A&E 'Crisis' Summit Demanded By Labour

An emergency summit is needed to find ways to ease the pressure on struggling A&E departments, Labour has said.

More than a dozen hospitals have declared "major incidents" as they struggle to cope with the rising number of admissions in accident and emergency departments.

Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge was the latest hospital to activate a major incident plan on Tuesday evening, warning patients they faced long waits due to "unprecedented levels for demand for our services". 

David Cameron has admitted the NHS is under pressure following the release of figures showing waiting times at A&E in England have hit their worst level in 10 years.

But he dismissed claims the service is on the brink of disaster.

Video: Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?

The Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham has published a letter accusing his opposite number of failing to anticipate the current problems.

Reports of fire engines and police cars being increasingly used as ambulances raised "major patient and public safety concerns", Mr Burnham wrote.

He told Sky News: "There are thousands of people today waiting on a trolley in hospital corridors, held in the back of ambulances outside A&E, people who cannot get the care they need in a very serious situation.

"The emergency services are not functioning as they should be. That's a serious issue. It requires urgent action and constructive suggestions, and that's what I'm asking the Government to do immediately."

Mr Burnham said the summit needed to include representatives from the police, fire and ambulance services as well as NHS professionals.

The latest figures on A&E waiting times showed just 92.6% of patients were treated within the four-hour time limit against a target of 95%.

The British Medical Association said the records showed the "unprecedented levels of pressure" on the health service and the Royal College of Nursing said the system was in "crisis".

But Mr Cameron said there was a "short-term pressure issue which we need to meet with resources and management".

Video: More People And Harder To Discharge

He added: "A lot of the pressure on A&E is coming from frail, elderly people, often with many different health conditions and the best place for them, frankly, is not A&E.

"They should be being looked after by the family doctor or in other health settings and I think the long term challenge is to make sure those sorts of settings are more available." 

The hospitals that have declared major incidents are:

:: The Royal Bolton Hospital

:: Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge

:: Scarborough Hospital In Yorkshire 

:: Royal Stoke University Hospital 

:: Peterborough City in Cambridgeshire

Video: 'There Needs To Be Urgent Answers'

:: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

:: Cheltenham General Hospitals

:: Walsall Manor in the West Midlands

:: Croydon Hospital in south London

:: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals 

:: Ashford and St Peter's hospitals in Surrey

:: Stafford's County Hospital 

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Your First-Hand Experiences Of A&E Wards

Overwhelming patient demand has seen accident and emergency waiting times plunge to their worst levels in a decade and several hospitals implement major incident plans to cope.

Health professionals estimate nearly a third of people going to A&E are not emergency cases, while a lack of community healthcare has also been blamed for adding to the problem.

In response to the crisis, many viewers have contacted Sky News via email to relate their personal experiences of A&E.

Here are some of them:

:: Alan Pitts

Video: Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?

"My 92-old-mother spent just over 24 hours in the A&E department in December. They ran out of blankets pillows, chairs and beds.

"The hospital was like a third world country. The general manager of the hospital advised me that the hospital was operating in an unsafe condition."

:: Barry Fryer

"My 96-year-old mother recently had a bad fall and had to wait on a trolley in a corridor for three hours whilst the staff dealt with more serious patients.

"There was no room on the wards and there were 10 patients on trollies in the corridor. Some were bleeding from cuts and wounds.

"The more serious patients turned out to be aggressive drunks which ended up in security staff and the police being called.

"My mother was 'seen' within the four-hour period but that was only someone taking details of the problems. She was not treated or seen by a doctor for more than seven hours.

"Why should drunks take over A&E departments and why shouldn't they be made to pay for the costs of their self-inflicted problems clogging up A&E?"

:: Wendy McKenzie - her mother, who died last August, had been a patient at two hospitals

Video: A&E: Where Is Problem Most Acute?

"Both hospitals have large A&E departments and in all instances my mum was treated very well. Even if there was a wait someone kept checking on her.

"The last incident could have been very traumatic as she had taken a bad fall.

"The ambulance service were great, ensuring that mum suffered as little discomfort as possible and stayed with her until they could officially hand her over to the medics in A&E.

"The team there again were great.

"Yes, we had to wait even though this was late at night, but nurses continually checked on her and she was treated well.

"Sadly she did not survive, passing away two days later due to a massive haemorrhage. I cannot speak more highly of how she was treated."

:: Shona Wedderburn

"I was in A&E three weeks ago and I was seen within half-an-hour for an X-ray and I was taken into the nurse within an hour of that for my details tombs confirmed.

"I did have to wait nearly four hours to see the doctors but that was due to six ambulances coming in with emergencies, two of which were for resuscitation so to say that 92.6% is bad is wrong."

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Four Dieters Embark On Weight Loss Mission

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

Sky News is following four people as they embark on a mission to lose excess weight and answer the question whether diets really hold the key to tackling Britain's obesity epidemic.

