29/10/2013 Spotlight

That's all from us. Now the news where you are.

After the bed crisis, the inquiry ` so why did a hospital in Cornwall

run out of room? Good evening. Welcome to Spotlight. Some patients

were prepared for theatre when their operations were cancelled. Today the

whole system was examined. We'll hear about the plans put forward.

Also denied, bird flu is ruled out after the deaths of several swans in

Dorset. Never killed 16 birds in Weymouth remained a mystery despite

extensive tests. Free school meals for the

under`eights, but concerns not everyone in Cornwall may cope as

well as this. And the new cycle trails on Dartmoor are hoping to

steer the economy in the right direction.

Senior figures in Cornwall's health care system were called before

Council today to explain why the Royal Cornwall Hospital had to

declare a major incident earlier this month. There weren't enough

beds and operations had to be cancelled. In a hearing which

examined practices both in the community as well as on the wards,

an unusually high number admissions and patients unable to move on were

blamed. But a plan was now in place to try to prevent a repeat. This is

the first chance councillors had had to question senior medical staff

about what went wrong on the 7th of October. The trust told the

committee they had declared a major incident because they didn't have

enough beds for people coming into the hospital. The trust said there

were 35 people in the emergency department needed a bed. A

significant number were being treated in recess. The trust was

worried about safety and did several things including asking staff to

stay on after shift, cancelling routine operations even for patients

who were about to be taken into theatre. They also asked people are

arriving at the emergency department if they would be better treated

elsewhere. This councillor, who has a lifetime of nursing experience,

says they should have had a better emergency plan. We should be looking

at how we use bed in other costs. Whether the empty beds or mothballed

so when you get to a black alert, which is the most major ones you can

have, you should be able to decant people, it sounds a horrible word,

that he should be able to utilise whatever beds are available for that

particular point in time. The trust told the committee the problem was

largely caught by bed blocking, so all the agencies involved in

committee care, including hospitals and care at home, or also questioned

today. Since then they have met and agreed on a 17 point improvement

plan. The chair of the committee said any plan needed to be acted

upon. What was encouraging today was an absolute commitment from

organisations to work together better. At the moment, we don't have

enough ways of organisations to talk to each other and grief each other

for them to know the status of individual patients. But some

councillors are still worried and fear with winter coming on, which

means a rise in admissions, the same thing could happen again, and they

want to know the system will work. Meanwhile, the former chairman of

Royal Cornwall Hospitals, Martin Watts, has abandoned his fight to

get his job back. Lawyers say he's not eligible to take his case to an

employment tribunal. Our health correspondent Sally Mountjoy is

here. Sally, begin by reminding us why he went in the first place.

Earlier this year, he was bound to be in breach of hospital dignity at

work policy into reports. One talk about an incident where he was

aggressive to a nurse over the care of his mother`in`law. The other kid

sized him for saying he had unduly criticised a member of staff. Mr

Watt says these reports were in fair and flawed and said he was forced to

resign by the head of the NHS Trust the Belmont authority. He said he

would take the party and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust to a

tribunal. He wanted his job back and he wanted to clear his name. He has

now dropped all that. NHS lawyers said his room as chairman does not

give the rule of employee, so an employment tribunal would not be

able to rule in this case, so Mr Watts says he has decided to put the

trust in their power politics of the NHS behind them. Where does that

leave the trust? It has been damaged by the saiga because the other high

profile and executive directors stood down in support of Mr Watts

and other health campaigners also supported his decision to go through

tribunal. On the other side, they stressed the fact that two

independent reports found he had been in breach of bullying and

harassment policy and that is unacceptable, but a lot of people

say it would be a poor use of NHS money to go to a tribunal so it is

just as well trust can now concentrate on the operational

challenges it has. Thank you, Sally. The father of one of the Devon

Greenpeace protestors held in Russia says the prospect of the Prime

Minister intervening personally is the best news they've had for a long

time. David Cameron told the Commons yesterday he would be prepared to

consider directly contacting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Martyn Oates joins us now from Westminster. What can you tell us

