Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Ten 20170209

The archbishop of canterbury says hes saddened and shocked. A vigorous welcome in the oval office for new us attorney generaljeff sessions the most controversial of president tumps nominees. President , please take your seat. Chaotic scenes in the south african parliament, as president zuma is accused of promoting rampant corruption. And we talk to the british sprinter who competed in rio whos now hoping to rebuild his Running Career after a Road Accident. And coming up in sportsday on bbc news find out if the leeds rhinos could hold onto the lead, and beat st helens in the first match of the new superleague season. Good evening. Record numbers of patients spent more than four hours in accident and emergency units in england in january, according to figures leaked to the bbc. During a difficult winter for the nhs, january seems to be the worst performing month in the past 13 years. The figures also suggest Record Numbers of people waited longer than 12 hours for a hospital bed, once theyd been seen. The doctors union, the bma, has accused the government of failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation, as our Health Editor hugh pym reports. Scenes like this on bbc news this week have highlighted the immense strain being felt across the nhs. Here at royal blackburn hospital, rated as good by inspectors, some patients waited up to 13 hours in a e. Some had to sit on the floor. Official figures have confirmed that it was the worst decemberfor waits since modern records began. Today at Hillingdon Hospital in west london, things were a bit calmer, but managers confirm that theyve been stretched to the limits. Its been fairly relentless in terms of november and december, through january. Im confident that the safety of our patients is being maintained at a high quality, but its really not a great patient experience. In december in england, 86. 2 of patients were treated or assessed in a e within four hours, the lowest since records began in 200a. That was below scotland, where 92. 6 of patients were dealt with in that time. In wales, the figure was 81 , and the percentage in Northern Ireland wasjust under 70 all below the 95 benchmark. In england, the number of patients stuck on trolleys or chairs for more than four hours before a bed could be found was nearly 61,800 up 47 over the year. It has been a steep climb this year, but the thing that has changed the most has been not the 2 or 3 increase in demand, but the 40 increase in the delays in moving patients, helping them get back to their homes and back into the community. With the a e target being so badly missed, theres now a debate about whether it should be dropped or amended. Theres a certain art in setting the bar at the right level. The fact is that the nhs has been meeting, for example, the four hour target for many years. Its only recently that it started to go wrong. So we need to examine the reasons why its going wrong and sort those out. Many hospitals like this one are running at 95 of capacity. That means theyre nearly full, so with more emergency cases coming in and difficulties discharging some patients back into the community, some of those needing surgery are having to wait longer. Even Cancer Patients like martin are affected by delays. Until this year, thats been very rare, as hospitals prioritise Cancer Treatment even during the busiest weeks of winter. His operation was cancelled minutes before it was due to take place. Hes now had the surgery, but he says it was a distressing experience. Very anxious not to go through all that again, because i dont wish it on anyone. Its a horrible feeling. Your mind and that is going overtime. It really is just very draining. Decembers a e Performance Figures in england were poor, but nhs documents leaked to the bbc suggest that they were even worse injanuary. Its clear that hospital staff are working at full stretch. Winter is far from over, and the intense pressure seems unlikely to ease in a hurry. Hugh pym, bbc news. This week has brought many calls from staff and patients for more spending on the nhs. But some experts insist that the current problems are not being caused solely by financial factors. Branwenjeffreys has been to germany, where spending on health is the highest in the european union, to see how the system works there. Doctors on their ward round. They never worry about a lack of beds. Germany has almost three times as many as the uk. One day after the operation, i can walk. For george, that means almost no waiting. Hesjust had a hip replacement. In england, patients wait several months. For george, its been just a few weeks since the decision was made. The doctor said to me, i have to decide when i want to take the operation. Normally, it takes three orfour weeks to get a date for an operation. All of this paid, for by health insurance, 14 of georges salary, split between him and his employer. Germanys Health System is convenient, but expensive. And