Hospitals Told To End 'Unfair' Parking Charges

Hospitals have been told to give free or cheap parking to the relatives of chronically ill patients.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said new guidelines for English hospitals have been created in order to end the stress of "unfair" charges.

Patients with disabilities, those who have frequent appointments and members of staff working shifts will also benefit from the changes, Mr Hunt said.

The guidelines state hospital trusts should waive fines when an overstay is beyond the control of the driver, for instance if treatment takes longer than planned.

Jeremy Hunt has come under pressure from Tory backbenchers on the issue

Mr Hunt last month admitted he was concerned about parking fees being charged at some hospitals after being pressed by backbenchers to end "rip-off" costs.

The guidance sets out for the first time that hospital trusts are responsible for the actions of any private firms they use to run parking facilities.

It also calls on hospitals to look at introducing pay on exit systems so those visiting only pay for the time they have used.

Mr Hunt said: "Patients and families shouldn't have to deal with the added stress of unfair parking charges.

"These clear ground rules set out our expectations, and will help the public hold the NHS to account for unfair charges or practices."

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Two Men Charged Over Tilbury Docks Death

Two men from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland have been charged with people smuggling after an immigrant was found dead in a shipping container at Tilbury Docks.

Essex Police said Stephen McLaughlin, 34, from Limavady, and Timothy Murphy, 34, from Derry, have been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK.

A police statement said: "The men, who are both lorry drivers, have been detained in police custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court today."

It follows the discovery of 34 people in a container at the Port of Tilbury, south Essex, on August 16.

Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, was found dead inside the airtight container on a ship that had arrived from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

The rest of the group of Afghan Sikhs from Kabul, which included 13 children, survived the ordeal.

They are believed to have fled Afghanistan after suffering persecution and are in the process of claiming asylum in the UK.

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First-Time Buyers 'Getting A Shot At Long Last'

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

The number of first-time buyer sales has hit a seven-year high, according to new figures from LSL Property Services.

There were 30,000 first-time buyer sales in July, up by 25% on a year before and the highest number of monthly first-time buyers since August 2007.

At the same time, the data reveal average first-time buyer deposits are 10% lower than this time last year.

Down payments averaged £26,642 in June, a decrease from £29,609 12 months ago.

David Newnes, from LSL Property Services, said: "A whole generation of young buyers were trapped on the sidelines of the property market as the economy recovered from the recession, struggling to save for a deposit whilst inflation remained stubbornly high, savings rates were stuck at a historic low, and real wages fell.

"But the recent increase in high LTV (loan to value) lending options - enabled by Help to Buy - has allowed them a shot at getting on the ladder at long last."

Yet purchase prices are on the rise, and mortgage rates are climbing, meaning buyers could still struggle with debt and repayments.

First-time buyers paid 8% more over the last year, with the average price paid for a new home now £155,844, according to LSL Property Services.

Simultaneously, average mortgage rates climbed for the fourth consecutive month in July to 4.19%.

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Failing Doctors Could Be Forced To Say Sorry

Doctors could be forced to say sorry to patients or their relatives if they have been found to have made a mistake.

The proposed move is part of the General Medical Council (GMC) consultation which will help "improve patient protection and public confidence in doctors".

Whether or not they have apologised may also be taken into account when a fitness to practice panel is deciding on what sanctions the medic faces, the document said.

And those who fail to blow the whistle on a failing colleague could face stricter sanctions under the plans.

"In the vast majority of cases one-off clinical errors do not merit any action by the GMC," said GMC chief executive Niall Dickson.

"But if we are to maintain that trust, in the small number of serious cases where doctors fail to listen to concerns and take action sooner to protect patients, they should be held to account for their actions.

"We want patients, doctors and other professionals to give us their views - this consultation is a chance to make sure the action we take is fair to doctors while never losing our focus on protecting the public."

The consultation was launched today and will close on November 14.

Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, honorary treasurer of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "Patient safety is always of paramount importance and GPs work really hard to ensure that all patients receive the best possible care.

"All GP practices have a system to review instances where things could have gone better and GPs are required to reflect on 'significant events' during their annual appraisal and through the revalidation process.

"Anything that further improves the care that we deliver to our patients - and the trust that they have in us should be welcomed.

"But it is essential that any action resulting from these proposals is taken in the best interests of patient safety and care and not used as an excuse to criticise doctors who are doing a very difficult job in increasingly difficult circumstances."

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Gove Effect 'To Hit Schools' GCSE Results'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Early reports have suggested a dramatic decline in some schools' GCSE results, as a raft of measures designed to toughen up the qualification take effect.

Changes to the compulsory English language exam and a move away from modular assessments - placing more pressure on end of summer exams - are among the measures believed to have affected some pupils.

The changes come amid a growing emphasis on outcomes at GCSE level, with changes further down the education system at A-level causing universities to rely more heavily on Year 11 results.

"There is so much pressure on all the exams being all at once that it feels like it is so important," said Will, 16, a pupil at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmonds.

