09/02/2017 South Today

In tonight's programme... so it's goodbye from me.

Back home just days after a pioneering liver

Could these new advanced techniques help to

Patients suffer less. They do much better.

They suffer less complications. They go home much quicker.

The lottery of bird flu - some restrictions are eased for poultry

farmers whilst others continue to face strict guidelines

We're in Bermuda as they get ready to host the America's Cup UPSOF

And I'm in Southsea for a love tale with a difference.

About Rodney the shark who is going to travel

December was the worst month for A and E units in England

since the four-hour waiting target was introduced thirteen years ago.

Latest figures show only 86 per cent of patients were admitted,

transferred or discharged within that time

and there's suggestions it was even worse in January.

This evening on South Today, we're looking at what the NHS

is doing to tackle what's been described as a crisis.

A new way of doing liver operations that helps patients

recover more quickly, and frees up hospital beds

Today nearly a hundred specialists from around the world

And as our health correspondent David Fenton reports -

patients are already seeing the benefit.

Georgina Westwood had 60% of her liver removed

This is her just after she woke up from the 11 hour operation

I was told that they only ever do the liver with open surgery

but I was fortunate that I entered a trial which resulted in me

randomly being picked out for laparoscopic surgery.

That means keyhole surgery and it worked.

36 hours after the operation, Georgina left hospital.

Within a fortnight, she was looking after her granddaughter Maisie.

For my family, for myself and for the NHS.

Keyhole surgery is used for all sorts of procedures.

Most hospitals prefer open surgery for very big liver operations.

But today nearly 100 specialists from all over the world

at Southampton General where new keyhole techniques

Southampton has a unique position in that in this type of surgery,

so they have a lot of input and innovation into the procedure

among the European countries, as well.

Well, it's quite challenging but people are progressing and that's

why we have the conference over here to encourage people to get

Now the surgeon behind many of those innovations says more NHS

Our patients suffer less, they do much better,

they have less complications, they go home much quicker.

And I think that patients across all the UK should

have the possibility to have the same treatment

that we do in Southampton, instead of travelling down

Not everyone can have this type of surgery but,

three weeks on from her operation, Georgina's recovering well.

In Berkshire they're hoping prevention will be the cure to some

Trips and falls are one of the main reasons that older

people are hospitalised, so at a community centre

in Bracknell they're educating pensioners on the best way to stay

safe, as well as assessing those most at risk.

They say the NHS is from cradle to the grave and, in Bracknell,

in Berkshire, the focus is very much on all age groups.

It's best foot forward at the weekly Falls Free for Life programme

at the leisure centre, as the name suggests,

it's all about helping people avoid those nasty slips and trips that can

cost them not only their health but their independence.

Fell in the garden, hanging the washing out.

Yes. It was very scary.

The whole objective of what we're trying to do is to keep

people out of hospital, keep people happy, keep people

engaged in their own home and community for longer.

It is estimated that falls cost the NHS about ?2 billion per year

but, here in Bracknell, they're not only concerned

with prevention when it comes to the physical care of the elderly,

they're also concerned with the mental health of the young.

At this primary school a new lesson is on the timetable.

This week, leading children's charity Place To Be has said nearly

two thirds of children worry all the time about

Normally if you're feeling down it affects everything.

So it would affect your work as well.

All the time across our country, issue such as self harm, anxiety,

So, what we know from evidence is if we start the

conversation early we can get them to seek help when they need to.

So, not matter what age you are in Bracknell,

the message is for the NHS and the people it serves,

Our health correspondent, David Fenton is here with me now,

To innovative ideas, a positive approach.

We talk a lot about the NHS when things go wrong -

A problems, operations cancelled, not enough beds - but there is also

a lot that goes on behind the scenes to try and solve those problems.

That can be quite a high-tech sophisticated solution -

like surgeons using new keyhole techniques - or it can be a simple

thing like teaching people how not to fall over and hurt themselves.