was Mike the charges of piracy that they were detained for, including as

the Prime Minister reminded us, one of his constituents had been reduced

to hooliganism, but this could still carry a hefty prison sentence and

coming two months later, they are still being held in Russia, so Cliff

Harris, the father of one of the detailing is, welcomes a ramping up

of the pressure at this end. If they are speaking, it could mean it could

be concluded quite quickly. It is reached the stage where we need that

final phase to clear all this up. You get the top table talking and

hopefully it will resolve the situation and we will see our

daughter before Christmas. The Labour MP for Exeter called on Mr

Cameron to call President Putin directly to weeks ago. This is what

he said this evening. I am surprised by the lack of public and political

outrage about the fact you have sex innocent British people, no one

under British law a spoken to suggest they were doing anything

illegal, who had been held for nearly two months by a foreign

country. The least I think you would expect a primer must to do is pick

up the phone and make a private protest at necessary to the leader

of that country. Any other Prime Minister in my lifetime would have

done that and I cannot understand why David Cameron has not. Then

Bradshaw with the other leaders of countries involved in this have

limited with President Putin, as has Angela Merkel even though no Germans

were involved. The only concrete bridge action is the news that the

families will come again to that Foreign Office to talk to the

Minister next week. The parents of Catherine Wells`Burr

have welcomed a new code allowing victims of crime to directly address

offenders in courts in England and Wales. Catherine was murdered by her

then boyfriend Rafal Nowak in Somerset in 2012. The new code means

that victims, such as Catherine's family, will automatically be

allowed to personally address the judge and the offender at the end of

a criminal trial. Catherine's father says he wished he could have had

that opportunity. We could look him in the eye and that is what every

family should be able to do, if they wish, look in the eye and say how

much your losses. `` how much your loss is.

On the day the main six energy companies have promised to cut gas

and electricity bills if the Government removes them from paying

so`called "green taxes", we have been to catch up with a couple from

North Devon who haven't switched their heating on for over 18 months.

Joanne and Jim Bell decided to take a stand, and as our reporter Heidi

Davey has been finding out, they haven't given in yet. For pensioners

to one and Jim Bell, fighting the code has become a way of life. But

like the cold. They had not turned their heating on for over a year

when we first met them, and we have been back to see if they feel

different. No, we shan't go back to putting on the heating, especially

as it is 26p per day, along with another ?100 a year for not using

gas, so we won't switch on again unless maybe in ten years my husband

is decrepit and needs the heating on, then we might relent but not

while we are able`bodied and can walk out and keep warm in other

ways. The standing charge a ?100 is one the except they cannot avoid in

case they need heating in an emergency, but the resource full and

when it gets chilly they moved to the warmest part of their house. Is

this a sneaky retreat? Yes, it is. In the winter when the temperature

really drops as soon as the sunshine, this place warms up so

quickly so we sit here, read the paper, it is great. The couple have

worked out that by not having their heating on for 18 months, they have

saved around ?2000 Whitstable spent on next year's holiday. They have

electric blankets and hot water bottles ready for any cold snaps,

and their favourite place to catch any rays, the beach house.

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch, but from next September,

all under eights across the South West will be entitled to a free

meal. The government policy says all done pupils will benefit regardless

of their parents incomes. But this also means providing a kitchen and

there are concerns that some buildings will not be up to the job.

It's beef cobbler on the menu at this school near Bodmin. Nearly half

the pupils here currently have hot school dinners prepared on`site.

From next September, all under`eights will be entitled to a

free lunch, whatever their parents earn. The idea is going down well. I

think some of the reasons not every child can get a school meal is

because they can't afford it. The government says the policy will save

parents money, teach healthy eating and improve learning. The worry is

what happens when they get to year three, it will be great if the

parents then can continue paying for it as all the meals are subsidised

further, so they can continue to afford it, but I think it is good to

start with the younger children. This school has its own kitchen and

can cope with extra demand, but not all schools are in this position.

The Department for Education has admitted it does not know how much

will have to be spent on upgrading facilities. Those who will implement

the policy are also unclear. We don't know how much money the school

meals will cost or if there will be new infrastructure costs because

some schools did away with their kitchens or they used another school

with a bigger kitchen to act as a hub. More detail is expected in the

Chancellor's Autumn Statement in September. Were getting active in a

moment. We'll be getting on our bikes as Dartmoor's new network of

cycle path gets ready for business. And we'll be wearing out our shoe

leather we discover the hidden side of Trelissick Gardens. 16 swans have

died a nature reserve in Weymouth. Tests have revealed the Swans did

not have bird flu, but exactly what caused their death is a mystery.