"If we don't do well this year because of the Gove effect, and then next year ... we are at such a disadvantage compared to the year above us and the year below because their results are going to be so much better than ours", said Siobhan, 16, also a pupil at King Edward VI.

Teachers say they are concerned that the drop in performance by schools, even if caused by systemic change, could lead to heads being forced out of their jobs.

"I think the pressure on head teachers because of results and then because of Ofsted is quite extraordinary," said Geoff Barton, head teacher at King Edward VI.

Michael Gove made a number of reforms during his time as education chief

"I think we will look back and think it's a national scandal that every year some head teachers simply disappear either because they've been quietly sacked or because they've been publicly sacked because of one year's results.

"And I think that would be a disgrace if that were to happen this year when we know about the turbulence in the system."

There are also reports that schools are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to protect their league table rankings in the face of a drop in results.

Experts are predicting a rise in the number of appeals against individual grades and say there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils requesting assistance.

Sky News has learned of concern that some schools pressured pupils to drop a subject shortly before their exams, to avoid poor grades affecting the school's academic record.

One official, who did not want to be named, said there was also concern that schools were wrongly entering their pupils as external candidates, removing their performance from the schools' rolls.

But others said the changes would make it harder for schools to cheat the system.

"(Schools) are held to account through their pupils' exam results. and so they tended to find every way that's open to them to actually push up their students results," said Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research.

"Those methods of accountability have changed this year ... the Government has been trying to make exams sounder and also make the accountability system smarter, so that exams work to the best advantage of pupils, universities and employers."

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Sexual Crimes On Britain's Trains Increase

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

The number of sexual crimes committed on trains in England, Wales and Scotland has gone up in the past year.

The latest figures released by British Transport Police (BTP) show a 20% increase, with 1,117 sexual offences in 2013/14 compared to 925 in 2012/13.

Most were against women but men were also victims.

BTP said the increase was slightly higher than that experienced by police forces nationally, but believed it was partly down to people being more willing to report incidents in the wake of high-profile prosecutions of celebrities for historical sexual offences.

Overall, for the 10th year in a row, there has been a drop in the number of the most serious crimes committed on Britain's railways, falling from 53,885 to 50,840 in 2012/13 - more than 3,000 fewer offences.

It includes a reduction of 18% in recorded robberies, a 17% drop in theft of passenger property and a 37% fall in theft of cable from the railway.

Speaking about the rise in sexual offences, BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther said the force's Project Guardian had had a significant impact.

He said the scheme "focuses on increasing awareness and confidence among the public to report unwanted sexual behaviour to the police or members of staff".

"We are particularly interested in those offences which are often unreported, such as sexual assault, exposure, outraging public decency, lewd comments and harassment," he said.

"For the coming months and years we will have one simple goal - to make sure everyone who travels or works on the railway can get home every day, safe, secure and on time."

Figures show that 15% of women who have used the underground or trains in London have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on the network, but 90% did not report it because they did not think it was serious enough.

Jodie Mcleay told Sky News that she did not tell police what happened to her on a train at midday from the capital to Luton.

She said: "It was a reasonably packed train and I heard a man behind me and realised he was acting quite inappropriately for that time of day.

"I think I was shocked more than anything, a bit disgusted and then didn't know how to react, whether to make a scene."

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Bullying Partners Could Face Five Years In Jail

People in a relationship who consistently emotionally and psychologically bully their partner could face jail under Government plans.

The legislation is aimed at protecting victims whose partners threaten them with violence, cut them off from friends or refuse them access to money.

Home Secretary Theresa May is looking at creating a new offence which would give emotional abuse the same status under law as physical abuse.

Currently non-violent coercive and controlling behaviour is covered by legislation that concentrates on stalking and harassment. This does not explicitly apply to intimate relationships.

Polly Neate, Women's Aid chief executive, said: "This is a vital step forward for victims of domestic violence.

"Two women a week are killed by domestic violence, and in our experience of working with survivors, coercive controlling behaviour is at the heart of the most dangerous abuse."

The Home Secretary said: "The Government is clear that abuse is not just physical. Victims who are subjected to a living hell by their partners must have the confidence to come forward.

"Meanwhile, I want perpetrators to be in no doubt that their cruel and controlling behaviour is criminal."

The Government has also introduced the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, known as Clare's Law after 36-year-old Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009, which enables the police to disclose information about previous violent offending by a partner.

And the introduction earlier this year of Domestic Violence Protection Orders means perpetrators of domestic abuse can be prevented from returning to the home for up to 28 days.

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Internet Porn 'Too Easy For Teens To Access'

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Eight out of 10 18-year-olds think it is too easy for young people to see pornography online, according to a new survey.

Viewing pornography becomes "typical" as early as 13, according to the research carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Institute for Public Policy Research.

The think tank says 46% of those surveyed said "sending sexual or naked photos or videos is part of everyday life for teenagers nowadays".

And 77% of young women say "pornography has led to pressure on girls or young women to look a certain way".

A total of 75% agree "pornography has led to pressure on girls and young women to act a certain way".

Esme Ossrich, 15, told Sky News: "People are having sex from a younger age because they've watched porn, and they think they're ready to do it.

