Shropshire Live

Shrewsbury Folk Festival has set a target to smash the £50,000 barrier, external for its charity partner Hope House after revealing a leap in its fundraising at this year’s event.

Alexandra Hamilton
BBC Weather

The good news is that it should be dry and fairly warm in Shropshire this afternoon - highs of 14C (57F).

But it will be overcast too.

Andy Giddings
BBC Local Live

Our top stories this lunchtime:

- Concerns about cuts after Shropshire CCG goes into special measures

- A landowner near Bridgnorth says he'll challenge the decision to grant permission for a solar farm

- AFC Telford United out of the relegation zone after 3-1 win

Andy Giddings
BBC Local Live

Shropshire's two main hospitals are holding the first of two recruitment events today.

Registered and student nurses are being invited to apply for jobs in emergency care at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The trust is trying to reduce its reliance on agency workers.

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

Shropshire's Clinical Commissioning Group is the body which pays for healthcare in the county and it recently lost its Chief Accountable Officer Caron Morton - she's on indefinite leave.

The CCG has been heavily involved in plans to revamp the county's healthcare, which was expected to result in just one 24-hour A&E department in the county.

That decision was delayed as a direct result of the debts facing both the Shropshire CCG and the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire

AFC Telford United are out of the relegation zone after their 3-1 win over FC United of Manchester last night.

Sean Clancy and Robbie Paratore gave the Bucks a 2-0 half-time lead and Dave Hibbert wrapped it up five minutes from time.

Alex Seftel
Journalist, BBC Shropshire

The volunteers who run Oswestry's CCTV system have won an award from the National Association of Local Councils.

The cameras are manned by a 30-strong team and picked up the Outstanding Project of the Year prize.

Image source, Google

The MP for Ludlow, Philip Dunne, says NHS England's decision to place Shropshire's health commissioning body in special measures is "probably the right thing to do given that there's no senior management team".

He said it would "enable them to get some help to get things straight".

Shropshire Star

A man who died after his car collided with a lorry on the Shropshire border last year had sent a text message to his partner saying he was falling asleep, external just minutes before he crashed, an inquest has heard.

Jim Hawkins
Presenter, BBC Shropshire

We've been talking about those difficult questions you can get from your children, like "why is the sky blue?"

Here are some of the best ones:

- Where does all the white go when the snow melts?

- (Talking about the creation story) What was God doing before he started all this?

- What was Joseph and Mary's surname?

You can email us or give us a call on 01743 248321.

And in case you wondered, BBC Bitesize presenter Greg Foot explains why the sky is blue.

Andy Giddings
BBC Local Live

These are our top stories this morning:

- Shropshire's CCG has gone into special measures

- A recruitment day is being held to attract more nurses to Shropshire

- One of the main roads into the Ironbridge Gorge will be closed for safety work next week

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP, Daniel Kawcyznski has welcomed the decision by NHS England to place the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group in special measures. 

He said he'd already raised concerns about the absence of a full time officer at the CCG and the lack of accountability for a £10.6m deficit.  

Dr Caron Morton, who was leading the hospital re-organisation in the county, was replaced as the Accountable Officer on Shropshire CCG in September.

Shropshire Star

The organisation responsible for healthcare in Shropshire has been placed into special measures, external after it forecast a £10.6m deficit.  

Eric Smith
Presenter, BBC Shropshire

Healthcare campaigners have been giving their reaction to the news that Shropshire's CCG has been placed in special measures. 

Gill George from the campaign group Shropshire Defend our NHS told me "it was incredibly bad news". 

"We'll have bureaucrats from NHS England crawling all over local NHS services demanding deeper and deeper cuts which has to be bad news for patients," she said.

Image source, Thinkstock

The Shropshire CCG covers the whole county, except Telford & Wrekin.

It's responsible for planning, buying and monitoring the care and treatment you may need in hospital as well as community health services, including district nurses, physiotherapy and other therapies.  

Image source, Science Photo Library

A "turnaround team" from the NHS will now be brought in to oversee how the CCG is run and ultimately reduce the deficit.

Tracey Higgins
BBC Local Live

The top stories in Shropshire this morning

- Shropshire's Health Commissioning body is placed in special measures 

- Recruitment drive to attract more nurses to work in Shropshire's two main acute hospitals

- BBC Shropshire reporter shortlisted for national award    

Shropshire's health commissioning body has been placed in special measures. 

A letter sent to staff by Brigid Stacey, the Acting Accountable Officer, says Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group's financial position has worsened in recent months and it's now forecasting a deficit of £10.6m.

The organisation is bringing in a turnaround team to work alongside the governing body.

Patchy fog will slowly clear through the morning. 

It should then be mostly dry for a time, with some bright or sunny intervals, before cloud and rain return later. 

Top temperatures of 13C (55F) .

BBC Travel

There are no major problems so far this morning. 

On the A5 Eastbound, roadworks between A5112 Hereford Road in Shrewsbury and the A458 at Berrington could delay your journey.  

Tracey Higgins
BBC Local Live

Good morning. Hope you enjoyed the first day of our BBC Local Live service yesterday.

We'll be bringing you all the local news, weather, traffic news and sport today.

And if you want to get in touch, we'd love to hear what you think.

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