10/05/2017 South Today - Oxford

In tonight's programme... news teams where you are.

Will a cash incentive attract more hospital workers to Oxfordshire?

Why the Health Trust is considering a cost

of living allowance - like London weighting -

Also - the vet who's organised the country's first ever conference

on the deadly dog disease Alabama rot.

A new multi-million-pound leisure centre opens

in Hampshire, but should other councils follow suit?

An extra payment for staff at the main hospitals in Oxfordshire

is being considered to help compensate for the high

The Oxford University Hospitals Trust has found it hard

to recruit and retain workers for several years.

In March, there were more than 700 vacancies -

with nursing and midwifery posts particularly hard to fill.

Staff turnover is currently almost 15%.

So, the Trust is thinking of an Oxford weighting

It would cost an extra ?7 million a year.

David Bailey is an Accident Emergency nurse at the John

He has 16 years' experience in the NHS.

Below inflation pay rises across all public sectors since 2010

has left him standing still while the cost

I certainly don't go out very much these days.

If I do it is not to anything that costs very much money at all.

I don't really buy clothes any more, only when absolutely necessary.

A government wage cap has seen 1% pay increases in the NHS

His union, Unison, says that means nurses like David have

seen their pay drop by 14% in real terms.

In areas like Oxfordshire that has led to major recruitment

The Hospital Trust here sees nearly 15% of its workforce

The difficulty of recruiting enough qualified staff is one reason cited

for moving maternity services from Banbury to Oxford last October.

Many workers go to work in the capital to receive

London weighting - or to an area of the country

We can't keep them much more than a year or two,

because the pull of London and that extra ?5,000 is absolutely massive.

To try and tackle this, the Oxford University Hospitals NHS

Trust is considering bringing in an Oxfordshire weighting.

Lower paid workers would get paid an extra 3%, middle earners 2% more,

We would be really keen to work with them.

Looking at how they train and support, develop,

get people from the beginning to the search of more expert levels

of their career and how they recompense them for that,

because all those things will really help to keep staff,

but when it comes to it, at the end of the day,

if you can't afford to live you can't afford to live.

If approved the Trust says it would cost it

an extra ?7 million a year, but also reduce its need

The family of a man who died in Oxford last year say they're

unhappy with the result of the inquest into his death.

Police initially launched a murder investigation after 53-year-old

Jack Phipps died in hospital last July.

Investigations were stopped because of a lack of evidence.

Today a coroner concluded that he probably died of natural causes.

Jack Phipps was a popular painter and decorator,

but his life went into decline after the death of his partner.

He died on 1 July after collapsing at his sister's house.

Police launched a murder investigation after a friend

of Jack's said she'd seen someone punch the 53-year-old a few

The inquest was told she heard a crack and the following morning

Medical experts who examined his body found bruises and broken bones.

A pathologist said they could be the consequence of an assault,

but he couldn't be certain because several weeks had past.

We believe there was enough evidence to prosecute the perpetrator.

Witness statements that saw the assault.

This has had a devastating impact on our family,

especially Jack's sisters, my mum and her sister, his children

Jack was a really community-focused person a key member of the community

In his closing statements, the coroner called it a sad case.

He said the likelihood was Jack died as a result of a pre-existing

liver condition but - and this is the crucial bit -

he said he could not exclude the possibility the assault caused

Tributes have been paid to a cyclist who died in an accident

She's been named locally as 31-year-old Claudia Comberti.

She was in collision with a bus at about 2:30pm yesterday afternoon.

Around 100 cyclists rode down the road to pay their respects

I will continue cycling in spite of the giant vehicles we share the

roads with. Claudia loved cycling. Claudia was such an adventurer.

It has killed nearly 100 dogs in the UK since it first appeared

Yet little is known about the disease called Alabama rot.

First discovered in America in the late 1980s -

it causes lesions on dogs' legs and paws.

