16/01/2017 South East Today

Tonight's top stories. been saved if the police

A six-figure compensation deal for the family

of Frances Cappuccini, as an inquest finds "failures,

inadequate diagnosis and treatment" led to her death

Failures of Maidstone and Tunbridge

Wells NHS Trust, and those employed by the trust,

East Sussex County Council announces its budget plans.

The mental health patients let down by the NHS.

A Kent support group claims it's taking too long

# There'll be bluebirds over the white

Celebrating a century of Dame Vera Lynn.

A special charity concert is planned for the Sussex singer's birthday.

Renowned Jazz virtuoso Dave Drake returns from New York

The family of Frances Cappuccini have already reached a six-figure

agreement for compensation with the Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Trust, following her death after giving birth to her second son

via Caesarean section in 2012, this programme has learnt.

Today, after ten days of evidence, a coroner ruled that "failures,

inadequate diagnosis and treatment" led to her death.

The 30-year-old had emergency surgery after losing

four pints of blood, but never regained consciousness.

Tom Cappuccini has now spent four-and-a-half years looking

Today, a coroner ruled his wife and their mother died

because of the failures, inadequate diagnosis

and treatment she received at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Now, tonight, this programme can reveal a compensation payout has

been agreed between the hospital trust and Frances

I would expect it to exceed a sum of ?100,000 and beyond that. That is

speculation but it would be significant because of the age of

the person who has been lost and the young age of the children as well.

Over the past few weeks, this complicated inquest has

unearthed the scale of what went wrong at Tunbridge Wells Hospital

when Frances Cappucini arrived in October 2012.

The court heard about confusion over the identity of the on-call

An expert told the inquest how he still does not know

Later, the coronoer was told how doctors involved

in Frances Cappuccini's emergency care had to wait up to ten minutes

And today, the coroner heard how Mrs Cappucini's Caesarean section

after a 12-hour labour was not carried out with care,

resulting in a piece of placenta being left in her uterus.

By the time it was removed, she had lost four pints of blood.

During the hearing, it was suggested by the family's lawyer these errors

may not have been made if Frances Cappuccini's wish

to have an immediate Caesarean were followed.

While you respect a woman's decision, you must give safer

quality care if you don't listen to them. Women know their bodies best,

they have been through pregnancy and have a clear understanding what they

need. Those judgments should never be second-guessed by the hospital

staff. Much of the criticism heard in court

focused on one particular doctor, Claims he took Frances Cappuccini's

breathing tube out too soon, how he required consultant

supervision, and how Doctor Azeez had made a mistake with worrying

parallels seven months earlier, and how that error had been

removed from an NHS report. Charges against Dr Azeez were

dropped and he is now in Pakistan. Another doctor involved

in Frances Cappuccini's care is now Neither doctor appeared at this

inquest to give evidence. Failures of the NHS Trust and those

employed by the trust cost Frankie her life. Nothing can heal that

pain. At least today after over four years the truth is acknowledged.

apologies to Mrs Cappuccini's family, and said it

had brought in changes to improve patient safety.

Charlie Rose, BBC South East Today, Gravesend.

Charlie, the trust says it has brought in changes following

In the past half hour I have spoken to a representative of the NHS Trust

and he told me changes have been put in place with staff training,

record-keeping, the weight junior and senior staff communicate, and

crucially the escalation of serious incidents is. It said it will

continue to do everything it can to ensure the highest possible standard

of maternity care. The trust says it wants to extend its deepest

sympathies to the family of Frances Cappuccini.

East Sussex County Council has announced it plans to increase

council tax by almost 5% in the next year.

In a draft budget meeting this afternoon, bosses have discussed how

they'll save millions of pounds across its services.

That is the maximum amount allowed without triggering

It means homeowners will pay on average an extra ?62 a year.

The council says it needs to save ?17 million over

It is a recommendation from officers to the Cabinet which will be

We can either go for a higher increase in council tax,

or make further cuts to adult social care.

The largest cuts will be to adult social care,

with ?8.5 million being taken from the budget.

Most of that, ?7 million, will come from working more

closely with the NHS, but ?1.5 million will be cut

from services like day centres and carers' support.

Children's services will also lose ?3.5 million.

That will mean the closure

and children's centres opening for shorter hours.

And the council will also no longer run the Duke Of Edinburgh

I think it will be a real shame to lose the D of E

It's such a large award, recognised nationally

And gets people to do things, to visit the countryside,

to do volunteering, learn different languages, different activities.

