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More than 780 jobs set to be cut by NHS trust

by Chloe February 7, 2025
written by Chloe

More than 780 full time positions at an NHS trust are set to be axed as part of cost-saving measures.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said it would have to reduce its workforce in mostly non-clinical roles to "protect frontline services".

The trust's CEO David French said the decision to close positions had been made as the organisation tries to "live within our financial means".

The shake-up has been driven by the government, which has called on the NHS to reduce waiting lists, improve care and operate in a more financially viable way.

Mr French said: "Our core purpose is to provide outstanding care for our patients, and that, along with supporting our staff, is guiding every decision that we're making."

He said the trust had received a financial settlement with the government that was "lower than we'd hoped for and anticipated", and had to save £110m as a result.

"As a publicly funded organization with a responsibility to the taxpayer, it is our job to do the best we can within that money," he said.

A lack of financial reserves, along with a financial settlement that was less than the trust currently spends, had caused "action of this scale", Mr French said.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
David French is the trust's chief executive

In total, 620 permanent staff members and 165 temporary employees will see their positions close under the plans.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust currently employs about 13,000 people – with many based at its flagship hospital, Southampton General.

Mr French told the BBC the trust had to "do everything we can to protect frontline services and use all of the assets that we've got as productively and as efficiently as possible".

He said the "majority" of roles closing would be "non-patient facing" positions, adding that the trust had looked "particularly hard" for any possible savings.

Positions being lost are thought to be within HR, finance and communications.

The trust was "working hard to minimise the impact" of the job cuts for "staff and patients", Mr French said.

"Our expectation and the government's expectation is that the waiting list will continue to reduce," he added.

Getty Images
Southampton General Hospital is the largest run by the trust

The announcement follows the news last month that neighbouring NHS trusts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had earmarked up to 800 jobs to be cut as part of cost-saving measures.

"This isn't just Southampton, many trusts across the country and are in exactly the same situation," Mr French said.

Further losses of up to 50% are also expected at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) and other ICBs in the region.

In March, the government announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body responsible for commissioning and improving health services across the UK.

The shake-up is driven by the Department of Health and Social Care, which has said it is part of a wider plan to protect frontline services and help improve patient care.

A spokesperson for the government department previously said: "We are reforming the NHS to cut bureaucracy and make savings so we can focus on empowering frontline staff to deliver better care for patients, while getting value for taxpayers' money.

"We are investing an extra £26bn in health and care, and have already made progress on our mission to cut waiting lists – delivering an extra three million appointments in six months and cutting the waiting list by 219,000 since July."

Tech

Three arrests after man stabbed in head

by Andrew February 6, 2025
written by Andrew

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man was stabbed in the head.

The victim, in his early 20s, was involved in an altercation with about 10 people in Aylesbury on Monday evening, Thames Valley Police said.

Officers believed the man was attacked with a screwdriver. He has since been treated and discharged from hospital.

Two men, aged 18, and another aged 20, remain in police custody. Police have appealed for witnesses.

The attack happened in the area of Oxford Road, Whitehall Street and Buckingham Street at about 18:40 BST.

Det Insp Philip Turner-Robson said: "This was a disorder involving multiple people which quickly escalated from a verbal altercation into violence.

"A man sustained stab wounds to his head in the incident, believed to be with a screwdriver, but thankfully his injuries are not life-threatening and he is no longer in hospital.

"We have made three arrests, and I would like to reassure the local community that we are investigating this incident as a priority, and there has been and will continue to be a presence of officers in the area while this investigation continues."

Business

No need to see GP for hay fever, says pharmacist

by Jasmine February 5, 2025
written by Jasmine

A pharmacist is urging the public to go to their local pharmacy if they struggle with hay fever – rather than "bothering" their GP.

The advice comes as the Met Office forecasts very high levels of ash and birch pollen across the South West this week.

Mike Hewitson, a community pharmacist in Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, said pharmacies offer treatments without the need for an appointment.