that worries doctors like martin wetzel. So in order to save money in the long term, theyre putting more effort now, and more time with patients, into convincing them to stay healthy. Its a lot of time to convince him to try another way, that it would be better to lose ten kilograms of weight to solve the problem with his diabetes instead of taking pills. Do you have the time now under this new system . Yeah. Doctors here in the black forest have been given a financial incentive to make patients healthier overall byjoining up care. Many parts of the nhs are trying to do the same. Here, there are cheaper gym sessions, cooking lessons, a music group. Its subsidised by health insurance, and its saving money. As a result, theyre spending 6 less on looking after patients. So i asked the Health Manager running it all, why isnt the rest of germany worried about cost . The economy runs so well in germany, so their social Health Institutions and the insurance funds have no problems. But Everybody Knows it is just a question of time. It may result in five years or it may result in eight or ten years, but we will get into a big crisis. The Rolling Countryside of thuringia, hundreds of miles north east of the black forest, villages where there are more old faces than young. There is more money in the german system, but that doesnt mean there arent problems. Here in what they call germanys green heart, they have a terrible shortage of gps. And its because of that that they are finally beginning to really change the way they work. Many doctors still work alone in germany, but here they are having to use nurses more to help gps provide home visits to all their elderly patients. They dont have relatives, so doctors have to make home visits. Theres often not enough time in the day to do that. Thats why we enabled a few years ago nurses to make home visits. A visit from the nurse keeps these older patients well. Germanys population is one of the fastest ageing in the world. They have the money now to make the changes needed in the future. Branwen jeffreys, bbc news, thuringia. And tomorrow on bbc news, the Health Secretaryjeremy Hunt will be responding to the issues raised by our coverage this week of the state of the nhs. Therell be more Details Online at bbc. Co. Uk health. Ministers have been forced to defend their decision to abandon a scheme to bring vulnerable refugee children to britain from europe. The Home Secretary amber rudd said the project, devised by the labour peer lord dubs, risked encouraging people traffickers, which is why it would close next month having brought in 350 young people. Campaigners had hoped to bring in 3000. Labour said the decision was shameful, and the archbishop of canterbury said he was saddened and shocked. Our Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford has the story. Stranded at a hostel in athens, this 17 year old Afghan Refugee is travelling alone. He wants to come to britain and was being helped by the charity safe passage. But the government scheme to assist unaccompanied child refugees in europe with no family in the uk, which has taken 200 so far, will now only take 150 more. He could be stuck. If i am stuck here, its really hard to me to achieve my aims, to achieve my goals, because here there is no Perfect School or Perfect College for the refugees. Newsreel 200 girls and boys wave a greeting to england. It was the kindertransport that Saved Thousands Ofjewish children from the nazis that inspired those who persuaded the government last year to take in more of todays child refugees crossing europe. Its a Comparison Ministers think is unfair. Well, im a refugee and i came to england at the age of six. Among those saved in the 30s was lord dubs, who led the push to get the law passed. This afternoon he told me the government had broken its promises. When there is something that calls on humanitarian action, and when as i believe the majority of british people support that humanitarian action, i think the government are behaving very shamefully by saying, no, we dont want any more of this. I think its disappointing and shabby, and i dont think they should have done it. Those who want to help more child refugees, including the archbishop of canterbury, said today that the government was going back on commitments it made last year. But ministers say to that that theres no point in inviting thousands of children here if the local councils, who will have to look after them, cant cope. These are children who need looking after over a period. When we accept them here, it is notjob done. It is making sure that we work with local authorities, that we have the right safeguarding in place. Called to the commons to defend her decision, the Home Secretary even found opposition from a few in her own party. But councils warned that caring for refugee children is expensive. It costs on average £50,000 to support a child in the uk care system, and every unaccompanied refugee child is entitled to exactly the same care