NHS 'misses A&E waiting time target'
By Anonymous on Jun 04, 2013 02:46 am 3 June 2013 Last updated at 21:30 ET By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News 
Pressures have been growing on A&E units for a number of years
The NHS in England missed its A&E waiting time target in the first three months of the year, researchers say.
A total of 313,000 patients waited more than four hours, up 39% on the similar period in 2012, the King's Fund said after analysing official statistics.
That represented 5.9% of patients when the NHS is given a leeway of 5%.
A&E waits are now at their worst level for nine years, but the government said extra money was being made available to help the worst-hit hospitals.
However, evidence also emerging that hospital performance in areas such as infection control and cancer care could be deteriorating.
The news confirms what many experts have been warning.
Last month both doctors and managers claimed the system was heading for a crisis as hospitals were struggling to cope.
There have been reports of temporary waiting areas being set up in car parks and store rooms to help some units manage demand.
'Disastrous' The King's Fund analysis used official government statistics to get the full picture for January, February and March - the final quarter of the year 2012-13.
It showed 5.9% of patients waited longer than four hours, although the figures since then show improvement, the think tank said.
Meanwhile, a separate analysis by Monitor, which regulates the elite foundation trusts accounting for two-thirds of NHS services, found evidence that performance in areas such as cancer care, non-emergency operations and infection control could be deteriorating because of the growing pressures.
Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "This is no surprise - patients are presenting at emergency departments in increasing numbers because there is nowhere else they can go.
"Patients arriving at the 'front door' of the hospital have an impact on acute services throughout the hospital, and we need to redesign emergency care systems around the patient while making sure that clinicians' workloads and working practices are safe and sustainable."
And British Medical Association chairman Dr Mark Porter added: "Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that the problem will get worse before it gets better."
A spokesman for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said plans were in place to deal with the pressures with extra money being made available to help the worst-hit hospitals cope.
He said the problems were part of a "disastrous" legacy from Labour.
But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "The crisis in A&E proves that you can't trust David Cameron with the NHS."
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Barristers attack legal aid plans
By Anonymous on Jun 04, 2013 03:00 am 3 June 2013 Last updated at 23:25 ET 
Barristers were responding to a Ministry of Justice consultation on legal aid
Barristers have attacked plans to cut £220m from the annual criminal case legal aid budget in England and Wales.
The Bar Council, which represents barristers, said the government plans threatened to destroy a "world-renowned" justice system.
Plans for lawyers to compete for legal aid contracts would promote the "lowest possible quality of service", it said.
The government said the right to a fair trial would not be affected and lawyers would have to meet quality standards.
'Price trumps all' The Bar Council's comments came in its 150-page response to a Ministry of Justice consultation on the issue, which ends later.
It was particularly critical of what is known as price competitive tendering (PCT) being proposed by ministers as they seek to cut costs amid the financial squeeze on Whitehall departments.
Maura McGowan QC, chairwoman of the Bar Council, said: "There is no avoiding the simple fact that these proposals would move us from having a justice system which is admired all over the world, to a system where price trumps all.
"PCT may look as though it achieves short-term savings, but it is a blunt instrument that will leave deep scars on our justice system for far longer.
"Further cuts to the scope of civil legal aid will limit access to justice for some of the most vulnerable. That is a legacy of which no government should be proud."
The Bar Standards Board, which is responsible for regulating barristers, said the reforms "may endanger the ability of our legal system to guarantee everyone a fair trial".
Chairwoman Baroness Ruth Deech said: "While we accept that the current austerity measures are a consequence of the financial climate, protecting the public and ensuring criminal cases are dealt with fairly and justly remain of the utmost importance."
Financial interests Under the proposals there would be fewer organisations providing legal aid work.
They would compete for contracts on price, with companies such as logistics firm the Stobart Group bidding for work.
Recently retired senior judge Sir Anthony Hooper said the plans risked harming a system of fair justice that was the envy of the world.
Sir Anthony, who retired as a Court of Appeal judge last year, identified what he described as two fundamental defects resulting from PCT.
One was the elimination of the long-held right of a defendant to chose a legal aid solicitor. Those arrested will be assigned a lawyer from a firm winning a contract.
He warned that, for example, people with a disability may be unable to chose a lawyer with the expertise to understands their condition and ensure their fair treatment in the justice system.
He also warned that where solicitors' firms currently competed on the basis of excellence, new corporate providers would be under pressure to give advice that was in their financial interests.
BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman described Sir Anthony's criticisms as "stark".
Income cap Criminal legal aid costs taxpayers more than £1bn every year and the proposals are expected to cut the bill by £220m.
The government said contracts would be awarded only to those who met quality standards, and the changes offered the best value to the taxpayer without affecting the right to a fair trial.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "We have one of the best legal professions in the world.
"But at a time of major financial challenges, the legal sector cannot be excluded from the government's commitment to getting better value for taxpayers' money. We believe costs paid to lawyers through legal aid should reflect this.
"Wealthy defendants who can afford to pay for their own legal bills should do so. These changes are about getting the best value for the taxpayer and will not in any way affect someone's right to a fair trial."