He said hay fever has a "big impact on people but we can do lots about it".

Pollen counts tend to be high during warm, dry, and breezy weather conditions, as these factors promote pollen production and dispersal from trees, grasses, and weeds, according to the Met Office.

"Different types of plants flower at different times," Mr Hewitson added.

He said trees are generally earlier in the season, and grass pollen then hits us in June and July.

Market

Student funding to create generation of AI pioneers

by Jordan February 3, 2025
written by Jordan

A new scholarship aimed at developing the next generation of artificial intelligence "pioneers" will open to applicants in spring 2026.

The Sparck AI scholarships, named after pioneering British computer scientist Karen Sparck Jones, will give master's degree university students access to industry-leading firms as the Government looks to boost the UK's AI credentials.

The University of Bristol will be one of nine universities to offer the fully-funded Government scholarship, alongside faculties in Newcastle, Manchester and Edinburgh.

The university said they "relish the opportunity," with the grant covering both students tuition and living costs.

Business

'Impossible' to get driving tests, say learners

by Andrea February 2, 2025
written by Andrea

Learner drivers in the West say they are resorting to using expensive cancellation websites in a desperate attempt to book their tests.

With the official routes for booking tests oversubscribed, the BBC has been told that companies are block-booking appointments and selling them on to people unable to find a spot.

Daisy Bodkin, 24, from Cheltenham, said it was "impossible" to get a test through the official Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website, and she and many of her peers had turned to the private apps as a last resort.

Loveday Ryder, DVSA chief executive, said the organisation had been working "tirelessly" to address the issues and reduce driving test waiting times.

These unofficial companies will use the applicants' driving licence number to reserve a bulk amount of test appointments until they can resell them at a higher price.

The license number will then be changed to match the buyers'.

Using these sites is what allows automated bots to exploit the driving test booking service, by getting users to provide the necessary details the companies need to hold the slots.

This leaves those who are ready to take their test struggling to find one at a date and time of their choice.

Nearly 27,000 people responded to a call for evidence from the DVSA between December and February.

Of those, 93.1% said they had struggled with a lack of suitable test appointment slots.

Ms Bodkin, who recently finished university and works as a freelance journalist for the BBC, said she had booked a test in October 2024 for March 2025, but had failed.

"I waited until I felt like I was ready to book a test, which I think was probably not the right thing to do – I should have booked it ages ago," she said.

Handout
Daisy Bodkin says the next official appointment available was not until 2026

With the end of her university in sight she put rebooking her test "on the back burner", only to find later that there were no tests available through the DVSA in Cheltenham or Gloucester until 2026.

"Everyone is recommending the apps, which I know is the thing that is causing all the issues, but also I don't really want to be left behind when everyone is doing it," she added.

With booking tests on the DVSA website "impossible", she said, her and her peers have been left "constantly checking" the apps for cancellations.

The pressure of knowing another test would likely be a long way off if she failed "definitely added" to her nerves, Ms Bodkin said.

Driving instructor Russell Merchant says Covid-19 caused a significant backlog

Russell Marchant, who runs Bubble Driving School in Somerset, said many learners will cancel lessons to save money while they wait for their test.

But this risks them forgetting what they have learnt and feeling unprepared when the time finally comes, he added.

"As soon as someone starts in the car, as soon as they've passed their theory, we encourage them to try and get a test booked because we know it's going to be six months down the line."

Mr Merchant blames the Covid-19 pandemic for the mounting backlog, as postponed tests were continually added to the waiting list.

"[there were] Four lockdowns and in all of them the DVSA were not testing," he explained.

"That caused a lot of instructors to find other jobs. We had examiners leave the industry and not come back."

However, Ms Ryder told the BBC the DVSA had been "making good progress" on a plan to bring down waiting times, which was announced in December 2024.

"[Our] goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for everyone while preventing excessive charges for learner drivers," she added.