They all usually have this in common - either keeping people out

of hospital in the first place, or getting them home

So Georgina liver patient went home day and a half after her op -

So that bed is then free for maybe five or six more patients.

Tomorrow those specialists we saw in Southampton drawing up

new guidelines mean more hospitals can do that.

A trial continued in Winchester today of a teenage father accused

of murdering his six week old daughter.

Joshua Martin, who now lives in Alton, denies

Today the baby's mother told the court she was afraid

She said Martin had been controlling during their relationship and made

violent threats when she tried to leave him.

There's a new case of Female Genital Mutilation or FGM

as it is known every 90 minutes in the UK.

That's according to the charity, Plan International UK.

It found that between April 2015 and March last year -

there were almost nine thousand times where women went

to the hospital or their GP with an FGM related concern.

That's the equivalent of one every hour,

It has been illegal to carry out FGM in the UK since 1985,

but there has not been a single successful prosecution.

Reading has been identified as an area where there is a high

and now the town is to get the first centre of its kind

The Rose Centre will bring together professionals to work

with communities where FGM is widely practiced,

I was at an age of 45 years old when my grandparents started speaking to

me about being cut. Jennifer comes from an influential east African

family but she only avoided female genital mutilation by running away

from home. The cutting tradition still casts a long shadow over her

and her mother. She says that her life has been ruined by me not

getting cut. She says she has received death threats, people have

tried to stow her car. People from her community. Sometimes she would

go back home to her family in the village and nobody would speak to

her. In 2014, Reading was declared one of 11 hotspots for FGM. More

than 40 cases have been uncovered in the town. Research suggests that the

actual figure is far higher. The row centre is the first of its kind

bringing together professionals and those groups where the practice

continues. The ultimate aim is to end FGM and community engagement is

the way forward. Jennifer now worries for her daughter as both mum

and dad are under pressure from her wider family. I can try and make

sure that my daughter doesn't go through this but if the father is

not with me, what stops him from coming home one day and I find he is

on the next plane home with my daughter. There is nothing I can do.

Large parts of the South have been identified as being at higher risk

for bird flu under new guidelines published by the Government today.

Restrictions on keeping poultry and other birds outside have been

in place since before Christmas after a number of cases of Avian flu

But farming leaders say the introduction of new "higher risk

areas" will mean free-range producers face major threats

It's been a tough few months for poultry farmers. Flocks have been

cooped up since December. In an effort to halt the spread of bird

flu by stopping contact with wild birds carrying the virus. From the

end of this month, flocks in low risk areas will be allowed outside

is with certain safeguards. It could mean that farms in high-risk areas

could lose a free range safeguards. We sell directly to the consumer and

we have a fantastic customer base who will be very supportive if we

have to rename our eggs as barn eggs. It's a lot more expensive to

run a free range poultry farm then it is for rearing Boban X. The NFU

says it will be a tough time for producers in high-risk areas. We are

very concerned about poultry farmers in high-risk areas. The outlook is

serious. We will be able to carry on our status as free range. The

chickens will be allowed out which is great news for them. One of the

eight confirmed cases of the flu in the UK was here at Abbotsbury indoor

set. All of the high-risk areas are on the coast or near inland lakes

and rivers Wye wildfowl have in large number. We've seen low

outbreaks in the areas that we have the proposing but still heightened

risk. The new regulations come into force on March one.

A reward is being offered to trace an iPod -

stolen from the daughter of firefighter Alan Bannon -

It once belonged to the 38-year-old - who was killed tackling a fire

The Fire Brigade Union is offering a thousand pounds for the safe

His daughter Abi who is now 11 years old -

had kept the ipod which contained all her father's favourite songs.

Say with us for the weather forcast.

After yesterday's political row over leaked texts Government ministers

have been insisting that Surrey County Council has not been

given a special deal to keep council tax low.

