BBC News Health

The group representing hospitals and ambulance services in England is warning of a "real risk" to health services if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

NHS Providers says there's a lack of "contingency planning" to deal with the impact of a no-deal Brexit.

The Department of Health it's preparing for "the unlikely event of no-deal", to prevent disruption to patients.

But the Exeter Labour MP Ben Bradshaw says ministers need to show health service providers what they'll do to guarantee the supply of medicines, equipment and NHS staff.

NHS Providers is the membership organisation and trade association for the NHS acute, ambulance, community and mental health services that treat patients and service users in the NHS.

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The federation represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Image source, Google

Theatre staff in Truro are making sure people don't get ticked off at losing track of the time by ensuring that the city hall's clock keeps working while the building is closed.

The Hall For Cornwall (HFC) venue, which comprises much of the building, closed in June and is due to stay shut until mid-2020 for major refurbishment works.

But four members of staff are still visiting three times a week to wind the clock, which first started chiming out across the city in 1915.

The winding process involves "turning a series of handles which pull weights attached to cords and pulleys up from the second to the third floor of the tower – an incredibly physical task which can require two people to carry out," the HFC said.

Once fully wound, the weights take about 72 hours to return back to their base when the whole process has to be repeated.

Image source, Hall For Cornwall

Plymouth Live

Plymouth’s “unsightly "bridges of sighs” will soon be no more – the structures spanning Union Street and Western Approach will be torn down as part of a £5.5m plan, external to finally create the much-vaunted boulevard to Millbay.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A Cornwall MP is disputing the success of a centre for homeless people in St Austell where residents are allowed to take drugs and drink in their rooms.

Cosgarne Hall has claimed its policy has contributed to a significant reduction in street drinking in the town, and allowing residents to ask for help at their own pace.

Critics said the approach slowed down recovery.

Local Conservative MP Steve Double (pictured) added that he believed the drop in incidents was also more to do with local policing, and the hostel was "a magnet" for addicts from all over the UK, bringing "people with these disruptive lifestyles to St Austell".

He has also blamed Cornwall Council for offering residential places to addicts from outside the county.

Cornwall Council has been approached for a comment.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

A new patrol boat has been launched in the Exe Estuary to help protect wildlife and ensure water users stay safe.

The 19ft (5.75m) long boat, the Branta Isca, bought for £27,000, has been funded by the South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee (SEDHREC).

The committee is a partnership of Teignbridge, Exeter and East Devon councils formed to protect internationally important conservation sites on the Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and east Devon's pebblebed heaths, which are a special area of conservation, external.

It was paid for "with money from developers of new housing across the three council areas".

Image source, South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee

SEDHREC Chairman Humphrey Clemens said the vessel would "play a key role in our educational and outreach programme" and would help people understand where wildlife refuges were.

There are an estimated 8.8 million visits per year to the Exe Estuary from local people.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Image source, Jenny Stockbridge

A teenage car driver has been injured in a road crash with a tractor in west Cornwall.

Officers said the 19-year-old Suzuki Swift driver was left trapped in the vehicle in the crash on the B3280 near Goldsithney, Penzance, at about 17:20 on Monday.

He was taken by air ambulance to hospital in Plymouth for injuries to his pelvis and lower legs.

The driver of the tractor was uninjured.

The road was closed for eight hours for an investigation and for "specialist recovery for the tractor", police said.

Image source, Jenny Stockbridge

Police found six plastic cylinders taped together in the box, along with a ticking pocket watch.

Cornish Stuff

Prime Minister Theresa May has thanked Cornwall Pride organisers and volunteers, external for bringing people together to celebrate freedom, equality, difference and diversity.

Signs threatening to prosecute people for removing stones from a Cornwall beach are criticised by locals.

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

A free service in Devon which allows hundreds of elderly people to keep reading is in danger of having to turn away new clients due to a shortage of volunteers, staff say.

The Home Library Service, external, run by the Royal Voluntary Service, brings books and audio books to readers' homes "who through ill health, injury or disability cannot visit a library, or who are too frail to carry heavy books".

However, its shortage of volunteers means people who need the service may be turned away.

It is appealing for more people to come forward to help.

Devon Live

Thousands more people attended casualty units in Devon during the heatwave in July, compared with 2017, which health bosses said was an "unprecedented summer surge, external".

An extra "T" appeared on a cycling path sign in Newton Abbot has been covered in tape.

Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall

Ben Woolvin
BBC South West Home Affairs correspondent

A centre for homeless people in St Austell says its policy of allowing residents to drink alcohol in their rooms has contributed to a fall in street drinking in the town.

Critics of Cosgarne Hall have raised concerns, saying there was a long history of antisocial behaviour in the area. In the most extreme case, one resident was murdered by two others last year in a nearby park.

They added that they believed the approach did not help addicts and claimed it even attracted street drinkers to the area.

New annual figures show police reports of street drinking incidents have decreased by 21%.

Kate Heath, from the facility, said: "By allowing people to drink safely here, where they can also access support if they need it, we're preventing it from being done in the streets."

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Firefighters tackled a huge house fire in Plymouth in the early hours.

They received a number of calls from residents who had noticed the fire at a two-storey house on Ridge Road just before 02:00.

Three crews were sent to the scene, where no-one was found to be inside or hurt. Crews remained at the property until about 05:00.

The cause is thought to be accidental.

BBC Radio Devon

• In Tedburn St Mary, there are reports of a vehicle fire on the A30 Westbound at Fingle Glen
• In Frogmore, there are reports of sheep on road on A379, near Springfield Farm Shop

North Devon Gazette

Age Concern Barnstaple and District looks set to close its doors for good at the end of October, external unless some sort of rescue funding can be found.

The charity has sent a letter to health providers and other stakeholders saying it will be closing on 31 October and from now on is unable to accept new referrals for its services.

Devon Live

A woman jumped from the first floor window of a burning building in Paignton, external.

A woman was later arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and is with officers while she is being treated at Torbay Hospital.

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