the nhs the most. 0n what chicken due to protect the nhs the most. on one side, you need as many nhs staff as possible working and not having to isolate with coronavirus and on the other hand, you have the elderly part of the population and all the research shows that h is the single biggest contributing factor to getting seriously ill with coronavirus. but the focus within government is looking forward to the next vaccine, the oxford vaccine which could be approved next week or the coming weeks. vaccine is much cheaper, £3 compared to $39 for the pfizer vaccine. it is easier to distribute, it can go on a normal fridge, doesn't need to be kept at —70. the government is balancing all these factors. this vaccine will focus on the most vulnerable and hopefully when the oxford vaccine comes online it will be easy to distribute to nhs staff. i have a lot of sympathy for the government, these are difficult calculations to work with but the key thing is to protect lives and make sure the nhs is ready. the

contact with the nhs. 0n forward and get into contact with the nhs. on tuesday in milton keynes it was great to meet some of the patients and staff involved and i loved what barbara, who is 82, said when she got herjab. she said, i would much rather get the vaccine than covid—19 itself. i am with barbara. it is free according to need and it is the best way to protect you and those around you and when enough people get vaccinated, and we see those hospitalisation numbers going down, we can then start lifting the restrictions which have made this year so tough. i felt really proud when i saw mohammed hassan and i sat with him as he got hisjab, he is hassan and i sat with him as he got his jab, he is a doctor at milton keynes hospital who volunteered to treat covid patients and himself caught covid and he said the jack was painless but he talked about the challenges we face right now whilst we roll out the jab right across the country. even with this mass programme under way, from the next few months we will not have sufficient production through the v

purposesis being told one of the main policy purposes is to support the nhs, and the nhs doesn‘t look very supported 01’ the nhs doesn‘t look very supported or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 —— or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 -- 85. it or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 —— 85. it is staggering. when you think the government might be able to go from here with a figure like that? it's a really grim milestone, isn't it? i ee, really grim milestone, isn't it? i agree, i think it's been reach much faster in the second way than anyone anticipated at all. this picture on the front of the mirror is astonishing. it reallyjust sums up the problem that we're facing, which is not really a shortage of beds, any doctor is telling me the wards are actually full. but of course, a lack of staff, and we know this. the numbers are rising, but even before the pandemic, the nhs were short of at least 80,000 staff. so, it's little wonder that we're seeing these numbers are rising and we're unable to find beds for these people and treat them quickly enough

were at least 80,000 to few staff really to run the nhs. —— it cuts to the nhs. this could have been anticipated. but really it is amazing to think that these centers that were set up to supposedly help make sure the nhs wasn't overwhelmed our now we are suddenly faced with this new strain, this new wave, quietly being taken apart behind—the—scenes. quietly being taken apart behind-the-scenes. i want to turn, daisy, let's jump to the sun which comes down to nhs staff as well. the nhs by saying things may look bleak but 22 million will be vaccinated by april. using spring get on. it is kind of a tale of two sides are suppose of this pandemic. kind of a tale of two sides are suppose of this pandemicm kind of a tale of two sides are suppose of this pandemic. it is. and wass, plotting the optimism they are managing to put on the front page, it doesn't sit well with the rest of the news if you read all of the news today. it feels to be like the nhs is as near as it's ever been. to creaking under the pressure of covid—19. we know the beginning of the press confer

the nhs code, and i sure my collea g u es the nhs code, and i sure my colleagues throughout the nhs, and indeed should thank all key workers but across the nhs would want to join me in thanking everybody for complying with the measures and ensuring that we take the pressure off the nhs. thanks very much, and i totally agree with steve and with jay beatty, particularly what they have said about new year's eve celebrations tomorrow, please let's celebrate sensibly, so as not to spread the disease. thanks, everybody. studio: all right, let mejust try to recap on some of the main points that we have just been hearing to recap on some of the main points that we havejust been hearing in that we havejust been hearing in that briefing. referring to the new tier changes announced by health secretary matt hancock earlier this afternoon, borisjohnson said... the prime minister also talked of a revised plan for vaccination roll—out when using the newly approved 0xford astrazeneca vaccine. doses will be given up to 12 weeks apart, allowing more people to be vaccinated as soon as possible. this

as tomorrow, and that more than 10,000 medics and volunteers have been recruited and trained by the nhs to begin delivering the jab. the mirror headline is "a shot at freedom", as the paper also reports that the oxford/astrazeneca vaccine is just days away from being approved. "we'll be free by february" claims the express, with predictions that britain could be free of severe covid restrictions by then thanks to the new "winning formula" for the oxford vaccine, which insiders say works better than hoped. _by —— by february. the daily mail adds that hundreds of pop—up gp—led vaccination centres are on their way, as part of the drive to help roll out the jab to millions of people as quickly as possible. sticking with vaccines. 0n the front page of the independent, a photo of a health care worker in vienna punching the air having receiving the pfizer vaccine against coronavirus after roll—out of that vaccine began in eu countries today. —— having received. back in the uk, the times reports that senior doctors are warning the nhs could be overwhelmed by the number of coronavi