"They should get rid of it. People should have to have IDs. Being able to access it from when you're 11 years old is just sick."

Beata Kuczynska, also 15, told Sky News: "I know people who are underage who have had sex because they've been influenced by pornography.

"They should make it a lot harder to access."

Dalia Ben-Galim, IPPR associate director, said: "This new polling data shows that pornographic images are pervasive in teenagers' lives and that young women in particular are acutely conscious of how damaging they can be.

"It paints a worrying picture about the way online pornography is shaping the attitudes and behaviour of young people.

"The images and the type of pornography that young people can access quite readily is much more explicit and more violent than young people have been able to access in the past."

The survey also found 72% of 18-year-olds said "pornography leads to unrealistic attitudes to sex".

And 66% of young women and 49% of young men agreed that "it would be easier growing up if pornography was less easy to access for young people".

Matthewos Alem, 17, told Sky News: "It changes young people's minds and their perception on women, how they see them."

But experts warned that the problem should not be blamed just on the internet.

Clinical psychologist Dr Lucy Maddox said: "It's not the only medium where issues of sexual identity and relationships are coming up.

"It's more about the way we talk about these issues in general as a socaiety and in our families, rather than something just to do with technology."

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Hundreds Of Police Breach Rules On Social Media

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Hundreds of police employees have been investigated for breaching social media guidelines at forces across England and Wales.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, show a total of 828 cases were reported to police, ranging from social media gaffes to sackable offences involving harassment, and posts of a sexual, racist or homophobic nature.

A total of 14% of the investigations resulted in no further action being taken or the individual having no case to answer, but 9% ended in a resignation, dismissal or retirement.

The police regularly use Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and other social media platforms to connect with the public and to help with crime prevention and detection.

Greater Manchester Police recently posted the 7,000th image on its Flickr account.

Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines state officers and police staff should avoid using the internet while off-duty or after having drunk alcohol, due to the potential for their judgement to be impaired.

They also warn of the propensity for criminals to trawl the internet and identify personal information about police employees "with a view to embarrassing, discrediting, harassing, corrupting or blackmailing them or their families for their own benefit".

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, of Greater Manchester Police, is the ACPO lead on social media.

A total of 548 of those investigated were police officers

"Social media is a key tool for us in having conversations with communities, using it not only to pass information but to receive information about crime and incidents, help people make informed choices," he said.

"All police employees are covered by the code of ethics that was introduced earlier this year.

"So staff must act with integrity, with fairness, with honesty, openness, and regardless of whether they are tweeting as John Smith or Joanna Smith, if they are recognisable as a PC or a member of police staff, then they have to be taking into account the code of ethics."

According to the Press Association, who submitted the FOI request, the investigations included:

:: A PCSO with Devon and Cornwall Police who received a final written warning for posting photos on Facebook of themselves with weapons.

:: A civilian member of police staff who posted a comment on Facebook regarding the actions of Muslims in central London failing to observe a two-minute silence. It was alleged the language used "could be regarded as offensive/inappropriate or likely to cause offence to other persons", police said.

:: A Gwent PC who acted inappropriately while attending a member of the public's home address and asked her to become a friend on Facebook, later sending a message through the site. They received a written warning.

:: Two special constables in Northampton who resigned after they were pictured on Facebook in a "compromising position".

:: A civilian with South Yorkshire Police who was accused of harassing an ex-partner via Facebook. They resigned prior to misconduct proceedings.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: "People working in policing must always be mindful of the high standards that the public expect from us.

"Our code of ethics, which was launched last month, sets out the standards which everyone in the service should strive to uphold whether at work or away from work, online or offline."

Additional details provided by most forces under FOI laws showed 548 of those investigated were police officers, compared with 175 civilian staff and 31 PCSOs.

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Government 'Bailed Out' Over School Dinners

Cash-strapped schools and councils are having to "bail out the Government because of its own incompetence", the shadow education secretary has claimed.

A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) found many authorities do not have enough cash to provide Nick Clegg's pledge to give free school meals to all infants.

Government funding worth £150m was handed to councils as part of the scheme announced by the Deputy Prime Minister - this was to cover improvements to kitchens and dining facilities.

But the LGA survey of 75 councils found nearly half (47%) said they had not received enough cash to cover the full cost of the work.

Tristram Hunt said: "Nick Clegg announced the policy without doing the maths first. It's more evidence that voters cannot trust a word the Liberal Democrats say."

Of those that said they did not have enough money, 49% said the council would make up the difference, with 37% saying some of the cash would come from school coffers.

The LGA found that money earmarked for school maintenance and repairs could also be used to make up the difference.

The total shortfall in funding has been estimated at £25.9m.

Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA's children and young people board, said: "There's no doubt that dishing up a nutritious lunch for every young pupil will improve the experience of school and help them concentrate in lessons.

"Councils and schools have been working really hard to make this happen within this ambitious timescale.

"But it cannot be right that for some councils, money set aside for maintenance has instead had to be spent plugging the shortfall in money which government should have provided for meals."

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