The Ministry of Justice added that a disposable income cap of £37,500 per household would mean only those on a six-figure salary or above would be prevented from having automatic access to legal aid. Prisoners' rights to the support would also be curbed.
In April, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act removed legal aid from many areas of civil law.
Read in browser » Flood waters bear down on Prague
By Anonymous on Jun 04, 2013 01:01 am 3 June 2013 Last updated at 05:43 ET 
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Footage shows animals at Prague zoo being moved to higher ground, and submerged emergency vehicles, cars and homes in other parts of Europe
Thousands of people have fled their homes across central Europe as deadly flood waters continue to rise.
Emergency operations are under way in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic to deal with record levels of flooding in some places.
Landslides and flooding have led to the deaths of at least four people. At least eight people are missing.
In Germany, more than 7,000 people have been moved from their homes in the town of Eilenburg, reports say.
The Czech capital, Prague, is on high alert amid fears that floodwater could swamp its historic centre.
More than 2,500 people have been forced to leave their homes in the capital and the surrounding region, Radio Prague reports. Animals from Prague's zoo have also been moved.
Underground stations have been closed and schools shut as Prague officials wait and see whether the Vltava River will flood its banks.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas called a special cabinet session on Sunday to co-ordinate the emergency response, and around 1,000 troops were mobilised to help erect metal barriers and fill sandbags.
"We will do everything to protect people's lives and health," he said. "Tonight and tomorrow will be critical."
The BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague says the city is hoping that the defences it installed after devastating floods in 2002 will work.
At risk is the 14th Century Charles Bridge and other historic buildings close to the river bank, he says.
Disaster zone Main roads in many areas of central Europe have been closed and rail services cut. In some areas, electricity has been turned off as a precaution.
Outside Prague, two people were killed and four reported missing when a house collapsed. The body of a man in his 50s was found close to swollen river waters north-east of Prague and two people are missing after their raft overturned south-west of the capital.
In Austria, the meteorological service said two months of rain had fallen in just two days.
A man was found dead near Salzburg after being swept away as he worked to clear a landslip, and three further people are missing.
More than 300 people were moved from their homes in Salzburg and the neighbouring Tyrol as the army worked with the civil authorities to clear landslides and make roads passable.
Floods have swamped parts of the Passau in Bavaria
Parts of the Pinzgau region, which includes Taxenbach, have been declared a disaster zone.
In Germany, Bavaria's flood alert service has warned that the forecast of continuing heavy rain is likely to worsen the flooding affecting the Danube and the Inn, among other rivers in the area.
The German cities of Passau and Rosenheim have declared a state of emergency.
Authorities in Passau, which lies at the confluence of three rivers in Bavaria, said waters could rise above the record levels of 2002.
Towns and cities in Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Wuerttemberg have also been inundated by flooding, and the army has been deployed to help with the emergency effort.
In northern Saxony, water levels on the River Mulde were said to be particularly high.
A large area of Eilenburg north-east of Leipzig was evacuated, reports said, with 7,000 people being taken to emergency shelters.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has discussed the floods in phone-calls with the premiers of Bavaria and Saxony, the paper says.
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Read in browser » Queen marking coronation anniversary
By Anonymous on Jun 04, 2013 12:07 am 4 June 2013 Last updated at 00:07 ET 
The Queen will be greeted by the same music as at her coronation six decades ago
About 2,000 people will attend a service at Westminster Abbey later to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation.
Some who participated in the 1953 service will be in the congregation.
The Queen will be accompanied by more than 20 members of her family, including the Duke of Edinburgh.
Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip would be present despite pulling out of an engagement on Monday night because he was feeling unwell.
The heavy, solid gold St Edward's Crown will be on display.
The Queen, whose reign began in 1952, practised wearing the crown around Buckingham Palace in the weeks before her coronation, including at her children's bath time.
Continue reading the main story There will be echoes of a past coronation in an ancient church that will, one day, witness another one.
For the Queen it will be a chance to reflect on a ceremony which she saw as a solemn religious act of dedication.
For others, it will be an opportunity to celebrate her achievements. This will not be a universal reaction. There are those who yearn for an elected rather than a hereditary head of state.
Inside the abbey, the Queen will be surrounded by her family, including those who represent the House of Windsor's future - Prince Charles, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. As things stand, her unborn child will one day have a crown placed on his or her head.
But before then, will come the reign of the child's 64-year-old grandfather.
The Queen's eldest son and heir has waited, but not, his supporters argue, wasted his time.
The coronation chair, one of the oldest pieces of English furniture still in use, will also be on show.
The Queen, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, will enter Westminster Abbey to the same music that greeted her in 1953.
Back then, aged 27, she was the 38th sovereign to be crowned in an abbey that has been conducting such ceremonies since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066.
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will also be at Tuesday's service of celebration, as will the Duke of Cambridge and the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.
It will be the first time the couple, whose first baby is due next month, have attended a public event at the abbey since they married there two years ago.
Other royals present will include Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, the Princess Royal and Zara Phillips with her husband Mike Tindall.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, will both give readings.