that's the warning from the nhs. the bbc has learned that student paramedics and two other ambulance services outside the capital have been called in to assist after a sharp rise in calls. the london ambulance service says that yesterday, boxing day, was one of its busiest ever, with calls up by more than 50% compared to last year. i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread incredibly thin resource, but i think it's worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. meanwhile the welsh government has described the nhs their as stretched to the limit and working to full capacity. annual illnesses, staff shortages and the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant yesterday led cardiff and vale university health board to tweet this stark appeal. the art of proning patients, and that is about moving patients when they are in intensive care from their backs on to their stomachs and vice versa,

we are focused on coronavirus and the nhs. but you are of cancer studies at the university of birmingham. —— you are ahead of cancer studies. how would you assess the way in which this concentration of resources on coronavirus has affected other areas, and affected patients who suffering from other conditions, for example cancer. let me correct you, i am not at birmingham any more, i am at the university warwick. i beg your pardon, i was given a duff steer. we are concerned for different reasons, we have heard about the difficulties associated with the amount of funding that charities, including cancer charities, are receiving. that is having a significant impact on our ability to continue research, including in leading research on clinical trials of new cancer drugs. these are being very significantly impacted by funding and by the other pressures on the nhs. and of course, the big concern that we have is that we know that many folks who should be screened for cancer are not being screened. and we are building up a massiv

laura here is a member of nhs staff. she's just going to demonstrate what actually happens, so she stays in the car... it wasn't long before we saw for the first time what virus testing involved. one of them has got the full protective equipment on. her colleague stands back at a safer distance. erica, the senior nurse, shows information about the procedure. and then carries out nasal and throat swabs. they're sent off for testing. they get through 12 tests a day. few would have predicted then it would need hundreds of thousands of tests daily across the country. the first death from coronavirus in the uk as the number of cases doubles injust 48 hours. that first covid death in the uk was announced in early march. within a week, the prime minister had this warning. i must level with you, level with the british public. more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time. in italy, the scale of the crisis was becoming quickly apparent. ten, 50, 60, 70, 200 patients in our emergency department.

but i felt as though i could trust the research team and the nhs, because whenever i've needed the nhs in the past they've always been there for me. so i felt i could trust them. lydia, without people like you it would not have been approved, or it would not have been approved, or it would not have been approved, or it would not have been able to go through the process. thank you very much indeed. let's talk to rachel reeves, the shadow cabinet minister. good morning. thank you for talking to us. you originally agreed kindly to talk about brexit later on over the trade deal. we will get onto that. first of all, your reaction to the news this morning that the oxford astrazeneca vaccine has been approved ? that the oxford astrazeneca vaccine has been approved? well, isjust wonderful news. and who think there is light at the end of the tunnel. i just listened to your interview with lydia. what an inspiring woman. and what a story. also, i hope that people will listen to what he said about is what we can do to protect the nhs and get control of this virus by getting this vaccine. and due t

i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed, because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread incredibly thin resource, but i think it's worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. in scotland, clinicians are issuing more warnings, this time that the nhs could be overwhelmed. mainland scotland is now in tier 4 restrictions. the new, faster spreading variant combined with the temporary easing of restrictions on christmas day could, they say, have created the perfect storm for an nhs that is already overstretched. sangita myska, bbc news. meanwhile, hospital admissions for coronavirus have continued to rise across england. saffron cordery is the deputy chief executive of nhs providers. she explained the pressures hospitals were under. we are seeing a real rise in the pressure for hospital services, but also other types of nhs services as well, notjust hospitals, ambulance trusts in particular are coming under extreme pressure, as are community and mental health services. everybody affected by the impact of covid

he wants to raise money for the nhs. well, i have had such marvellous service from the national health service, particularly the nurses, they looked after me when i borke my hip. we said, "oh, if you walk 100 times, your 100th birthday's coming up, we'll pay you a pound for every length that you do," and i think i said, "let's raise some money for charity." and he said, "well, let's raise it for covid—19, for the nhs." you're doing a good job, carry on, old boy! thank you from myself and from everybody at the royal armour corps and the nhs for everything you're doing. thank you captain tom! we were talking earlier to tom moore, who's walking 100 lengths of his back garden before his 100th birthday on 30th april. and he hoped he would raise about £1,000. that went up to about £5,000. when we spoke to him and his lovely daughter hannah, in the first half of the show, they had just over £200,000. well, since we talked to him, another £45,000 had gone into hisjust giving page. the target had gone up to £100,000. let's