Safira Ali, 32, weighs more than 17st and wants to shed the pounds to have children.

She said the thought that being overweight could stop her having kids was "just devastating".

Hywel Roberts, 33, weighs 15st 9lb and is concerned about his long-term health and body image.

Labour says patients should be prescribed exercise rather medication

Michelle Okpocha, 47, weighs over 15st and says she was lighter when she was pregnant. She has also been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

"The high blood pressure, I've never really had that before, and the possibility of getting cancer through weight gain is frightening," she said.

Video: Dieter: 'We Want To Conceive'

Philip Wark, 38, weighs more than 18 stone and believes he is living "on borrowed time".

Sky will follow them as they each try different medically-supervised diets to see whether they can achieve their goals and go on to keep the weight off.

Some £5.1bn a year is spent by the NHS on problems caused by eating too much and not taking enough exercise - and experts warn it will be completely swamped if action is not taken.

Video: Dieter 'Living On Borrowed Time'

Latest figures show the number of hospital admissions linked to obesity in England rose tenfold in the 10 years to 2012-13 - from 29,237 to 292,404.

Tom Sanders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, told Sky News the NHS could not cope with the increased demand for surgery to help with weight loss.

"Unless obesity can be successfully prevented, it will overwhelm the NHS," he said.

Video: Dieter: "I've Tried Everything"

However, an even greater burden is type 2 diabetes, which can cause a host of life-limiting and deadly conditions, including strokes, heart attacks and cancer.

Something undeniably needs to be done, but does the diet industry hold the answer?

Politicians agree it is a huge problem but are divided when it comes to how to deal with it.

Video: 'I Love Coke and Sweets'

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says part of the solution relies on early intervention.

"I think the shocking statistic is that 9% of children enter primary school clinically obese and 19% leave obese. That is just not acceptable and we need to do a lot more."

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham told Sky part of the answer lies in "exercise on referral or on prescription".

Video: One Dinner A Day

"So instead of people being put on medication, people are put on specialist weight management and exercise courses to break the cycle and get control," he said.

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Prince Andrew Is 'Best Man In The World'

The Duchess of York has paid a glowing tribute to Prince Andrew, who strongly denies claims of having sex with an underage girl.

Speaking for the first time since the allegations against the Duke of York surfaced, Sarah Ferguson said her ex-husband was "the best man in the world".

The Duke flew home on a private jet from a ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland, following the claims, which were made in court papers in the US.

The Duchess, 55, who had been on holiday with the Duke and the couple's daughter, Princess Eugenie, remained in Verbier, where she spoke to reporters as she headed off for a mountain walk.

Asked if she was sticking by the Duke, who she divorced in 1996, she replied: "The York family is a tight unit. We've always been a tight unit.

Sarah Ferguson and the Duke divorced in 1996

"He is the greatest man there is. It was the finest moment of my life in 1986 when I married him. He is a great man, the best in the world."

The Duke, 54, reportedly spent the day at Royal Lodge, the home in Windsor Great Park he shares with the Duchess.

Buckingham Palace has in recent days issued two denials over the woman's claims.

It has "emphatically denied" the Duke had sexual contact with the woman, who has been named in reports as Virginia Roberts.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman insisted "any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors" was "categorically untrue".

Scotland Yard has confirmed it has not received a complaint relating to the case, but added it would investigate if an allegation was made.

The woman's claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.

Jeffrey Epstein was jailed for 18 months in 2008

In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.

The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.

She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.

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UK Facing 'Unmanageable Cancer Crisis'

The number of people living with cancer in the UK is set to hit a record 2.5 million this year - creating a "crisis of unmanageable proportions".

The estimate comes from Macmillan Cancer Support, whose analysis puts the figure up by almost half a million from five years ago.

It includes people who have received the all-clear from doctors.

Macmillan chief executive Lynda Thomas wants politicians to commit to ensuring survival rates that match Europe's best ahead of May's General Election.

"While it is great news that more people are surviving cancer or living longer with it, progress is a double-edged sword," Ms Thomas said.

Video: Most Cancers Down To Bad Luck

"As numbers surge, the NHS will soon be unable to cope with the huge increase in demand for health services and the support that organisations like Macmillan provide will become even more urgent and important.

"But we cannot do it alone. As we are threatened by a cancer crisis of unmanageable proportions, all political parties must step up and make a real commitment to supporting people with cancer."

The rising number of people living with cancer is largely due to better detection, as well as a growing and ageing population.

However, there has also been an increase in cancers linked to lifestyle such as kidney, liver and skin.

Video: Doctor: 'Cancer Best Way To Die'

The number of people living with cancer will reach four million by 2030, according to the charity's estimate.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is hugely welcome news that over the last five years 500,000 more people are able to live with cancer - part of the fact that cancer survival rates are increasing from relatively poor performance by European standards to their highest ever level in England.