Because there's little else to do, youth services have been shut

and closed, it will be a big loss to young people in East Sussex.

Our political editor Helen Catt joins me.

Is this better or worse than expected?

Before Christmas, the estimate was ?24 million would need to be cut

which would be a bigger hit to adult social care. The reason that hasn't

happened is largely as you heard because residents will pay more in

their council tax, 3% of that 4.99% rise is because the Government has

given the Council special dispensation. That does not mean we

won't seek cuts to front line services. Often at the early

prevention point which the council admits could mean people are coming

to it later and in worse need. This isn't the end, there are bigger

cuts planned the following year. Anger over plans to exclude locals

from a stretch of beach as the Whitstable Oyster Company

looks to expand. Campaigners who want improved mental

health services in East Kent claim hundreds of people

there are being let down by the NHS. The call comes from members

of a support group in Deal, started by the town's former

mayoress who was frustrated by the length of time she had to wait

for treatment for depression. Every Thursday evening in Deal,

a group of people meet to help one She's suffered several

bereavements recently - her mother, her aunt

and her baby granddaughter. You've got a group out

there who cares, who doesn't care how you are, what you look like,

what's inside your But, you know, we're

there for each other. And when you don't get any help

out there from mental health services, money,

whatever, time, enough people, The group was set up by Tracy Carr

who was frustrated by the long wait for treatment when she went

to her GP with depression. Some of our group members

are waiting up to six months, and in six months, most of them

have overdosed anyway. So there is a big missing link

between the point of crisis So I suppose we're really that

stopgap bit in the middle. We don't believe that groups

like this, like Talk It Out, should actually have to take

responsibility for people The failure of the psychiatric

services to look after people in crisis has become a scandal

in Kent, as in other areas. But the NHS says it's invested more

than ?6 million of extra money into services in the Deal area,

including mental health provision. I'm sorry to hear that people feel

that they've been let down. And I'm happy to say that we've

been listening to that, we've been listening to what people

have been telling us, and we're one year into a five-year

programme of completely turning over and improving what we offer

to people who live in Deal. Last week, the Prime Minister

Theresa May said there isn't enough help for people suffering

from mental health problems. That's something this group

couldn't agree with more. Natalie Graham, BBC

South East Today, Deal. And you can hear from members

of the group in tonight's episode of Inside Out -

at 7.30 here on BBC One. A soldier will not face prosecution

over the death of a fellow soldier from Sussex in Afghanistan

four years ago. An inquest into the death

of Lance Corporal James Brynin, who was 22 and from Shoreham,

resumed today. It was halted last year

amid concerns that his death, which was initially suspected

to have been caused by friendly The 22-year-old was shot

whilst on an operation Govia Thameslink, which runs

Southern Rail, says no talks are planned with the train drivers'

union ASLEF, ahead of next Walk outs will take

place on the 24th, 25th Meanwhile, a campaign to recruit 300

trainee drivers has been launched today to try and reduce the effects

of strike action. A man's been remanded in custody

after an incident which saw a controlled explosion carried out

at a block of flats David Smith, who's 50

and unemployed, appeared before Crawley Magistrates' Court,

charged with making an explosive substance and possessing

an explosive substance He entered no plea for either charge

and will appear before magistrates Plans to create an exclusion zone

on a privately-owned section of a beach in Whitstable could stop

sea scouts launching their boats, That's the fear of MP

Sir Julian Brazier who has today written to the Government

raising his concerns. The Whitstable Oyster Company

want to extend their oyster nets to Long Beach, to the west

of the harbour which has been used The Whitstable Sea Scouts have been

launching their boats for 50 years but fear that could end because part

of the beach is private and the owners have applied for an exclusion

zone which could stop the public having rights of access.

Where we stood now exactly where we are, is the limitation of the City

Council beach. Anything to the north to the sea area is wistful oyster

company where we wouldn't be able to go.

You couldn't pull your boats across? Not at all. What would it mean for

the Sea Scouts? A cessation of our water activities.

We have a facility on City Council land but we could not conduct

boating activities. The exclusion zone would allow the

fishery company to increase shellfish production. The local MP

believes historic access rights should not be changed.

The oyster company owns this section but it cannot be right people who

have been using this speech, like the Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts, for

more than 50 years, to be brushed aside.

Tonight, after we contacted the wistful oyster company, it said it

would continue to allow the Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets to use the

beach but no guarantees for other members of the public.