the biggest vaccination in nhs history. and with the mobo awards taking place tomorrow, we hear from nominees about the challenges they've faced during the pandemic. coming up on sportsday on bbc news. motor racing's female—only championship — the w series — will be part of next year's formula one british grand prix weekend at silverstone. a group of former professional rugby players are planning legal action against the sport's governing bodies claiming that rugby has left them with permanent brain damage. 42—year—old steve thompson can't even remember being part of england's 2003 world cup triumph. he is one of eight former players, all diagnosed with early onset dementia, who are taking part in the legal action. if successful, it could change the way the game is played. the sport's world governing body says it takes player safety very seriously and uses the latest research in injury prevention. 0ur correspondent chris mcclaughlin has more. australia, 2003. and english rugby's greatest triumph. i can't remember

nhs. we'll be live at some of the 70 hospitals where the first jabs will be administered. no breakthrough on a post—brexit trade deal — borisjohnson will go to brussels later this week for face to face talks. fish, fair competition and following the rules — i'll explain the key sticking points in those post—brexit talks. millwall players will not take the knee ahead of their game tonight. they'll link arms with the qpr players as a show of support against racism. it follows booing from a section of supporters is there any zoom at the inn? how school nativities are going online this year. good morning. it is a foggy start once again in parts of south—eastern england in particular. that will be slow to live it. some won't lift at all. for the brighter skies but some rain and stronger winds in the north. it's all going on. detailed in ten minutes. good morning. it's tuesday, the 8th of december. our top story. it's day one of the vaccine rollout — or v—day — as the uk begins t

we are in a very challenging place for the nhs, i never want to say the nhs is going to be overwhelmed, because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious at spreading incredibly thin resources . at spreading incredibly thin resources. but it is worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. in terms of the levels of covid—i9 in patients across england. we are nearly at the point that we were in april in terms of numbers. people will say that is what the nightingale hospitals were four, overflow when things get stretched, but they don't seem to be being used? they are not being used yet, and the important thing to remember about the nightingale playback, they are an insurance policy and you only want to use your insurance policy when you absolutely have to. —— about the nightingale playback. the challenges we have s around staffing as well as physical bricks and mortar. it is the same poole of staff to work either in hospitals and nhs hospitals. inaudible. they are being affected just as the rest of the population is. i would say it is really important to

could differ the nhs negative science, yes? -- a good day for the nhs and a good day for science. yes. the latest government figures show there were 12,282 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week, is now 15,308. 1,359 people have been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last thursday. 616 deaths were reported —that‘s people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. it means on average in the past week, a28 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 62,033. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport center, here's tulsen tullet. taking the knee in support of black lives matter. players chose to stand arm in arm in a show of solidarity for the fight against discrimination while the sponsor has been replaced with the logo of anti—discrimination. in some of the players chose to take the knee. the final round of group games in the champions league are underway with manchester united one of three t

laura here is a member of nhs staff. she is just going to demonstrate what actually happens, so she stays in the car... it was not long before we saw for the first time what virus testing involved. one of them has got the full protective equipment on. her colleague stands back at a safer distance. erica, the senior nurse, shows information about the procedure. and then carries out nasal and throat swabs. they are sent off for testing. they get through 12 tests a day. few would have predicted then it would need hundreds of thousands of tests daily across the country. the first death from coronavirus in the uk as the number of cases doubles injust 48 hours. that first covid death in the uk was announced in early march. within a week, the prime minister had this warning. i must level with you, level with the british public. more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time. in italy, the scale of the crisis was becoming quickly apparent. ten, 50, 60, 70, 200 patients in our emergency departme

, months ago when the focus was on the fact that many nhs and care home workers we re that many nhs and care home workers were having to go to work without adequate ppe, nor a lot of staff will feel that they are being neglected when there is this new strain, potentially more infectious, and when will they be vaccinated? partly this is about communicating this clearly to those members of staff and i think it will eventually then pose questions about if schools go back in the new year, what is going to be there for teachers? adequate provisions to make sure the people who need the vaccine are going to get it and how you make those decisions is incredibly difficult but communicating that effectively is something the government is not always doing sufficiently. the front page of the independent. the same story, two different ways. this picture of a health care worker in vienna punching the air as they have rolled out their vaccines, they have started today. two locations started yesterday. the lead story is errors that led to covid nursing crisis. this is an important story about what happ

i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed, because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread incredibly thin resources, but i think it is worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. we are nearly at the point, in terms of the levels of covid in—patients across england. we are nearly at the high point of april, in terms of numbers and that is really difficult. people will say that that is what the nightingale hospitals are for, a sort of overflow when things got really stretch, but they don't seem to be being used? to remember about the nightingales is that they are an insurance policy and you only want to use your insurance policy when you absolutely have to. i think what we have to bring into the frame here is the fact that the challenges we have got are around staffing as well as physical bricks and mortar, so we are calling on the same pool of staff to work in either our hospital and other nhs services or in the nightingales, so we have got to remember that we cannotjust conjure staff out of nowhere and