and support as a child from the uk. We need to make sure that where those costs are rising they are properly fully funded. There are Tens Of Thousands of refugee children still in limbo in europe, but ministers prefer schemes that take children who are even more vulnerable, from camps near to syria. And the Home Office Said that in all, 8000 children were given refuge of some sort in the uk last year. Daniel sandford, bbc news. Donald trumps nominee for the Supreme Court has described the president s attacks on the judiciary as demoralising and disheartening. The comments by neil gorsuch were made in a private conversation with a democratic senator, but later confirmed by thejudges office. During the day, one of the president s most controversial cabinet nominees, jeff sessions, was sworn in as attorney general. Our north america editor jon sopel has the latest. I, jeff sessions, do solemnly swear. It hasnt been neat, it hasnt been easy, but senatorjeff sessions, a hugely controversial choice over an allegedly racist past, has finally won approval to be Donald Trumps attorney general. And its clear that he and the president are on the same page. We have an increased threat, since i was United States attorney, from terrorism. Mr president , you have spoken firmly on that. You have led this nation, to say were going to respond effectively to the threat of terrorism, and you can count on your Department Ofjustice to do so in an effective way. But Donald Trumps plan to ban migrants from seven mainly muslim countries isnt going to be decided by the justice department. It is going to end up here, at the Supreme Court. And his recent denunciation of federaljudges involved in that case is doing him no favours. Astonishingly, even his pick for the Supreme Court has called the move disheartening and demoralising. Judge gorsuch, who has been touring Capitol Hill Offices to win support for his nomination, wouldnt express those reservations on camera. He did reveal this in a series of private meetings. You misrepresented his comments totally. His comments were misrepresented, and what you should do is ask senator blumenthal about his vietnam record. It didnt exist, after years of saying it did, so ask senator blumenthal about his vietnam record. He misrepresented that, just like he misrepresented judge gorsuch. Thank you all very much. There is no question Thatjudge Gorsuch said that these attacks on the judiciary are disheartening and demoralising. You neednt believe me. There were white house staff in the room, and his own spokesman confirmed afterward what he said. The judiciary and executive are two separate branches of government that are meant to keep their distance. Judge gorsuch, when he was unveiled at the white house last week, seemed determined to do that quite literally, though it seems to be something to president is struggling to accept. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. President trump is continuing to defend his travel ban against seven mainly muslim countries, as the courts consider its legality. Mr trump is claiming that American Public opinion is strongly in his favour. He made immigration one of his Main Campaign themes. One of the states where mr trump gained particular support was montana. Our correspondent Aleem Maqbool has been there, to find out what people make of the argument over travel and immigration. Beautiful alpine montana is the size of germany. Its got a Population Ofjust 1 million, but fewer than 20 Refugee Families have been resettled in the entire state since the mid 90s. And yet this is where some of the strongest views against immigration can be found. I believe that what we have seen with our president is a phenomenal performance so far. This is a man who couldnt be happier. He voted for donald trump. Hollis is heavily involved in local politics and hes a preacher. His christian compassion, though, does not extend to those he feels are a threat to his way of life. There you go, kids, that will keep you warm. If they come among us and then try to enact something, say, sharia law. Who is trying to do that . If groups of radical islamic people begin to show up who will eventually attempt to harm our women, those militant people need to understand that the women of montana are armed. Is anybody here angry . Hollis says those who are protesting against Donald Trumps Immigration Policies do not represent the real america. This is a local rally in support of the refugees. Not a bad turnout for a weekday lunchtime in the snow, perhaps. But these are certainly not the loudest voices on this issue in montana right now. The state has one of the most high profile anti immigrant campaigns and before the election, had one of the biggest anti refugee protests in the country. The anger for many is directed mainly at muslims, something local politicians are tapping into some would say even fuelling. After days of debate, the state senate has just passed a bill to say sharia law cant be applied in montana. This woman and