We have walked our dogs on here for ten years, more people before us. I

can't see how they will find a way to completely secure it from

everybody. This area is used every day by the

community for a variety of reasons, and by tourists. So that to

disappear would be a huge loss to the local people.

It is slightly unfair. The beach should be public. So anyone can go

on at any time. A campaign is underway calling for

the proposed exclusion zone to be rejected.

Peter joins us now from Long Beach.

Peter, when could this exclusion zone be imposed?

First, there has to be a consultation period which doesn't

start until March. It is unlikely anything will happen before summer.

If it is imposed, you could be allowed to walk here but not here

because this is the privately owned section.

The oyster company refused to be interviewed but said this is about

creating a safe space to cultivate oysters, and not exclude the public.

They say there has recently been agreed a coastal path route across

here. The Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts say they want a guarantee in writing

they can still use the beach. Our top story tonight: The family

of Frances Cappuccini have reached a six-figure agreement

for compensation with a Kent hospital trust,

after what a coroner called "failings, inadequate diagnosis

and treatment" led to her death at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital

in Pembury in 2012. He has been playing before audiences

for years, Dave Drake performs in Brighton.

And what a difference a few days makes. We start this week on a

cloudy and damp note. The cold, crisp weather is back for tomorrow.

More details at the end of the programme.

The family of the world famous wartime singer Dame Vera Lynn

is organising a special concert to mark her 100th birthday.

Dame Vera, who lives in Ditchling in Sussex and is best known

for her version of the 1942 song The White Cliffs of Dover, will

A charity concert at the London Palladium will tell

the story of her life from childhood to present day and include

# Till the blue skies wipe the dark clouds far away. #

She is known as the Forces' Sweetheart,

given the title after her tireless dedication during the

Second World War to entertaining the troops and boosting

Dame Vera Lynn became an icon of wartime Britain, but her

Now her family want to mark her 100th birthday with a special

performance dedicated to her life story.

We want everybody to go to that show feeling that they are not

just somebody who is going in to listen to somebody called Dame Vera

Lynn, it somebody who they relate to.

She was such a natural entertainer, she was always herself,

she never pretended to be anything other than Vera Welch.

The comedian and singer Alexander Armstrong is among

the acts invited to perform one of Vera Lynn's famous songs.

So are classical artists Blake and Hayley Westenra, and

famous actors have been booked to narrate her story.

Those who served in World War II remember how she

came to even the most hostile of places to perform.

Dame Vera Lynn was awarded the Burma Star in

She has appeared at numerous veterans' events in Sussex.

On the first occasion I saw her there,

I said, well, let's go and wash them...

She washed the dishes and put them away.

There was no airs and graces whatsoever.

You just spoke to her like a lady you would

# Don't know where, don't know when... #

Even at the age of 92, Dame Vera went to the top

She says her life has been an incredible adventure and tickets

to witness that have now gone on sale.

Juliette joins us from Ditchling now.

Juliette, how did Dame Vera react to the idea of the concert?

Well, as you can understand, Dame Vera Lynn gives very few press

interviews these days and makes few public appearances. She will not

actually be attending the concert herself, but she will be recording a

special message to be shown at the beginning. Her family tell me she is

very appreciative of the fact that at the age of almost 100, people

still remember her, they know her and want to listen to her music. All

the proceeds from the concert will be going towards the Dame Vera Lynn

children's charity based in Sussex which young children with cerebral

which young children with cerebral palsy.

Since the age of four, Dave Drake has been amazing people

with his natural talent for playing the piano.

His exceptional ability led him to become the youngest ever person

to join the National Youth Orchestra -

He grew up in Hove, but has spent the last

few years in New York, studying music and gaining

Tonight he's back on home turf, playing

The music just seems to flow out of him.

Spending time in the presence of someone with such an amazing gift

is an inspiration, not least on a Monday morning.

You ask Dave Drake, "Why jazz?" and his passion just leaps out.

You know, like, a painter works in a studio and they have

that moment of inspiration when they are at the easel?

For a true musician, you're seeing that moment

of inspiration, live, you're actually seeing

You know, like, for me, if I was playing for you,

For a true musician, you're seeing that moment

And then, structure them and use them.

Same way that when we have a conversation,

we don't have cue cards saying exactly what we are going to say.

At the age of 21, his career is very much on the up.

He is studying his musical art at Manhattan University.