laura here is a member of nhs staff. she'sjust going to demonstrate what actually happens, so she stays in the car... it was not long before we saw for the first time what virus testing involved. one of them has got the full protective equipment on. her colleague stands back at a safer distance. erica, the senior nurse, shows information about the procedure. and then carries out nasal and throat swabs. they are sent off for testing. they get through 12 tests a day. few would have predicted then it would need hundreds of thousands of tests daily across the country. the first death from coronavirus in the uk as the number of cases doubles injust 48 hours. that first covid death in the uk was announced in early march. within a week, the prime minister had this warning. i must level with you, level with the british public. more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time. in italy, the scale of the crisis was becoming quickly apparent. ten, 50, 60, 70, 200 patients in our emergency department

we are raring to go on the nhs, we want to vaccine people covid in care homesjust as the nhs, we want to vaccine people covid in care homes just as we vaccinate for flu, just as soon as we have the regulatory sign off we can do that, we can get to the care home so the gps and nurses can arrive and give theirs care home residents that vaccination. we will do that. at this point we expect that we'll be in the first tranche of priorities for vaccination during this month. thanks very much. thanks, emily, let's go to beth rigby, sky news. prime minister we have two big events today, celebrations about the vaccine but also unhappiness about the tier system. you've told mps that current restrictions will expire on february three but given that you also said in your covid winter plan that january and february are traditionally the hardest months for the nhs, the depths of winter, when our hospital wards are under the greatest pressure, should we all still prepare for restrictions to run through to april? and if i may do professorjonathan run through to april? and if i may do professor jonath

stay at home, protect the nhs and save lives. the first vaccine has been developed which appears to prevent 90% of people contracting coronavirus. if i can do it, so can you. it is extraordinary how fast the coronavirus story has moved in less than a year and the things which we know now that we did not know then. here at bbc news, we have been setting out a vast range of developments in this continuing saga which has affected all our lives. week by week and day by day, throughout 2020 and trying to look ahead to 2021. the new strain of coronavirus was first identified as a potential threat in china at the turn of the year. at the end of january, a student and a relative tested positive for the virus in york. these were the first known cases in the uk. on the same day, the world health organization declared a global emergency. by the middle of february, the virus had been given its official name of covid—i9 and at the end of the month, the british man who had been infected on board the diamond princess cruise ship died injapan.

he asks about nhs students. the definition of nhs and social ca re the definition of nhs and social care staff set out by the jcvi are those who are patient facing. we will set out more details in due course. finally, he asked about the publication of data, the number of vaccines administered and according to what priority groups. it will set those details out when the vaccinations have happened so that people can see how the programme has been assessed. 0verall, may ijoin the honourable gentleman and saying how wonderful it was to see the pictures on the tv this morning. emotional, for many of us. i am delighted that we have been able to make this progress. jeremy hunt. i would like to congratulate our scientists, the health secretary himself, the vaccines task force and nhs front line staff, all of whom have made this extraordinary day for our country possible. it is very, very cold outside and the question on many people‘s mines is are they not able to book a summer holiday, so not able to book a summer hol

every christmas, the nhs chief executive puts out a message thanking staff. today, and acknowledgement it has been the toughest year most of us can remember and it's not over yet. we are back in the eye of the storm. with this second wave of coronavirus, sweeping europe and indeed this country. the number of covid patients in england peaked in the first wave in april at nearly 19,000. over the summer, the first wave in april at nearly 19,000. overthe summer, things the first wave in april at nearly 19,000. over the summer, things got much better but since september, it's been climbing. now at more than 20,000, it's higher than that first peak. welsh hospitals are treating their highest level of covid patients now. in northern ireland, there is a warning the next few days could be critical and in scotland, doctors say there is a danger services will be overwhelmed. in the first wave, the nhs cancelled most of their work so it could focus on covid. this time around, it's been trying to keep other things going but now, more staff are being redeployed and routine

and our care all of us, but our nhs workers and our ca re workers all of us, but our nhs workers and our care workers have, as always, done us proud, so can i put on record my thanks to all of them, many of whom will be working through the christmas and new year period, and can! the christmas and new year period, and can i also thank all those working on the response to covid, is departmental officials, medical and public health teams, and can i wish you, madam deputy speaker, and all working in—house, and the secretary of state, a safe christmas and a hgppy of state, a safe christmas and a happy new year. the honourable gentleman rightly asked about the arrangements put in place for christmas. the prime minister set those out yesterday very clearly. christmas is a very special time of year, and that is why we have put in these arrangements that we have and it is arrangements that we have and it is a matter of people's personal responsibility to ensure that they act and they see their loved ones in act and they see their loved ones in a way that is safe and careful, and i think peo