The first British conference on the disease has

been held in Reading - with vets and animal welfare groups

The walk, the run, the fun, repeated by eight million dogs

But for Gabrielle Williams those joys came to an end

Her dog, Fleur, a family pet for five years, caught

It's still hard to get your head around that she's not here,

because it happened so quickly and she was quite young,

And it was hard to see so, yeah, it has been very

Alabama rot was first recorded in the United States in the 1980s,

and gives dogs lesions, ulcers and in many

So, it is a very unpleasant disease, and luckily Lola

But 15 dogs in Britain have died from Alabama rot so far this year,

bringing the total to nearly 100 since it was first noticed in 2012.

Those first cases were seen in Hampshire, but they have now been

Yet with no obvious pattern to the location, or breed.

So, what you want to be looking for is on the paw...

Today's first ever conference on Alabama rot in Britain has been

organised by David Walker, a vet who studied it for five years.

What is your gut feeling is what this is then?

So, I would say my gut feeling is that intrinsically within the dog

they have a predisposition to this disease process and then perhaps

there is an environmental trigger on top that means they develop

the disease later on in their lifetime.

A student at Oxford University has created the first soft tissue

synthetic retina for people who are visually impaired.

The design embeds the tissue with cells that can detect light.

It's hoped it could help treat degenerative eye conditions such

Could this tiny square offer sight to the visually impaired?

It has been created by a student at the University of Oxford.

At the moment in the laboratory, we can form the synthetic retina

and we can illuminate different images onto it.

What the synthetic retina does is it generates electrical signals.

The water-based gel contains tiny holes.

Inside each is a cell that reacts to light.

When the group is exposed to a different level of light,

When we put it on the back of the eye, it could connect

with the optic nerve, so it generates the electric signals

It's hoped using soft components will make the product more

There has been artificial retinas built with hard materials

very similar to cameras, and our technology could be better

because it is made with soft and biological components,

so they better match the properties, mechanical

If future trials are successful it's hoped the synthetic retina could be

The Oxford publisher behind Judge Dredd has signed a deal

which will see the comic character on TV.

Rebellion, which prints the character's stories in 2000 AD,

is teaming up with the studio IM Global to produce the

The plan is to film the programme close to Oxford, with the cast to be

We make our own games, we fund them ourselves

and we publish them worldwide, so we are a net exporter

So, the only real issue for me is making sure we get a good story.

I think the technical side of it and getting the right people

on board is going to be fairly straightforward, but telling

Exciting news for Rebellion - and for fans of Judge Dredd.

Now more of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

In a moment - a political editor on a bike, sports reporter climbing

a wall and a weather presenter in the gym.

They said I'd be going upstairs, should have known that was a trick!

Will the temperatures be climbing? I'll have the forecast very shortly.

Politicians are taking to the street and airwaves to tell us what they

would do if they ran the country. What do voters actually want from

the parties? Our political editor Peter Henley has taken to his

bicycle to get into the heart of communities to hear their views.

Today, he was in and over with young families who have got enough

distractions without an election as well.

South of Newbury, some fabulous countryside. And plenty of people

out enjoying it. These three trading to climb a mountain in Morocco. In

this election, which politician do they think has the most uphill

struggle? I don't know how many people voted for Jeremy Corbyn but I

think maybe that is the only people that might vote for Labour. I think

that'll be the interesting thing. I don't think we will have a Trump

surprise. I think maybe we have had enough surprises now. In this

village, this is the church where I got married. Mrs Thatcher was in

charge at the time, how do you think Theresa May come payers? Very

similar cast I think. She's a strong woman, she has got very good

premise. And over was the village once. Now, it is a town with cycle

paths and so many houses. Pubs and schools and lots of jobs. Are there

some people whose wages are not keeping up, who have been left

behind? Time to slip off those cycling shoes to pay a visit to the

tenpin bowling alley in town. Sarah runs a group for local mums. I will

vote and I have started to look around to see what each party

office. I won't decide until the day. Maybe even when you are in

there? Yes. When you spend a lot of time at Westminster, you can forget

that some people don't find election exciting. You were not bothered

about the election? Is that because you don't really think an election

is needed? I don't really follow it that much but I don't know, they all

seem to have different points and views and then when it is the chance

to prove it, nothing ever seems to come from what they are saying. I am

not a fan of Theresa May but I think she will stay in power so it won't

really matter much. She was opposed to Brexit and now she's calling an

election so is it because she is not so sure she can do it? There are

things going on behind the scenes that we don't know.

