'Sinkhole' road reopens after void is filled
Search for relatives of Somme soldiers
120,000 people expected to attend Victorian Street Fayre in Worcester
Debut for two Warriors; academy players
Updates from Friday 25 November
Health chiefs have revealed the deeply controversial move, external as part of a new five-year blueprint to plug a £250m funding "gap".
The trust running hospitals in Worcestershire says a massive backlog of X-rays, uncovered after an unannounced inspection by a health watchdog in July, "is now cleared".
The trust says that following the criticisms by the Care Quality Commision (CQC), radiographer staffing levels have been improved and that it is now dealing with all urgent X-rays within two days and all other routine X-rays within two weeks.
The CQC will carry out another inspection later in the month to check the progress made by the trust.
Quote MessageWe apologise for any distress this has caused and can confirm that the backlog concerns a secondary review of X-rays, with the majority of these X-rays having been reviewed by the requesting clinician, mostly on the same day, to determine the patient's care plan."
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust statement
Worcester's Victorian Christmas Fayre begins today, bringing thousands of people into the city over the next four days.
Organisers say last year's event attracted around £8m in extra cash to the city, with stalls, street entertainment, a procession and live music.
Victorian street fayre opens in city.
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- "Urgent powers" used by health watchdog to protect patients at Worcestershire hospitals
- Castle restoration on Herefordshire border plans agreed
- Two-week ban for Warrior's player after dangerous tackle
A hero postman from Stourport, who was threatened with a metal bar after his van was rammed, external as he thwarted a burglary on his rounds, is to receive a police commendation.
Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Worcester Warriors' centre Ryan Mills has been suspended for two weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous tackling in the home game against Northampton Saints.
Image source, Lee Webb PhotographyRyan Mills will be free to play again on 6 December
A disciplinary panel found that "the challenge was mistimed owing to a long lay-off through injury and lack of match fitness and was therefore a low-end offence”.
The incident happened during the first half of the match at Sixways on Friday, 18 November.
Saints' Calum Clark was cited for a separate incident during the same match and has been handed a three-week ban.
Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Hereford FC have confirmed two of their players have turned down approaches from other clubs in the past month.
Midfielder Mike McGrath was a target of Sutton Coldfield Town, while there were two clubs after goalkeeper Alex Harris, but both decided to remain at Edgar Street.
Manager Pete Beadle is in talks with full back Adam Davies after he was the target of an approach from his former club, Merthyr Town.
The forecast for today is cloudy but dry, and there may even be some sunny periods later.
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Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has been told to take "urgent action" to protect patients after a backlog of 11,000 X-ray results were discovered during an unannounced inspection.
Chief Inspector of Hospitals Sir Mike Richardssaid he was using "urgent enforcement powers to protect people" using radiology services.
Image source, PAThe inspection was carried out at the service on 27 July after concerns about the length of time being taken to report on routine and urgent X-rays and how the backlog was being managed - there were additional concerns relating to staffing within the department.
The CQC says the enforcement action means the trust must take "urgent action to deal with the significant number of unreported images to ensure that patients are protected from the risk of harm".
Some of the riverside footpaths in Worcester are impassable due to the floods, but the swans seem to be having a good time.
The Victorian street fayre, which opens today, is completely unaffected by the floods, the council says.
Some facts and figures about what constitutes a sinkhole.
Image source, Reuters/BBCJapanese sinkhole:
- 98ft (30m) wide
- 50ft (15m) deep
- Swallowed up an entire double track road
- Fixed within a week
Worcester sinkhole:
- 1.5ft (0.5m) across (approx)
- 2 inches deep (5cm) deep (approx)
- Closed road under railway bridge
- Engineers on site
Brickfields Road remains closed under the railway bridge after a hole opened up in the road surface.
Even Worcestershire County Council is now seeing the funny side of their early description of the damage as "a sinkhole", after taking some gentle ribbing on social media.
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Phil Maiden
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- A Worcestershire woman is hoping a debate in parliament today on the contaminated blood scandal will lead to those involved being held to account
- Plans for a multimillion-pound project to a bridge over the River Severn into a dual carriageway could be finalised in the next few months
- The annual Victorian Christmas Fayre, which brings thousands of shoppers to Worcester, opens today
A Worcestershire woman says she's hoping a debate in parliament today on the contaminated blood scandal will lead to those involved being held to account.
Thousands of people were infected with hepatitis C and HIV through NHS blood products in the 1970s and 80s.
Collette Wintle from Worcester developed cirrhosis of the liver following a transfusion with contaminated blood and has been protesting about it for years.
Quote MessageNot one haematologist has ever been brought to book for this, nobody has ever been held to account and this is why I think there should be an inquiry to examine why a community of very vulnerable people like haemophiliacs could be attacked in this way."
Collette Wintle
BBC Sport
Northampton Saints' Calum Clark has been handed a three-week ban after pleading guilty to elbowing Worcester Warriors lock Donncha O'Callaghan in Friday night's match at Sixways.
There has been no official ruling regarding the punishment handed down to Warriors' Ryan Mills who was charged with dangerous play.
Image source, Rex FeaturesA violent attacker with links to Worcester, external is on the run after absconding from an open prison.
Plans for a multimillion-pound project to turn Worcester's ring road bridge over the River Severn into a dual carriageway could be finalised in the next few months.
Worcestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been given approximately £35m from the chancellor's budget to improve transport and infrastructure.
Image source, GoogleThe money to pay for the new bridge on Worcester's southern link road would come from separate funding, which the county LEP's chief executive Gary Woodman says could be announced very soon.
Quote MessageI think we are doing all we can at the moment, we are pushing as hard as we can, and the fact that we are continuing to raise [the bridge plans] means it is getting up there in terms of priorities - so I think, I hope, over the next few months we might see a positive outcome."
Gary Woodman, Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
Rather cloudy at times, but the cloud will tend to break up through the day to allow some sunny spells for most. Highs of 9C ( 48F).
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Phil Maiden
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- Plans for a multimillion-pound project to turn a bridge over the River Severn into a dual carriageway could be finalised in the next few months
- A road in Worcester is closed after a "sinkhole" opens up under a railway bridge
- A Hereford woman who became deaf while she slept is able to hear again after having a cochlear implant
BBC Travel
Brickfields Road in Worcester has been closed under the railway bridge after a 1m (3ft) wide "sinkhole" opened, Worcestershire County Council says.
Severn Trent engineers will investigate the cause, but the council says it is not yet known when the road will reopen.
Image source, Google