the headlines: nhs england says health workers are back in the eye of the storm, as the number of coronavirus cases exceeds the peak that was seen in april. the military will provide remote support to schools and colleges in england with coronavirus testing, as they begin to re—open next week. the ftse 100 is up this morning, as uk financial markets opened for the first time since the brexit deal was announced on christmas eve. vinyl album sales have risen to their highest level since the britpop era of the 1990s. almost 5 million lps have been bought this year. in halfan in half an hour, i will look back on a challenging yearfor in half an hour, i will look back on a challenging year for the in half an hour, i will look back on a challenging yearfor the royal family. for the queen in lockdown and the duke of —— you can do to sussex stepping back from front line duties. that is a year with the royalfamily duties. that is a year with the royal family with me duties. that is a year with the royalfamily with me in half an hour. royalfamily with me in half an hospitals in england are now tr

gets underway. of the nhs gets under way. borisjohnson has thanked health workers and scientists but urged people to remain cautious. the uk has an initial supply of 800,000 vaccines to administer over the next few weeks. they'll be given to people on the high priority list — including the over—80s, care home workers and nhs staff. 50 hospitals in england have been chosen as vaccination "hubs" — sites where the jab will be administered. in scotland, there will be 23 vaccination sites, including all major hospitals and in the highlands. the welsh government is promising to administer 6000 doses of the vaccine by the end of this week. and in northern ireland, where there's currently a two—week lockdown, 25,000 doses of the vaccine have arrived. the first jab was administered in belfast to a 28—year—old nurse. our first report is from our health correspondent sophie hutchinson — and a warning it contains flashing images. 90—year—old margaret keenan, being prepared for her coronavirus vaccine this morning. a mod

he wants to raise money for the nhs. well, i have had such marvellous service from the national health service, particularly the nurses, they looked after me when i broke my hip. we said, "oh, if you walk 100 times, your 100th birthday's coming up, we'll pay you a pound for every length that you do," and i think i said, "let's raise some money for charity. " and he said, "well, let's raise it for covid—19, for the nhs." you're doing a good job, carry on on, old boy! thank you from myself and from everybody at the royal armour corps and the nhs for everything you're doing. thanks, captain tom! we were talking earlier to tom moore, who's walking 100 lengths of his back garden before his 100th birthday on 30 april. and he hoped he would raise about £1,000. that went up to about £5,000. when we spoke to him and his lovely daughter hannah, in the first half of the show, they had just over £200,000. well, since we talked to him, another £45,000 has gone into hisjust giving page. the target had gone up to £100,000. let's

it is tremendously exciting, and to be representing nhs workers and west middlesex hospital. and a final as well, the clincher, the best one to be at, amazing. twickenham normally holds 80,000 fa ns twickenham normally holds 80,000 fans but the 2,000 did their best to make an atmosphere as england began hot favourites against an understrength france. what drama they got as the underdogs took an early lead. a lead they took until the very final minute when luke karen to keep aldo's his way over. at 19-19, karen to keep aldo's his way over. at 19—19, extra time and sudden death. owen farrell with the chance to win it but somehow it stayed out. how close was that. when his second opportunity came, this time, he held his nerve. not a vintage performance from england but the autumn nations cup was theirs in the most extraordinary fashion. what a remarkable finish that was, and what a welcome back for these fans. if they had been missing nail—biting drama, england suddenly gave them plenty today. andy swiss, bbc news, twickenham. tottenham are in action in the north london derb

but we can expect our health systems and nhs to be under real pressure at the moment. of course. you have many things. you have the witches tickle problem of getting the vaccine to other places where it is being used in care homes and gp surgeries —— logistical problems. you have staff shortages because of people are isolating all of their off sick with coronavirus. you have the problems caused by the lockdowns around the country which makes it difficult to get around and about. and we had this in the beginning and the sunday mirror on the front page talks about ppe mirror on the front page talks about p p e style mirror on the front page talks about ppe style fiasco. we know what happened in march and april. when front line health care workers were having to make protective clothing out of beanbags and things like that. but we see in the mirror is people are being told they've got a vaccination appointment and then it's being cancelled at the last—minute because the vaccine has not arrived. and that sort of uncertainty and chaotic style is not what we need right now. we ne

nhs, andi strongest funding in history for the nhs, and i am delighted to say that we have more nurses in the nhs than ever before, 14,000 more nurses than this time last year, and i pay tribute to each and every one of them. he asked about contact tracing, and no doubt he will have seen the figures published on thursday, which show that contact tracing now reaches over 80% of contacts, and i pay tribute to the tea m contacts, and i pay tribute to the team both local and national who are ensuring that we can get to more than four fifths of people who we need to reach, and that has been rapidly improving. he also finally asks about fred, the gentleman with terminal cancer who he spoke to this morning. what i would say is that those with terminal cancer of course are clinically vulnerable by their nature, and by the nature of that awful disease, and we will ensure that those who are clinically vulnerable do get access to the vaccine when it is clinically appropriate, and i am very happy to ta ke appropriate, and i am very happy to take up the individual case that he raises and ensure tha