Peter is at Stockbridge now. People have either made up their mind or

are leaving it until they get closer devoting? Like Maria who you saw at

the end, from Spain, works in the NHS as does her partner. They have

got questions but they don't feel they're being answered. Most people

I spoke to, and I spoke to a lot, they feel it also not. They have got

questions but they are not asking them and I think it's not apathy,

not that they are not interested. But after the EU referendum, people

feel they have a stake in the country and they want to see what is

going to happen. They haven't worked out the questions. Let's hope they

have given it long enough that the politicians come back with some

answers. Too many people think this is about Brexit? Some do. They feel

Theresa May is, the point is that she is taking forward Brexit is a

valid one. And this is a continuation of the earlier EU vote.

They are also thinking Jeremy Corbyn is not popular. Things could change

on both those counts. Events over the next few weeks. If they do, we

could see things changing quite quickly. People are used to

surprises in politics, almost looking for some prizes, but I think

if there are none, people will not be surprised. Does that make sense?

Now, time to dive into an issue that affects a number

of our communities here in the south - access to swimming pools.

With pressures placed on local authority budgets,

we've featured a number of stories in recent months of pools closing

Lewis Coombes is at a brand-new leisure centre in Fleet

in Hampshire for us this evening, to take an in-depth look

at the different approaches taken by councils.

Is not many leisure centres can boast their own climbing wall. Carly

is just enjoying herself. Doing really well. The leisure facilities

here are in the ascendancy. Seven years ago, the Council took a brave

decision to commit to this project, despite being in a recession. What

did Hart do differently? They got creative, formed a partnership with

a local building developer who paid for a third of the build cost.

Leisure grants and loans made up the rest and it's proved to be a

decision that has paid off, leaving everyone else playing catch up.

With the ribbon cut and medal winners on show, a sea of locals

were keen to explore their shiny new leisure centre.

three swimming pools, four exercise studios, a huge sports

looks good, but comes at a cost - ?23 million.

They were one or two doubting Thomases, obviously.

But the commitment of Hart and then of course the management team did

an excellent job of getting the design right, getting

the financing right and really producing an iconic building.

I think that is where Hart District Council are wonderful,

because they understand how important being physically

active is, for people's physical well-being,

It's not just a swimming pool, it's not just a gym.

This sports hall is huge, absolutely huge.

It's amazing that in a community like this, they've got this

It makes a huge difference to fitness, to clubs that want to be

competitive and hopefully one day go to the Olympics.

The community loves these venues and I think people need to use Hart

as an example to the rest of the country, definitely.

In the shadows of the new facility lays the old Hart Leisure Centre.

It only closed the day before the new centre opened.

A deliberate decision to guarantee people wouldn't be without leisure

and exercise facilities. But that's an uncommon approach.

Just 30 miles along the road, Andover Pool and Sports Hall

We have to go to Romsey or Basingstoke.

Not everyone can afford the transport links for that,

A permanent replacement is two years away.

Such has been the outcry, a temporary pool will now

open later this summer. In Reading - the Council has

closed the 104-year-old Arthur Hill swimming pool.

It will be sold to help pay for a new facility.

Again, there's a catch - it won't open for another four years.

In Southampton, inspectors closed the swimming pool

at Bitterne Leisure Centre in March after discovering its 30-year-old

It won't reopen until after the summer.

While in Winchester - the current 40-year-old River Park

site no longer meets the community's needs.

The council's preferred opiton is to build a new

If it's approved, it will take three years to complete.

Here, though, they're going the same way as Hart -

continuing to fund the existing centre, until the new one opens.

With council budgets reduced, it's clear there were

different approaches to providing leisure facilities.

Here in Fleet - the decision was made that despote

Here in Fleet - the decision was made that despite

difficult financial times, investment in leisure was needed.

Very good, good foresight and for the future, it's very good.

I've got three children and they will always be using it

I think from Hart's perspective, it's fantastic.

I've come into this sparkling EUPOL. Many others know they need these

facilities but so far, very few have managed to deliver it.