Business

Festival to set record for most people yodelling

by Daniel February 2, 2025
written by Daniel

A charity hopes to set up a record for the most people yodelling in unison in Somerset.

Charity School in a Bag (SIAB) is hosting its annual fundraiser event Home Farm Fest from 6-8 June for the 18th time.

As part of the festival, Yodellynne, or Lynne Nash, will be teaching yodelling to the festival goers – hoping to become the biggest group of people yodelling in unison in Somerset.

Luke Simon, Founder of School in a Bag, said: "This year is by far our biggest Home Farm Fest to date – we have sold out for the first time ever. At a time where so many festivals are folding we are clearly doing something right."

Tech

Residents asked for views on 20-year city plan

by Jayden January 31, 2025
written by Jayden

A consultation has begun for residents to have their say on future development in a city.

Peterborough's new local plan will set out priorities for housebuilding over the next 20 years, as well as things like transport, community facilities and other infrastructure.

A series of public events are happening next month to raise awareness of the consultation.

Nick Thulbourn, the council's cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: "Local plans are key guides to what can be built where, shaping infrastructure investments and determining future plans for development."

He said Peterborough was one of the UK's fastest-growing cities and needed a plan to help "grow effectively and develop the local economy".

Local plans are made by councils in order to help guide planning decisions and make sure development is sustainable.

Peterborough City Council's review of its local plan is meant to replace the current policy it adopted in 2019, which sets out priorities like protecting open spaces and attracting more hi-tech businesses to the city.

People can take part in the consultation via the council's website, which ends on 29 May.

There are plans for public events at Queensgate Shopping Centre on 8 May, Peterborough Museum on 10 May and Cathedral Square on 15 May.

A final version of the local plan will be submitted to government in early 2026.

The city council said it would then be independently examined before coming into force by the end of next year.

Industry

Policy areas raised for election candidates

by Amanda January 30, 2025
written by Amanda

Business and charity sectors in Guernsey have identified policy areas for the island's election candidates to consider.

The Voice of Guernsey Business Insight Report said the six key areas were housing and cost of living, the education and skills gap, tax and economic development, connectivity, tourism and transport links, and government delivery and public spending.

Guernsey's general election is set to be held on Wednesday, 18 June.

A spokesperson for the report urged candidates in the upcoming election to "consider their responses" to the issues raised.

The report represents about 1,000 companies and about 20,000 employees in the island.

'Hindering success'

The full report will be published later in April and a briefing for candidates will take place on 2 May.

A report spokesperson added: "We ask islanders who are considering whether to stand for election to think carefully about these priorities – because these complex and interwoven policy areas are currently hindering our community's economic and social success."

The report cited housing affordability, availability and quality as the "top concerns for businesses" and added "alleviating cost of living pressures for the younger generation are crucial".

It said skills shortages and an ageing workforce "pose long-term risks to Guernsey's economy" and government "inefficiency" and "slow decision-making" were "significant obstacles".

Innovation

The 1980s 'British Disneyland' that never happened

by Amelia January 30, 2025
written by Amelia

A new Universal resort near Bedford is due to open in 2031, creating 28,000 jobs and attracting 8.5 million visitors a year.

But more than 40 years ago, a similar vision was announced just outside Corby, Northamptonshire.

Called WonderWorld, the ambitious £346m project promised a British answer to Disney – complete with themed villages, hotels, and rides designed by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam. But it never opened.

Here's what was planned, and why it was never built…

Despite the hype and fanfare, WonderWorld was never built

Where was WonderWorld?

In 1981, planning permission was granted for WonderWorld to be built on a 1,000-acre site at Priors Hall, about two miles (3km) north-east of Corby.

The land, part of a disused quarry once linked to the town's former steelworks, was identified as the ideal location due to strong local support.

Signs for the theme park feature in Netflix's Toxic Town, and it is mentioned in BBC podcast The Toxic Waste Scandal.