her family arrived here just a couple of months ago. They fled eritrea with no choice about where the un sent them. After more than four years of vetting, they landed in montana nervous, shy about talking on camera, adjusting to a different world, and to this storm of anti immigrant sentiment. But as far as many here and across america are concerned, there is simply no room for new immigrants, to whom the door should be firmly shut. Aleem maqbool, bbc news, montana. There were chaotic scenes in the south african parliament, as president jacob zuma tried to deliver his annual state of the nation address. Opposition mps called the president a scoundrel and Rotten To The Core because of corruption allegations. The president ordered the deployment of troops around the Parliament Building to deal with thousands of protestors. Mr zuma and his government have faced allegations of corruption for over a decade, as our africa correspondent Andrew Harding reports. The gloom here in Port Elizabeth can feel relentless. Its a rough city, worn down by corruption and neglect, and a revealing place tojudge south africas future. The failures here are easy to spot. This place has become known as toilet valley. The neighbourhood was supposed to house thousands of poor families. Somehow, the toilets got built, but no homes. They tell us were going to get houses in three months time. Its three years now. Three years that youve had this beautiful toilet that doesnt work, and no house . No house. No wonder people are losing patience. As the poor struggle here, the powerful are looting with impunity. Its negligence from those who have been entrusted to deal with the public purse. More than that, its corruption. Well, it boils down to corruption. You cant run away from it. Its the same story with these buses, which have sat unused in a depot since they were brought in for the 2010 world cup. The corruption here is quite breathtaking. This one bus scandal alone has cost the city more than £100 million, and thats just a fraction of what has been lost or stolen here. To many in south africa, the blame goes all the way to the top with the example set by president jacob zuma, arriving this evening to address parliament in cape town. Tighter security is becoming something of a habit here. Inside, Opposition Mps interrupted the president s speech. An incorrigible man, Rotten To The Core. Reminding him that hed broken his Oath Of Office in relation to a corruption scandal. In english, hes called a scoundrel. Eventually, political theatre turned into something more violent, Security Guards called in to eject the protesting mps. Only then did mr zuma get his chance to celebrate his governments achievements. We are building a south africa that must be free from poverty, inequality and unemployment. But the political mood here is sour, and likely to get worse. But as gloomy as things may seem here, theres change in the air. Here in Port Elizabeth and in other key cities, the opposition has been winning power in local elections, Nudging South African democracy in the right direction. The result, a frenzy of initiatives in Port Elizabeth, the former opposition now keen to show it can fix the city and, who knows, maybe win power nationwide in 2019. The result, a frenzy of initiatives in Port Elizabeth, the former opposition now keen to show it can fix the city and, who knows, maybe win power nationwide in 2019. So if you get it right here, is this the way out of trouble for south africa . This is the only way out of trouble for south africa. That is why it is so critical for us to have achieved what we did in the last local government elections. We are steadfast that by 2019, we will put a Coalition Government together that will govern south africa where we bring all people together. Thats a message that has begun to gain momentum. If they keep on being competent and they dont lose motivation as time goes, then south africa is set to boom. To boom . Yes perhaps, but in toilet valley, theyre still waiting for homes. South africas economy remains stagnant, and the challenges for any party are immense. Andrew harding, bbc news, in Port Elizabeth. A brief look at some of the days other news stories. Four men who were part of a gang that sexually exploited teenage girls in rochdale are facing deportation to pakistan. The men british nationals of pakistani origin were jailed for between six and 22 years. Immigration judges have rejected appeals against plans to strip them of their british citizenship. The city of Edinburgh Council says itll examine all the recommendations of a report which found poor Quality Control was to blame for a Wall Collapsing at a Primary School a year ago. The incident led to the temporary closure of 17 other schools which were built as part of the same private finance agreement. New data from the Department For Transport shows record levels of traffic on britains roads. There were over 320 billion vehicle miles travelled last year. This is the most ever recorded and