I'm delighted to say I'm joined on poolside

by former Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Champion

from Portsmouth - Katy Sexton. And Patricia Hughes

is the Chief Executive of Hart District Council.

Patricia, what did the council have to give back to the developer

in return for this land and a third of the build cost?

A-League it was only a third of the funding, very valuable to us. The

rest of it is coming from generation from the centre and it is important

it will be self-sustaining in terms of income generation.

Sport England figures show a gradual decline in the number of people

swimming over the past ten years - How important is proper investment

We live on an island and this is an important life skill kids learn. By

taking away leisure centres, you lose that.

You now run your own Swim Academy, based in Havant -

how difficult have you found pools to teach in?

Very. We had just had our latest one shot earlier this year so we have

had to relocate. We are up against other people, leisure centres offer

their own lessons. It is difficult. There are planned new centres in

Reading, Winchester and Andover but they will take some time to deliver.

What impact does that have, when it is delayed? I think your fear for

learning to swim gets bigger the older you get. So then it will be

harder for people to do. Every department wants money, why did you

prioritise leisure and health? We think it is important for our

community to be healthy, we have got one of the longest life expectancy

is across the whole of the country. We also have one of the highest

levels of sport outtakes are there was a real need from our residents

to have something of this quality on the doorstep. We're really pleased

to be able to deliver that for them. ?23 million is a lot of money, do

you have value for money? I think so, it is our biggest investment and

it is history and we are delighted to be to deliver this in a

cost-effective way that doesn't cost our Council Tax payers any money.

The night, if Southampton managed to beat Arsenal at St Mary's stadium,

they could move into the top eight of the Premier League.

Manager Claude Puel has no new injury concerns

following the draw at Liverpool at the weekend.

Striker Charlie Austin is close to a return following five months

Full match commentary on BBC Radio Solent.

You know when you have a new carpet at home and you don't let people

wear the shoes while they have given me these very fashionable overshoes.

Doing everything they can to protect it! It's at least better than

plastic bags! It's been a lovely day

and that's been reflected in your weather pictures.

You'll find most of them on our Facebook page but here's

one to show you now. Rachel Baker caught this moment

of fun among the bluebells Let's get the weather forecast now -

Alexis is up there in the gym. What a glorious day we had today.

Temperatures reached highs of 19 Celsius and we saw highs of 17

Celsius widely. This is the satellite picture from early on.

Barely a cloud in the sky, enabling those temperatures to rise nicely,

especially away from the coast. Today, highs of 19 Celsius,

tomorrow, temperatures could be slightly higher. Overnight tonight,

clear skies initially and then the cloud will start to increase from

the south. Bringing with it maybe the odd shower for the south coast.

Tomorrow morning, we are expecting temperatures to range between eight

to 10 Celsius. Temperatures warming up nicely with warm air pushing up

from the south and with that, we are expecting temperatures to reach

potentially around 15 to 19 Celsius. Possibly pushing 20. In some

sheltered spots. It will be a warm day, a ferret of cloud and maybe the

odd isolated shower during the morning. The afternoon and evening

is when we see the risk of a couple of thunderstorms pushing in from the

south. They will become quite heavy and potentially thundery tomorrow

night with temperatures tomorrow night dropping to a very mild 11 to

12 Celsius. We are expecting temperatures to rise nicely

tomorrow. On the outlook, we are expecting a fair amount of cloud

over the next few days, a couple of brighter spells but the weekend

looking slightly fresher and brighter and with that, temperatures

are rising nicely. Tomorrow night, look out for the risk of some heavy

thundery rain. Back to you. Thank you very much. Some lovely

people have told us the local weather forecast.

There is a chance of a thunderstorm. The wind will be light and easterly.

And the top temperature will be 20 degrees.

What a glorious facility this is. Lovely. It is fantastic. We will

have to get onto one of the treadmills. STUDIO: I am there in

spirit! Now how many balloons do you think

you'd need to blow up Well more than 10,000 have been used

to make this 25-metre tall waterfall sculpture

in a Winchester shopping centre. It took balloon artist Ben Field

more than a week to create. He says it's four metres

taller than the current There'll be a news summary at 8pm

and we'll be back at 10.30pm.