saffron cordery is deputy chief executive of nhs providers, which represents nhs trusts. shejoins me now. thank you for being with us. these dreadful figures aren‘t they? a lot of people waiting for routine operations who are, as we heard in the report, in terrible pain. absolutely and i think the best thing we can do is to recognise how frustrating it is for people who can‘t have the treatment they need and it is absolutely the case that these figures for people waiting longer than a year are deeply concerning. i think the situation across nhs hospitals is that the capacity that they have to perform operations, routine operations in particular, has been and is severely constrained and limited due to coronavirus. whilst they are doing everything they can to get through the backlog, all the while we are seeing rising cases of coronavirus, in different parts of the country, that does lead to this aggregate picture where, as you say in the report, in your report, this has gone up by 100% since february. it's has gone up by 100% since february. it‘s a backlog that is en

are nhs staff are doing an incredible job december. are nhs staff are doing an incrediblejob under december. are nhs staff are doing an incredible job under very difficult circumstances. and i thank them all for everything they have done throughout the pandemic and continue to do so but there is only so much we can ask of them. there is only so much we can ask of our national health service will stop put quite simply — the nhs will not be able to cope as it is today if we continue to see this level of coronavirus related admissions in the coming weeks, on top of normal winter pressures . weeks, on top of normal winter pressures. now i must be clear with everybody this afternoon. if the strengthened measures of last week in the extra actions of this week, together with the efforts of each and every one of us need to make, if those measures do not succeed in turning the tide of the virus, then it is inevitable that we will have to consider a move to alert level for immediately after christmas. some restrictions are also easing in parts

it is an historic week in the 72—year history of the nhs. these first covid vaccines are made by the drugs companies pfizer and biontech. very soon, they will start arriving at hospitals like this one, in south london. in total, 50 sites have been chosen as the first vaccine hubs in england. 800,000 doses should be available to members of the public across the whole uk from tuesday. nhs staff are spending the weekend preparing sites to accept the first deliveries. nhs staff around the country at vaccination hubs such as this one we are here at today have been working tirelessly to make sure we are prepared to commence vaccination on tuesday. this feels like the beginning of the end, but of course it is a marathon, not a sprint, and it will take many months for us to vaccinate everybody who needs vaccination. elderly patients who are already in hospital or have an existing appointment will be among the first to receive the jab. 0thers over the age of 80 will be called up and asked to attend, and care homes will be able to book their staff int

people know what is going on, fearful that the nhs are going on, fearful that the nhs are going to get overrun and they do not 23rd lockdown, they want to prime minister her says these are the tough positions i have to make. the prime ministers not going to toughen up prime ministers not going to toughen up the region over christmas and i think most people can see we are heading for real problems so he has got to toughen up. those restrictions, easing them is going to be the next big mistake for the prime minister and rather than saying, i'm not to change the rules, it is over to you, families and community is, you take responsibility, that is not the act ofa responsibility, that is not the act of a prime minister. the prime minster should say, i will take the difficult decision, not hand them over to individuals. if you are the prime minister right now, what is that decision? what the message, the policy be a christmas? it would be, having looked at the figures in the last week, they're heading in the wrong direction, that is not where we wa nted wrong direction, that is not where we

they asked about the vaccination of nhs staff, andi about the vaccination of nhs staff, and i can confirm that thanks to the decision taken today, announced by the regulator, we will be able to accelerate the vaccination of nhs staff who are already in priority group two, as well as of course the over eighteens in the care home residents and staff. he asked about the number of vaccines we have available mr speaker, which i mentioned in the statement, we have 530,000 across the uk that are available for deployment in the first week of january, and the available for deployment in the first week ofjanuary, and the nhs is doing a fantasticjob of co nsta ntly is doing a fantasticjob of constantly increasing and expanding the scale of its operation. and finally he asked about what more could be done in the areas where rates are very high and continuing to rise, and the true answer to that, mr speaker, is that it is on all of us and it is about how everybody behaves because if we collectively decide to stop this by taking personal response ability are not coming into contact with others u nless

if we can relieve pressure on the nhs. if we ca n start relieve pressure on the nhs. if we can start to do that, hopefully the worst effects of this virus will start to diminish as we get towards the spring. thank you very much. hospitals in england are now treating more coronavirus patients than at any other point in the pandemic, as numbers surpass the peak that was seen in april. the head of nhs england, sir simon stevens, has said that health service workers are back in the eye of the storm as officials warn the number of covid patients in hospital in england will soon rise further, reflecting the current spike in infections caused by a new variant of the virus. keith doyle reports. health services across the uk are being stretched as they deal with increasing numbers of patients with covid. in london, accident and emergency departments are reporting intense pressure. in scotland, doctors say there's a danger that services will be overwhelmed. in wales, the situation in hospitals is described as incredibly challenging. and in northern ireland, the health minister