However, under questioning by Labour, The Leader of the House

of Commons did admit Surrey has asked to join a pilot scheme

to retain business rates a year earlier than other councils.

If there is no special deal for Surrey, why did

the Prime Minister simply not confirm this?

I, and other honourable members, want a memorandum of understanding

to secure our libraries and social care.

Surrey County Council has asked if it can participate in one

of the pilot project is for the proposed 100%

As any other local council will be free to apply, there is no

I'm sure we'll be hearing more of that in future. Now, all the sport.

We are going to hear from the chairman of Bournemouth. Is he

despondent at the moment given the poor recent run. Far from it. It has

been a tricky spell. They have had injuries, suspensions, didn't manage

to make signings but they are just looking over their shoulder.

It's probably the most trying spell of the fledgling Premier League

life of AFC Bournemouth, and their manager Eddie Howe.

Slipping down the table, the Cherries are battling

A lack of new signings in January didn't exactly rouse the mood.

South Today has spoken exclusively to Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn,

as the club try to get the ball rolling back in

In a debut season in, arguably, the world's toughest league,

any team would be given time to settle in.

Second time around, with tens of millions

of pounds spent, the expectations at Bournemouth

It's been a very difficult and stressful January

You know, the performances have been disappointing, to say the least.

There's always a concern when you're not winning games.

It was not for the lack of trying, right up until

11 o'clock, on transfer deadline day, occasionally you have to spend

a little bit more than you budgeted for and we were always willing to do

that with the players that we wanted to bring in.

Some of the values were just crazy, as they always are

It's the worst market to deal in and, as Eddie has said,

publicly, it's in the public domain, it was probably the worst window

There's no sense that if you haven't got

recruitment department have failed in their duty.

We are more concerned than we were before Christmas.

Our goal has always been to retain our position

Would we be having this conversation now if we

haven't reached the dizzy heights of the top half of the table,

or would people have been satisfied that we

We still haven't identified an ideal sight but we have

identified three sites that have potential.

So, it's a very slow moving project but we're in talks

practically with the Council on a daily basis.

Eddie is our manager and he will continue to be our manager

We have an incredible relationship and you

will never get a person who is more level-headed.

He's more determined than ever ensure that this football

club retains its position at the very top level of football.

More of that interview on our Facebook page and on the BBC sport

website. Now for the last of our

features from Bermuda. Tony Husband has been three and half

thousand miles across the globe to visit the island that will stage

the America's Cup this summer. Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR

will hope to become the first British team to win the trophy,

that was first contested Tonight Tony finds out how

the island is preparing and what conditions the sailors

will face. Bermuda is Britain's oldest colony

so it is fitting that Ben Ainslie is hoping to bring the Americas cup

home from these waters. Bermuda is 21.6 square miles. The population is

60 4000. Bermuda shorts borrowed from the British military. Though

neither was settled in 1609. It is the proverbial picture postcard

island. Britain's largest naval dockyard outside the UK was once

here. The America's Cup is big news for traders. It's is an absolute

need for Bermuda, a tremendous boost to our economic benefit and it's a

lot of fun. Memorabilia fills the rails across the stores in the

island. What today they think about the America's Cup? Just the

publicity alone is ideal for the island. On the one hand, I'm rooting

for Oracle because they've been here a while and are established in the

community. If they were to win the cup, they would stay which would be

good for the island. Generally, people are for BA are and Oracle on

the island. It is there that the boats competing for the America's

Cup will race off this summer. It forms a perfect the theatre. It's a

tricky place to sail. It's perfect for the flat water where we will be

racing but it is very landlocked so the wind is shifting. Thankfully,

I've got a bit of experience having sailed here a lot over the years but

we've got Giles Scott, our tactician on the boat who decides where we

will go on the course and you couldn't ask for anyone more

talented than Giles, having come out of Rio with a gold medal. Between

them, they have five gold medals. To have tactical racecourses brilliant

for our team. For the island of Bermuda, they are hoping that

staging the America's Cup is a major moment in history of their tourism

industry. The speed and lifestyle that comes with the America's Cup

ratings is right in our comfort zone for who we think we are going to be

going forward. Transport, infrastructure, everything you can

imagine, it's been a very delicate strategic project to get the balance

right. With the team Oracle being the home team, we will be cheering

loudest for them but the second team we are cheering for his Land Rover

BA are. We are partly British and we have a special place in the heart

for the British. Six Nations will begin qualifying here in May. Only

one will be left standing by the end of June. For this island in the

summer the number one aim is for everyone to have fun along the way.

One of the figureheads of British Sailing has announced

that he's to retire from his role later this year.

John Derbyshire OBE is to stand down as the Royal Yachting

Derbyshire's departure will follow that of Olympic

manager Stephen Park, who is also leaving this spring

A couple of things to deal with. Tony didn't get his legs out. Note

Bermuda shorts. And he didn't bring as anything back. Not even a bag of

sweets. I gave him a cold to go with so I didn't anything to come back.

We're just a few days away from Valentine's day -

and there's one couple who'll be spending February the 14th together,

that's despite the fact they haven't met yet!

We're talking about a pair of sharks.

Rodney the zebra shark is being transported

from his current home at the Blue Reef Aquarium

in Southsea to a larger tank in Cheshire but luckily Rodney

won't be lonely when he gets there The plan is to

For a shark it's not easy making friends, there's always the

temptation to eat them. Four Rodney it's even harder. He has no mate but

now love is in the air, or rather the water. This lovely lady is dotty

and hopefully for Rodney by nature as well as name. We are giving him

to an aquarium and we raised her as a little baby so it was always going

to be the case that they would meet. We have our fingers crossed that it

is going to be successful. This is Rodney as a baby, strikingly

different markings giving this PC is name of the zebra shark. He is

currently getting extra rations to give him energy for the journey

north. He will travel up to Cheshire on Monday, in time for Valentine's

Day on Tuesday. He is going to stay up in Cheshire, hopefully for many

happy years ahead. Hopefully for this pair of sharks, it will be love

at first bite. A lot of expectation there. Frightening. They should be

more laid-back. Too much pressure. Onto the weather. Wrap up warm is

the answer. You will need all the layers. This wind from the east is

going to make it feel bitterly cold. Let's look at your lovely weather

pictures. Shazz Hooper captured

the cloudy skies over the River Frome in Wareham Nick

Keown photographed the cloudy skies And Sarah Dawson took this picture

of starling murmuration at Studland. You can see all of our pictures on

the Facebook page. Tonight, we expect wintry flurries or even a

dusting of snow. More likely for Eastern counties. Elsewhere, mainly

dry, Frost can't be ruled out. In towns and cities temperatures will

fall to freezing. So, a cold and frosty start tomorrow. Wintry

showers will continue. With a strengthening east to north-easterly

wind, further showers will roll in from the North Sea. Temperatures

will reach a high of four Celsius but with wind chill it will feel a

lot colder. Wind coming in from the north-east staying with us through

tomorrow night and there will be further wintry showers. More

frequent during the early hours of Saturday morning. More likely

further east. Temperatures down to freezing and possibly -2 in the

countryside. Saturday is another cold day with that wind chill. Still

the risk of wintry showers brought in on this north-easterly wind.

Showers will drift westward with the strengthening wind. Limiting the

brightness for the next few days. Possibly one or two spells tomorrow

afternoon. For the next few days, some wintry showers at times and it

will feel colder. It will be stronger than recent days,

temperatures starting to climb with the start of next week. Temperatures

made next week to rise into double figures in some places. With high

pressure not far away it should stay mainly settled. I love the optimism.

It's still very cold. Spare a thought for the headteacher sleeping

in a tent behind his school. We will find out tomorrow why he is doing

it. That's it for tomorrow. This evening bulletins later.