Developers Group Five described the area as the perfect home for the park, citing the "positive attitude displayed by the local and county authorities and the Commission for the New Towns".

The attraction was described as the "equivalent of America's Disneyland", and it was supposed to be an answer to unemployment in Corby following the 1980 closure of the steelworks, which led to 10,000 job losses and left nearly a third of the town out of work.

WonderWorld was earmarked to be built two miles north east of Corby, near Weldon

What would be in WonderWorld?

Getty Images
Walt Disney's Epcot, which opened in Orlando in 1982, was part of the inspiration for WonderWorld

Modelled on Walt Disney World's Epcot, the attraction was to include 13 themed "villages" built around a central bowl, 700m in diameter.

Six of these were due to open in the summer of 1992, with a projected four million annual visitors and parking for 7,000 vehicles.

Plans included hi-tech rides, educational centres, themed restaurants, a conservation zone and shopping areas.

A brochure promised "a unique resort set in beautifully landscaped surroundings", with an "accent very much on participation".

In 1985, one of the architects, Derek Walker, said: "The basic ingredients [for WonderWorld] are very simple: entertainment at the very highest level. It's participatory and it's incredibly educational.

"[WonderWorld] will offer the best of British design."

There were plans for a open air concert arena styled to look like one of the Martian tripods from Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds

Botanist David Bellamy was involved in planning a mock safari while astronomer Sir Patrick Moore was to contribute to an observatory.

The complex would house a covered 10,000-seat stadium for indoor sports, changing rooms, rugby and football pitches, and all-weather tennis courts.

There were also proposals for a family resort with hotels – 2,000 rooms in seven hotels initially, expanding to 6,000 rooms – and an 18-hole golf course with 100 holiday villas.

The park's overall goal was to launch a new leisure industry built around "British heritage, folklore, science, and innovation".

AD Magazine
One ambitious idea was a canoe-style ride through a surreal version of the human body, designed by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam

Who was building WonderWorld?

The developer behind WonderWorld was Group Five, a company that pitched the park as "a family affair" offering a broad mix of attractions to suit all ages and interests.

The first phase of construction was estimated to cost £223m, with the full development forecast to hit £346m.

A 39-month construction timeline was set, aiming for an initial opening in 1985.

WonderWorld chairman Lord John Eden (left) hands over control of the site to a construction company in 1989

Why was WonderWorld never finished?

Despite early enthusiasm, WonderWorld's momentum began to stall.

Rising costs, planning delays and difficulty securing long-term funding meant backers pulled out, and so as public investment wavered, the vision began to fade.

All that was ever erected at the site was a large WonderWorld sign and a small wooden cabin.

The land is now home to more than 1,000 houses at Priors Hall Park, and there are plans to build just more than another 5,000 houses.

More than 1,000 houses have been built on part of the land earmarked for WonderWorld
Market

Construction begins on new Lidl store

by Elijah January 30, 2025
written by Elijah

Building work has started on a new Lidl store in Brough which is due to open next year.

The new supermarket on Welton Road could create about 40 jobs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It will have a different appearance to most Lidl stores across the country, with red brickwork, in order for the building to better align with the aesthetic of its surroundings.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council received more than 140 objections about traffic concerns after the plans were initially approved in 2022. They were later amended.

Lidl GB
The new store will be on the land north east of the roundabout that connects Welton Road with Myrtle Way

Councillors Richard Meredith, Terry Gill and Pat Smith had called for the original application to be refused due to fears it would be too close to homes and create additional traffic.

According to LDRS, during a planning meeting in 2022, Gill said: "When I've asked people about this they say they'd love a Lidl because it would bring a bit more competition, but when I tell them where it will be they ask if I'm joking."

A further planning application was submitted to the council in 2024 proposing a number of changes including building the store slightly further south, on the same site, to create more space between the store and the properties to the north.

Liam Schofield, regional head of property at Lidl GB, said: "This state-of-the-art store will mean local shoppers no longer have to travel to Hull."

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

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