an issue taken up with senior management at nhs england. it seems to me appalling that this is the case, that this should be happening. it surely — first of all — it's concerning that this has not been picked up through the automatic process of review within the nhs if its a fact. and secondly, now that this has come to public attention, surely, there must be a very urgent mobilisation to put a stop to it. not every patient would benefit from cardiopulmonary resuscitation. that decision has to be made on an individual patient basis. so it is the reason why i would be interested to know how the observations that have been made during covid—19 and with patients with covid—19 differ to those made in normal circumstances, first of all, and secondly, it's important to look at the quality of the decision—making, essentially. so what factors were considered when making these orders, whether these orders were agreed with the patient and their families as appropriate? three weeks until a lot of people will be stopping for christmas. so per

that doesn't mean nhs staff will not be done. if they are there and they have big boxes of vaccines, then hospital trust leaders will be left to do nhs staff. the will be more emphasis on patients in england. in scotland, it will be health and care staff that get the vaccine first. hugh pym, thank you very much. the welsh government has been defending tougher coronavirus restrictions which come into force this evening, saying, without them, more people would die. pubs, restaurants and cafes are to be banned from selling alcohol and they'll have to shut at 6pm, other than for takeaways. our wales correspondent tomos morgan is in cardiff. so this pub in the north of cardiff is on its last orders today. it has decided to shut for the foreseeable because they say it is not viable to open with these restrictions in place. they are due to be full on christmas day, with 120 covers. but u nless christmas day, with 120 covers. but unless things change, they will be closed as well. these restrictions will be in place until at least 17 dece

wait to hearfrom the nhs. we will make contact with you. the vaccine is being made available to us from the manufacturers on a phased basis, so the bulk of the vaccination is going to be injanuary, february, march and april. the priority groups now include the over—80s. hari and ranjan, who spoke to us yesterday, had their jabs together in newcastle, with badges to prove it. applause. margaret certainly won't forget her vaccination, nor will nhs staff on a dramatic and momentous day which they can only hope marks a turning point. hugh pym, bbc news, coventry. as we've been hearing, today is being seen as a historic day — with thousands of people receiving the vaccine across the uk. 0ur correspondentjon kay has been speaking to a few of them. a day so many have been waiting for, and at bristol's southmead hospital, first in the queue is jack. good morning. i'm 98, and i suppose it's a bit of excitement. he's been in hospitalfor a month having treatment for bone cancer, but he'll be heading home in a few days, so the vaccine that's just a

i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed, because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread incredibly thin resource, but i think it's worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. in scotland, clinicians are issuing more warnings, this time that the nhs could be overwhelmed. mainland scotland is now in tier 4 restrictions. the new, faster spreading variant combined with the temporary easing of restrictions on christmas day could, they say, have created the perfect storm for an nhs that is already overstretched. sangita myska, bbc news. the coronavirus vaccine is being given to millions of people across europe from today, as countries including france, spain and italy begin the rollout of their vaccination programmes. more than 14 million people have been infected across the continent, and strict lockdown measures are currently in place in nearly all eu member states. damien mcguinness has more now from berlin. the european vaccine roll—out has begun. in berlin, mobile teams are taking the first vaccines fro

and of course, winter in the nhs is a lwa ys and of course, winter in the nhs is always very difficult, it is more difficult this year because within hospitals, there has to be social distancing of beds, for example, there is also staff illness because of covid and quarantining because of covid, so there is less capacity than there normally would be. there is the time delay, you are exactly right, and that is why it is so crucial that any decisions are made on very current data. we have already seen a couple of times that decisions about the tier system and lockdown decisions were made on out of date data, and to keep up with thatis of date data, and to keep up with that is so important. we know that the health secretary has reported that secondary schools in london essex and kent are going to be introducing testing for pupils aged between 11 and 18, what is your reaction to that? is that a positive move or is it more likely to increase fear and anxiety among teenagers? i don't think it is a positive move at all. screening programmes are an incredibly important part of health, but ther

that's the warning from the nhs. the bbc has learned that student paramedics and two other ambulance services outside the capital have been called in to assist after a sharp rise in calls. the london ambulance service says that yesterday, boxing day, was one of its busiest ever, with calls up by more than 50% compared to last year. i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread incredibly thin resource, but i think it's worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. meanwhile the welsh government has described the nhs their as stretched to the limit and working to full capacity. annual illnesses, staff shortages and the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant yesterday led cardiff and vale university health board to tweet this stark appeal. "0ur critical care department is urgently looking for assistance proning patients — that is about moving patients when they are in intensive care f