This 1's on the lake at Radipole Lake or a favourite with locals and

voters alike, but over recent months they have fallen prey to a

mysterious disease or pollution. Dead birds have been removed from

the RSPB reserve but it is being confirmed they were not affected by

bird flu. Here at Radipole Lake on the edge of Weymouth, swans have

been dying since September and it is now known that half the flock has

died, but recently there have been no further fatalities. Some were

found floating in the lake, which is obviously horrible for people who

found them, but some were found to be quite lethargic or looking poorly

and lying on the path, so at that point, the RSPCA got involved. At

the RSPCA centre in Somerset, there are still a couple of swans

recovering from whatever affected their health. There have been swans

dying before on the lakes, and there has been an inflammation of the

untested witching cause problems for swans. That hasn't been established

in this instance so it is as yet unknown, but we do see swans

especially from areas where there are problems with birds. The

Environment Agency has tested the water for pollutants, so far the

charity says there is no clue about what has happened. What is odd is

that it is 16 swans. It was pollution in the water you would

expect problems for all species, but this is just swans, there we are

interested to find out what has happened. It is rare for so many

swans to be affected in this way, that the RSPB says many younger

swans appear to have escaped the worst effects of the incident.

Ever driven across Dartmoor and missed most of it as it whizzes past

the window? I have. Well, now you can take in the celebrated wild

upland at a more leisurely pace, as a major cycle trail crossing much

the landscape finally opens. The Dartmoor Way has been years in the

making, but now completely covers more than 90 miles, linking towns

and villages. As well as attracting thousands of cyclists, it's hoped

it'll also bring millions of pounds to the local economy. Chris Lyddon

has the first of two special reports.

It's arguably the most famous national park, many would say the

most beautiful. The new Dartmoor Way opens up miles of stunning views.

Today, we're going to explore the southern part of the moor by

electric bike. The power`assisted bike takes all the strain out of

this section near Venford reservoir. The cycle way joins towns and

villages around the moor. Our first section takes in the high moor link.

You have three different settings, high, low, medium, eight gears in

all. Apart from that, you just get on and start pedalling like an

ordinary bike. And pedal away we did. This is not too steep, this

one. And the beauty of the moor slowly revealed itself. So this

pointy one at the front is Sharp Tor, then behind is Corndon Tor, and

over to the right is Mel Tor, and Bench Tor here on the other side of

the Dart Valley. So a terrific vista for taking it all in. Amazing. The

cycle way has been paid for by Defra and Devon County Council and

overseen by the cycling charity Sustrans, working with the National

Park. It is a very robust route, predominantly on roads or other good

known services. It is 95 miles, I believe, in length and a great

circular route of the best of Dartmoor National Park.

Out on the moors on a day like this, fabulous sunshine, wonderful colours

and the bikes make it so effortless. Yeah, it wasn't hard at all to pick

up, just like cycling a normal bike but a lot easier! Now we're off to

Okehampton. We're in the north`west section of the trail. We're going to

see some of best parts of the Granite Way today. Terrific weather

too. Catherine is my guide this time. We're on mountain bikes. We

have families, from tiny babies right up to elderly people and all

sorts of different people, people that are very bike enthusiastic or

cycling enthusiastic, who bring along their families, who maybe

haven't been on a bike for 20, 30 years. And you can see in both

directions at the viewpoint. It's beautiful. Magnificent. Just don't

look down! Last stop of the day, the Meldon Viaduct. I fancy a glass of

wine now. Off to France, I think. France, next stop. He'll have a job,

because it's a circular trail. He was only joking, of course. He never

made it to France or got his glass of wine. I should think not, he's

working! There will be more from Chris tomorrow when he meets the

businesses that have set up along that cycleway. Sports news now.

Tennis coach Judy Murray was back in the South West once again today,

this time at the Barnstaple Open. Her son may have ended Britain's

77`year wait for a men's Wimbledon title, but his mother is also

extremely influential in the sport. She was keeping an eye on some of

the country's top talent in her role as captain of the British Women's

Federation Cup team. This tennis centre in Barnstable hopes the

fourth guest ladies tennis event in the country, which is why the top

British players came under the scrutiny of the federation 's

captain at the start of the main draw of the Barnstable open. The

British number two in the third round this player from Guernsey,

were just a few of the top names playing in the courts. It is perfect

for me because it is one`stop and I can watch seven or eight of them

playing today, but home tournament are great because obviously we are

not having to pay out on airfares and big accommodation costs and so

forth, so it is a big bonus to have tournament like this. It is popular

with the devil in public and a chance to see top international

players as well as those from Great Britain. As the season draws to a

close, what does Judy take from it were among like this? I saw a fair

bit during the grass season, but not so much, so it is a perfect chance

for me to spend time talking to them and approaching teams before we have

to make a decision on Hugh lays on the team, which will probably be in

January. Later on Spotlight, we will be back in Barnstable to hear from

top British players as they hopefully make progress in the

weekend finals. You member last night we told you

about that Star Wars auction in Dorchester. Well, 200 Tories and

memorabilia have sold for almost ?7,000 at that event. `` toys. Many

of the figures were still in their original packaging. The sale also

included life`size figures of Yoda, and a light`sabre. The items sold to

around 30 buyers around the country. ?7,000, that's not bad. We won't

even try to speak in your language. `` Yoda language.