Actress Claire Skinner, from the BBC sitcom Outnumbered, will read a poem written for the anniversary by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.
The coronation was a strictly Anglican Christian event, but 60 years later Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and other faiths will be represented.
At the time the coronation was a major television spectacle, with an estimated 27 million Britons tuning in.
Last year's Diamond Jubilee marked the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.
Prince Philip had been due to accompany the Queen to a gala reception for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) at St James's Palace in London on Monday.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "The duke is unwell but he will be at the service [on Tuesday]."
No details of the duke's illness were available.
Read in browser » Review of Parliament security passes
By Anonymous on Jun 03, 2013 04:50 pm 3 June 2013 Last updated at 16:50 ET The House of Commons authorities are to review 80 security passes following recent revelations about lobbying, the BBC has been told.
Three peers and an MP have been accused of agreeing to do parliamentary work for payment, with the government promising reforms by the summer.
The House of Commons Commission will begin a "validation" of passes issued by all-party groups, a source said.
The move comes after ministers promised to clean up political lobbying.
Lord Cunningham, Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, Lord Laird and MP Patrick Mercer all deny wrongdoing and their cases are being investigated by standards watchdogs.
The coalition announced on Monday that it would bring forward a bill to create a statutory register of professional lobbyists - whose job it is to influence politicians on behalf of companies and other organisations - before the end of July.
All-party parliamentary groups are run by and for MPs and peers, although many groups involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.
'Shabby' The interests covered are wide, ranging from the affairs of countries to hobbies and social issues.
Mr Mercer, who has since resigned the Conservative Party whip, was secretly filmed by BBC's Panorama appearing to offer a Commons security pass to a fake firm that paid £4,000 to ask parliamentary questions.
The Commons Commission, chaired by Speaker John Bercow, will now check the role of the 80 people given passes by all-party groups. These include representatives of businesses, charities and think-tanks.
The names of the holders are publicly declared in Parliament's register.
No passes have been suspended while the investigation goes on.
The coalition pledged to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists when it came to power in 2010, but critics have accused the government of inaction over the issue.
Following the latest revelations, Downing Street said it would bring forward a bill before the end of July.
As well as plans for a statutory register, it said it would include measures to end self-certification of trade union membership and reform third-party funding of election campaigns.
These are likely to be controversial as the unions are large financial backers of Labour.
The end of self-certification for trade unions means they will be required to carry out an annual audit of their membership and demonstrate that the figures they produce are accurate.
A certification officer will be given the power to conduct investigations into the numbers produced, which are vital when ballots on strike action are conducted.
The reform of the third-party funding of election campaigns would attempt to close a loophole in rules governing the cap on spending by political parties during an election period.
A Labour source said including the union measures in the lobbying bill was "shabby... cheap politics".
"The best way to proceed if you want to take big money out of politics and clean up the lobbying scandal is to act on a cross-party basis," they added.
Earlier on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the latest "unsettling but not surprising" allegations were symptomatic of a political system "long crying out for head-to-toe reform".
He said: "We need to be realistic: there is no single, magical protection against an individual politician determined to behave unethically or inappropriately."
Read in browser » Lib Dem MP Hancock quits party whip
By Anonymous on Jun 03, 2013 08:51 pm 3 June 2013 Last updated at 20:51 ET 
Mike Hancock said he intended to clear his name
Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock has resigned the party whip while he contests allegations of sexual assault.
He said he was stepping down from the party temporarily, after a meeting with the party's chief whip on Monday,
The Portsmouth South MP is being sued in a High Court civil action by a female constituent who had contacted him for help in a neighbour dispute.
Mr Hancock said he "completely refuted" the claims and was "vigorously" defending himself.
Party leader Nick Clegg said last week he had spoken to chief whip Alistair Carmichael about the possibility of suspending the MP from the party, but at the meeting on Monday in Westminster Mr Hancock instead offered to temporarily withdraw until the court case is concluded.
'Very serious allegations' In a letter to Mr Carmichael, he said: "I can assure you that I will continue to vigorously defend my position and that I completely refute the allegations against me.
"I'm doing this in the best interests of the party nationally and in Portsmouth and for my family.
"I will continue to work hard for my constituents in Portsmouth as I have always done."
In his reply, the chief whip said: "These are very serious allegations and the party takes them very seriously.
"I realise that you have denied them consistently and continue to do so.
"If, at the end of your case, your name is cleared then I would fully expect to have you back in the parliamentary party to play again your role in the Commons."
Affair with aide Mr Hancock, who has been an MP since 1997 and also sits on Portsmouth City Council, was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault in 2010 but never charged.
He was accused of "inappropriate behaviour", which he denied, towards a female constituent following a series of visits he made to her home.
It was alleged he placed his hand on her breast, exposed himself and kissed her without consent.
Mr Hancock hit the headlines in 2011 when he had an affair with his aide, Katia Zatuliveter, who was accused of being a Russian spy.
But the Special Immigration Appeals Commission said it had seen nothing to support the allegations against Miss Zatuliveter and she won an appeal against deportation.
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