it once again shows the strain that the nhs is under, with the head of nhs england saying health workers are "back in the eye of the storm". keith doyle reports. health services across the uk are being stretched as they deal with increasing numbers of patients with covid. in london, accident and emergency departments are reporting intense pressure. in scotland, doctors say there is a danger that services will be overwhelmed. in wales, the situation in hospitals is described as incredibly challenging. and in northern ireland, the health minister said the next few days is a crucial period. the stark messages show the impact the covid virus is having. i was on on christmas day and it was wall—to—wall covid, so we see patients who are coming in, who have covid symptoms, but we also see other patients coming in with other problems, who turn out to be covid positive. and, between that, there is a great deal of difficulty getting those patients through into wards. in england, the number of people being treated for the virus in hospital is over 20,000, higher than the previous peak of around

that's the latest statement from the nhs. we will take a short break and iam back nhs. we will take a short break and i am back with headlines injust a moment or two. don't go away. hello, cold and wintry end to 2020, mrand merk around hello, cold and wintry end to 2020, mr and merk around in places during today. we've had some sunshine but also some wintry showers. as you can see, speckled cloud, some showers bringing snow to low levels around wales in the south—west. this more general area of cloudiness across scotla nd general area of cloudiness across scotland will sink southwards into northern england and northern ireland, a mix of rain, sleetand snow, most of it over high ground. some slightly less cold air working in with the weather system. a very chilly particular quest the south as we head into the first part of this evening and then overnight as the end of the old year and start a new one, making the band of rain, sleet and hail snow across more than england, and wales. to the south of that, mist and fog, freezing fog, “i! minus five degrees. quite chilly

, and yet injust over a pressure on the nhs, and yet injust overa week pressure on the nhs, and yet injust over a week millions of people are going to be allowed to travel across the uk and mix. some mps in westminster are urging government to think again about this. i don't get any sense that it's happening, but i do think what they are doing is urging us to think twice and the word you are going to hear between i'iow word you are going to hear between now and christmas is personal responsibility. saying to people, please focus on the risks, just because you are allowed to do it, it is pretty clear listening to the politicians that actually they are discouraging it. they are saying to people, think carefully about who you are going to meet and whether they are vulnerable, so before we even get to christmas, the politicians and the doctors and scientists seem to be worrying about what is coming injanuary and february and of course the possibility of restrictions that might have to be with us for many more weeks. thanks forjoining us. the latest government figures on coronavirus show anothe

i never want to say that the nhs is going to be overwhelmed, because we see the nhs being endlessly innovative and ingenious in how it can actually manage to spread an incredibly thin resource, but i think it's worth remembering that things are incredibly challenging. meanwhile, the welsh government has described the nhs there as "stretched to the limit and working to full capacity". annual illnesses, staff shortages and the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant yesterday led cardiff and vale university health board to tweet this stark appeal: "our critical care department is urgently looking for assistance from medical students and other staff groups who have previously supported proning patients." the art of proning patients — and that is about moving patients when they're in intensive care from their backs on to their stomachs and vice—versa — and this process is quite heavy lifting, it involves five to seven individuals. medical students and others answered the call in large numbers, and the health board later tweeted that while staffing remained challenging, the critical care

the nhs we also protect lives. we now turn to victoria mcdonald from channel 4. good morning. thank you. can you explain for me why the mhra has been able to authorise this vaccine so much faster than the european medic —— european medicines agency and the food and drugs administration? and secondly, how long is the lag, or is there a lag, between being given a vaccine and for it to become effective? i will take the first question. the way in which the mhra has worked is equivalent to all international standards. we are well aware of our national situation and therefore we have mounted teams, built capability and worked in parallel. i want to thank colleagues who have worked day and night, weekends, to enable us to come to this position. the public can be absolutely confident that the standards we have worked to our equivalent to those around the world. the vaccine requires two doses 21 days apart. from the data that has been presented to us, people will be immune seven days after the second dose. partial immun

this new surge in cases could not come at a worse time of year for the nhs. winter always brings extra pressures with more respiratory illnesses as well as trips and falls in icy weather. this year on top of that and the pandemic, social distancing means hospitals need to keep patients further apart in the nhs in england is operating with around 10% fewer beds than usual. immigrant 2a million people are already living under here for restrictions, the highest level. the government is about to decide if thatis government is about to decide if that is enough and this morning from a scientific adviser, act now to avoid catastrophe in the new year. in my view if we do not introduce tougher restrictions in areas in the north and areas not currently in tier 4, they will rise to very high levels of disease and hospitalisations similar to those seen hospitalisations similar to those seenin hospitalisations similar to those seen in london. the nhs chief executive and your thank you message to staff acknowledges that this year has been the toughest that most can remembe