After yesterday's storm, calmer weather today has provided a welcome

opportunity for many people to get out on a nice autumn walk. And some

have been taking advantage of a scheme to explore hidden parts of

some of The National Trust's most famous places. Chloe Axford has been

to join a group taking part in a walk at the Trelissick estate in

Cornwall. The Trelissick estate normally gets about 150,000 visitors

a year, but this afternoon I am joining a group of walkers who are

being allowed access to a part of the estate that is normally out of

bounds. I have a difficult time finding worms when it is dry. This

book, led by the head ranger, is part of the great British walks, a

nationwide scheme to get us all out in the fresh air. Families, people

are not getting in touch with nature as much as we should, they are

sitting in front of TVs, children playing on computers, so it is a

chance to encourage the nation to get out and see what is on their

doorstep in touch nature, breathing that fresh air and try to get them

active. Today's ward includes the Inco pats were dung beetles and

discovering client field mushrooms. On the walk this afternoon, I lured

areas like this are normally out of bounds because they provide a

feeding ground were wading birds from the nearby River, a haven for

bugs and insects and a home for animals like badgers. There are lots

of maggots. It has started to break up. The book has been an education

for other walkers. We are rushing around and through the woodland and

we don't often get a chance to slow down and see what there is, . I

wanted to come and see what we are missing. It is exciting because it

is a secret place. And what have you found here? Lots of mushrooms and

cope to that beetles live in. There are great British walks taking place

at National trust properties across the country. Now we're off for a

nice cup of tea. It looks stunning there today. Big change in the

weather. Yes, much quieter. It was fantastic. I thought you don't. No,

I am still is here good evening. If anything, tonight will be quite

chilly and relatively calm after the last few nights. We have a few

missed patches first thing in the morning and it starts cold, probably

the coldest we have seen so far this autumn, right at first then more

wind and rain arriving, the strength of wind nothing to what we saw

through the weekend and yesterday. Let's look at the cloud because this

line is the next band of cloud and rain coming our way, not quite

getting into us and it will be slow to arrive during tomorrow but once

it sets and we will see wet weather. The wind is picking up but certainly

tonight with a ridge of high pressure it is quiet. Any showers we

have will be isolated in the line of cloud and rain will arrive in the

latter part of tomorrow morning and through the afternoon and evening.

There are some isobars squeezed by head of that so expect winds to

increase through the day, then by Thursday we still have low pressure,

keeping an eye on this new area of low pressure moving quite fast and

bringing wet weather on Friday, and also some windy conditions. For most

of today we had sunshine, but it is now turning cold and with clear

skies overnight, a few places, especially inland, could get as low

as three or four degrees. It is just about cold enough for a touch of

frost. Further west and along the north coast, there might still be

showers overnight but that will fade away overnight, and most of us will

fade up to `` wake up to eight fine but cold start. The winds become

south`westerly by the end of the night and overnight temperatures on

the coast no lower than seven or eight degrees, but inland, a few

places getting as low as four or five. Tomorrow morning, there will

be sunshine, the breeze will increase. By the end of the morning

some patchy light rain arrives, the rain becoming more widespread

towards the love part of the afternoon and early evening. That is

also wind strength picking up, becoming south`westerly and suddenly

ahead of that rain band and becoming strong along the south coast,

temperatures possibly getting up to 14 or 15 degrees so warmer than

today, despite the fact the breeze and cloud and rain rules then, also

starting to see some low cloud on the moors becoming misty by early

evening. The hours of Scilly, the rain arrives here first so it could

cloud up, winds increasing and the rain waiting for quite a windy

afternoon and a wet one. On to times of high water, on the south coast,

and for our surfers, with the wind biting southerly, it makes you up on

the north coast, but choppy on the south coast at three to four feet.

Coastal waters forecast, the winds are backing so south`westerly

visibility reduced to moderate in that rain. We will have a mix of

sunny spells and showers on Thursday, winds also becoming many

south`westerly, Friday that new area of low pressure makes it a wet day,

also winds picking up later in the day, and for the weekend a lot of

uncertainty, it will be quite unsettled with plenty of showers,

possibly strong winds again, possibly gale force on both days on

Saturday and Sunday. We will have further updates tomorrow. Good

evening. I'm back at 10pm tonight. Join me then if you can. Goodbye.