it took us a long time to get used to online banking and shopping.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21The problem is 40% of those resulted in
0:05:21 > 0:05:24a face-to-face consultation, so it is
0:05:24 > 0:05:31maybe duplicaing the workload for GPs.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33So are you saying this is a no-no to that system and/or
0:05:33 > 0:05:34other online consultations?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37No, I think for some things, when you have a simple
0:05:37 > 0:05:40request, it's probably quite good, but other times, GPs need to
0:05:40 > 0:05:43see you, so it is not replacing the face-to-face.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45In this country, we have low survival rates for diseases
0:05:45 > 0:05:49like cancer, because people do not go to their GP early enough.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Surely we do not want to discourage the face-to-face?
0:05:53 > 0:05:58No, not at all.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Patients accessing care is very difficult at the moment
0:06:00 > 0:06:01because of the pressure on primary care.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03This could be something that increases patient access.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05But it should not replace the face-to-face.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07The problem is that while it improves patient
0:06:07 > 0:06:10access, it could be duplicating the workload of GPs and putting more
0:06:10 > 0:06:15pressure on GPs, who are very scarce at the moment anyway.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Is there a danger that with increasing
0:06:19 > 0:06:23pressure, that everybody might be fobbed off with an online
0:06:23 > 0:06:27consultation when they really need to be in that surgery?
0:06:27 > 0:06:32Yes, lots of surgeries are basically doing
0:06:32 > 0:06:35telephone triage first, and they are trying to think
0:06:35 > 0:06:40of different ways for people who do not have to go to a GP.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Some things can be done over the phone or online, but some
0:06:43 > 0:06:46things need to be face-to-face with a GP.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51But with limited resources, should we
0:06:51 > 0:06:54just be aiming for face-to-face consultations and funding the GP
0:06:54 > 0:06:57service as it needs to be?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00That would be great, but there was nothing
0:07:00 > 0:07:03in the Budget about extra funding for primary care.
0:07:03 > 0:07:09Interesting to talk to you, thank you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10We spoke to a GP in Sally's report there -
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Extra security measures are in place for this year's
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Bath Christmas Market, which has started today.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Large concrete bollards have been positioned around the main
0:07:19 > 0:07:21pedestrian areas for public safety.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It's in line with other cities who've stepped up their security
0:07:24 > 0:07:29as the UK terror threat remains at severe.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It has been a very special birthday for one five year-old
0:07:32 > 0:07:34boy in Somerset today.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Jayden, who has been very ill and desperately
0:07:36 > 0:07:39needs a heart transplant, got the chance to live his dream
0:07:39 > 0:07:42of being a policeman.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Amanda Parr joined him and the team from Avon and Somerset.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Birthday presents everywhere, but they're quickly forgotten
0:07:49 > 0:07:51when Jayden hears a siren.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54SIREN WAILS
0:07:54 > 0:07:56What is it?
0:07:56 > 0:07:57It's the police!
0:07:57 > 0:07:58Is it the police?
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Are you sure?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02He knew they were coming.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04He's been counting down the sleeps all week.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05And, sure enough, first thing this morning,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and with maximum drama, two officers arrived
0:08:07 > 0:08:13in Midsomer Norton to pick up their latest recruit.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Pretty soon, they were off to catch a criminal.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20It's not real life, but it feels like it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Everyone here is off shift, and happily giving their own time
0:08:22 > 0:08:25to make one little boy's wish come true.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Absolutely amazing.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28I don't think they realise.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32I thought my family was at breaking point, and I wasn't
0:08:32 > 0:08:35looking forward to what tomorrow brings at all.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40But he has made us smile this week, and there are days we don't smile.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42He will fight this, he is a fighter, 100%.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46He will get the special call, he will get his new tickie as he
0:08:46 > 0:08:48calls it, and we'll continue to make memories, but for now,
0:08:48 > 0:08:53that is what keeps us going and keeps us strong as a family.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55His grandmother told me that he had this dream of
0:08:55 > 0:08:59being a police officer, and it resonated with me,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02because many years ago I had a similar dream when
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I was a young boy.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08And that is all I wanted to do, and I been doing it
0:09:08 > 0:09:11for nearly 30 years. And I am lucky enough that
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I was able to fulfil and live my dream, and I thought,
0:09:14 > 0:09:15"Let's make that happen for this boy,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19"even if it is just for one day".
0:09:19 > 0:09:22He must have done well - PC Jayden was promoted at lunchtime.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Quite a step up to Chief Constable, and the hat may need
0:09:25 > 0:09:26a slight adjustment.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28But he takes it all in his stride
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- he and his family are good at that -
0:09:31 > 0:09:36and will cherish today's memories forever.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43And that's the news from us tonight.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47We're back tomorrow, but now here's Ian with the weather.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Tomorrow should bring a bit more in the way of some sunshine. Let me
0:10:01 > 0:10:07take you through things at the moment. Area of rain tracking down
0:10:07 > 0:10:10through the south coastal districts of England at the moment. We have
0:10:10 > 0:10:17had a line of showers that was inconsistent for some time, now
0:10:17 > 0:10:23showing signs for starting to wane. So the Northern band of rain will
0:10:23 > 0:10:27fade as we lose the area of rain skirting through parts of Hampshire,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and behind that, some showers will feed into the south-western district
0:10:30 > 0:10:34in the course of the night. Temperatures could drop below and
0:10:34 > 0:10:38off in the north for some frost, and elsewhere a chilly night. Tomorrow
0:10:38 > 0:10:42expect a few showers especially towards the south-western part of
0:10:42 > 0:10:50Somerset. They will dry wages in the first-half the afternoon, and more
0:10:50 > 0:10:54sunshine around. The winds will be light, which is a good thing because
0:10:54 > 0:10:58there will not be any wind chill. Some showers are turning towards the
0:10:58 > 0:11:02evening. Six to eight Celsius