He sees jazz as a positive, uplifting force for good.

But he's not exactly shy about ambition.

What about celebrity superstardom and money?

Yeah, I would love to be world-famous.

Yeah, and apart from anything, I would love to be able to use that

Using it for people is good, you know?

Tonight, he plays The Verdict Cafe in Brighton.

It was watching him play that inspired the manager to become

I've never seen evenings here that are so dynamic

and so exciting as when Dave plays, to be honest.

There's not a night when Dave has played here that

hasn't been sold out, for the last three years.

So, a last gig before taking the plane back to New York.

He hopes to return here in the summer, and I have a feeling

Robin Gibson, BBC South East Today, Brighton.

It's been a weekend to forget for our Football League teams,

with only Crawley Town managing to score a goal and get a win.

For Brighton Hove Albion, defeat brought to an end

their long unbeaten run and saw the Seagulls drop off top spot

After 18 games unbeaten, Brighton finally tasted defeat.

Paul Huntington headed Preston ahead in the first half.

The Seagulls had chances of their own -

But Callum Robinson latched onto an excellent through ball

to make it 2-0 to the hosts in the second half.

Brighton's day was summed up when a late penalty was missed

by Tomer Hemed as they failed to turn pressure into goals.

This Josh Law free kick for Oldham was enough

in new boss Aidy Pennock's first game.

The Gills failed to convert their chances to equalise -

Max Eeemer's acrobatic effort bringing a smart save

Charlton had to settle for a point at home to Millwall.

The visitors rode their luck - goalkeeper Jordan Archer appeared

to simply drop the ball in his hurry to clear.

Quick-thinking Patrick Bauer appeared to score for Charlton.

Referee Keith Stroud appeared to think the keeper had been impeded.

It could have got worse for Charlton late on if Jorge Teixeira hadn't

So, the lone victory came for Crawley.

James Collins missed from five yards, but he used his head later on

to make amends and score his 12th league goal of the season.

That was a let off! Let's have a check on the weather now with

Rachel. It is not as Vinnie at -- not as

knowing as dramatic as last week. High pressure will be building in.

First thing this morning, a chilly start. We have been seeing rain and

sleet during the first part of the day. By the afternoon, it has

cleared. That error of high pressure building as we go through tonight.

Increasingly, clearer skies. Temperatures falling away, lows of

-1 -2 in more rural spots. A chilly and Frosty and potentially icy start

for Tuesday. As we head through the day, lots of sunshine around. The

area of high pressure will be staying with us until the end of the

week. For tomorrow, lots of sunshine. By the afternoon,

temperatures reaching highs of around two or three Celsius. A

bitterly cold feel to the day. Gentle easterly breeze, a crisp and

cold winter's day. Tuesday into Wednesday, those clearer skies mean

temperatures plummet, possible lows of -4 in more rural spots and even

in towns and cities dropping 2-24 minus three. A hard frost as we

start the day on Wednesday. Lots of sunshine, by the afternoon

temperatures are little less cold, highs of five or six. A similar

story as we head through the day for Thursday. We start to see more cloud

cover so overnight temperatures only dropping two minus one. Thursday and

Friday, very similar, high pressure with us, still the easterly breeze,

still staying cold, but more cloud cover. Not particularly pleasant.

Lots of sunshine around for Tuesday and Wednesday, more Dell as we enter

the week but we stay cold throughout the week. Chilly on Tuesday into

Wednesday, hard frost and those of minus four.

Our award-winning BBC South East Investigations team

has brought you stories of people smuggling, scammers,

This year, we want to continue exposing people

Smuggled in the back of a truck, out of the UK.

We go undercover to expose the criminal gang helping illegal

You were expecting to receive ?1,000 tonight, weren't you?

You're not going to get a penny of that.

I suspect he's just dumped it back there.

Get that camera away from me, or I'll break it up.

So, when are you going to give up fly-tipping?

All right, mate, how are you doing? Hello.

Are you from the cancer charity? Yes.

If you have a story that you think needs investigating,

Email us at [email protected].

I will be back at eight o'clock and 10:20 five.

I will see you tomorrow. Good night. Let me see them hands up.

Let's do this. Glastonbury!

Make some noise! How you doing, Big Weekend?

Get ready. Go solo, Hyde Park.

Don't believe you. Secure your place at

the 500 Words Final, BBC Radio 2's writing competition

for kids with our honorary judge her Royal Highness the

Duchess of Cornwall.