is 2 more than the pre recession peak, in the year ending september 2007. Four of labours newest mps have been promoted to Jeremy Corbyns front bench. The Mini Reshuffle was necessary after a number of the Shadow Cabinet defied the leaders order to support the governments brexit bill. There are now 1a women in mr corbyns 29 member Shadow Cabinet. In egypt, the only centre for treating victims of torture has been closed without warning by the authorities. The Security Forces of president Abdel Fattah El sisi are accused of regularly torturing detainees as they try to crush any political dissent. Its an allegation his government denies. From cairo, our correspondent orla guerin reports. Here in the shadows, in a rundown apartment block, the brutalised found hope. But today, therapists and doctors sat idly outside after police shut down the El Nadeem Centre the only refuge in egypt for victims of torture. One of the co founders told us their services are crucial because nowhere is safe. When it comes to Police Stations and prisons, the map of torture in the country is the map of the country. There isnt a hamlet, a village, town, city, where torture doesnt take place. It is vast, and it is policy. So this is a countrywide policy . Absolutely. Thats denied by the authorities, who speak only of isolated cases, but the centre has treated thousands since 1993. Now for the first time ever, theres no entry. Well, other doors here may soon be closed. More Human Rights Organisations are being targeted theyve been accused of illegally receiving foreign funding and their assets have been frozen. Campaigners say the aim is very clear to silence anyone who dares to criticise the regime. But some torture victims continue to speak out, like 21 year old mahmoud. Recently, he told us what happened after his arrest in 2014. Translation i was abused at the checkpoint where i was arrested. Then they transferred me to the police station. I was electrocuted on my private parts. They kicked me with their military boots and hit me with sticks. Having spent more than two years in jail, yesterday he was detained again, snatched off the street along with five other activists. He says he was blindfolded and interrogated for hours. One of his friends is still missing. Mahmoud used to turn to the El Nadeem Centre for help. Guerin, cairo. There is more pressure on the Football Association tonight, this time from mps. They have passed a motion of No Confidence in its leadership and have called on parliament to step in and reform the organisation. While the vote was largely symbolic, ministers have warned that the fa needs to modernise or it might lose millions of pounds public funding. Two of britains best sprinters James Ellington and nigel levine were involved in a Road Accident last month, and their injuries were described as career threatening. Theyre now back in the uk receiving treatment, and one of them, James Ellington, has been discussing what happened and the progress theyre making, with our correspondent david ornstein. James ellington is one of britains finest sprinters, winning gold medals for his country. But today, hes learning to walk again. Three weeks ago, ellington was involved in a Head On Collision as a passenger on a motorbike during a Training Camp in tenerife. I was on the floor and there was blood everywhere, and i looked at my leg and my leg was in pieces and my head was split open. I lost six pints of blood, so i was kind of laying there, thinking to myself what the hell is going on . It was like a nightmare. This was the x ray of his right tibia. Ellingtons surgeon described the injuries as career threatening. He suffered an open fracture of his right leg, a broken left ankle and damage to his pelvis and an eye socket. The crash was so horrific that i dont think most people would have survived, to be honest. So when i was laying in the hospital bed in tenerife and i saw my team mates coming to visit me, they looked pretty emotional but i was saying to them its cool, because i knew i was lucky to be alive. 2016 was ellingtons best year to date. He competed against the likes of usain bolt at the rio olympics. Four years earlier, he auctioned himself on ebay, just to fund his journey to the london games. What is your outlook for your future as a sprinter . Being an athlete and a determined person, i think this is going to be something i want to come back from. Imagine that, being on the track after what youve been through. I know, its crazy. But i believe i can do it. That belief is familiar to ellington, but success now has a new perspective. David ornstein, bbc news. Newsnight is coming up on bbc two. Tonight, we will be speaking to britain passed by top cop, sir Bernard Hogan howe. He has been the metropolitan Police Commissioner for over five years, but is about to step down so that he can give us an honest view of how well the police are doing. Join me honest view of how well the police are doing. Join me now on bbc two. And in the next few hours, we are