"The NHS is rising to the challenge this presents and is seeing 51% more patients with suspected cancer than 2010, offering cutting-edge drugs through the Cancer Drugs Fund, focusing on high-quality compassionate care as never before, and working to introduce a personalised recovery care package for every patient."

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Osborne To Attack Labour's Spending Plans

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Five Tory Cabinet ministers led by Chancellor George Osborne are to launch an assault on Labour spending plans they claim will be based on costings carried out by the Treasury.

Mr Osborne, Theresa May, William Hague, Nicky Morgan and Sajid Javid will claim Labour's commitments for its first year in office alone total many billions of pounds.

The Conservative attack will coincide with Ed Miliband launching Labour's General Election campaign, claiming the election will be a once in a generation fight about who the country works for.

Ed Miliband will launch Labour's election campaign

"It is a choice between a Tory plan where only a few at the top can succeed and our public services are threatened - or a Labour plan that puts working people first, deals with the deficit and protects our NHS," he will say.

:: Click here for the In The Margins console

Video: In The Margins: 150 Key Seats

The clash will come on what is effectively day one of the general election campaign, in which the Conservatives want the economy to dominate the agenda and Labour the National Health Service.

The Conservatives claim their analysis of Labour spending is based on official HM Treasury Opposition Policy Costings and other reliable sources.

They say Labour's unfunded commitments for the year 2015-16 total some £20.7bn.

"When we took office four and a half years ago, we were left a note by the Labour Party saying simply: 'there's no money left'," said a Conservative spokesman.

"The mess we were left behind by Labour threatened this country's economic security and the economic security of everyone living here.

"But the evidence we will produce shows that Labour have not demonstrated the fiscal discipline or economic competence that earns an opposition the credibility to form a government.

"The chaos of unfunded spending promises, higher taxes and more borrowing offered by Labour is a risk to economic recovery. Competence or chaos. That is the choice for the British people at the election."

Video: David Cameron's New Year Message

But Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary Chris Leslie has already hit back, saying: "It is David Cameron and George Osborne who have made over £7bn of unfunded tax promises.

"These could only be paid for by another Tory VAT rise, even deeper cuts to public services or both.

"Labour has made no unfunded commitments. In fact the Institute for Fiscal Studies said last month that we had the most cautious approach and, unlike the parties, had promised no net giveaways."

Speaking to a rally in Manchester, Mr Miliband will urge activists and supporters to mobilise for an unprecedented four million doorstep conversations with voters in the next four months.

"We will offer hope, not falsehood," he will say. "We know the depths of our values matter more than the depth of our opponents' pockets. We will win this election, not by buying up thousands of poster sites, but by having millions of conversations."

Attacking the Tories on the economy, the Labour leader will say: "It's the first time since the 1920s that working people will be worse off at the end of a parliament than they were at the beginning.

"At a time when education and training are critical to the chances of earning a decent wage, tuition fees have trebled and apprenticeships for young people are falling.

Video: Ed Miliband's New Year Message

"And think what has happened to our NHS: longer to wait to see your GP, longer to wait in A & E, longer to wait for your operation - an NHS without time to care. The Tories have damaged the NHS in these five years. Give them five more and the NHS, as we know it, just won't be there."

The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will attack both the major parties on the economy.

On Ed Balls' claim that Labour is now in the centre ground of politics, he will say: "It's like waking up to find a late night voicemail from an ex saying that they've changed and it will all be different if only you give them one more chance."

And on the Conservatives' boasts about economic recovery, Mr Clegg will say: "It's a con. It's like a mobile phone salesman offering to renew your existing contract and then cutting the amount of calls you can make."

:: Follow Sky News presenters and correspondents from 6am on Monday as we launch our multi-media project In The Margins - examining 150 key marginal constituencies across the country. Watch live on Sky News, skynews.com and our mobile apps - channels Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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Prince Andrew Back In UK Amid Sex Claims

The Duke of York has arrived back in the UK following claims that he had sex with an underage girl.

Sky News understands Prince Andrew flew home on a private jet from a ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland, following allegations made in court papers in the US.

Buckingham Palace has in recent days issued two denials over the woman's claims that she was forced to have underage sex with the prince.

It has "emphatically denied" the Duke had sexual contact with the woman, who has reportedly been named as Virginia Roberts.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman insisted "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" was "categorically untrue".

Sky Reporter Harriet Hadfield said: "We think it's likely he will return to his home in Windsor, which actually makes a face-to-face meeting today with the Queen unlikely as she's in Sandringham.

"So perhaps an initial phone call today is more likely."

Scotland Yard has confirmed it has not received a complaint relating to the case, but added it would investigate if an allegation was made.

Two Sunday newspapers have published details of interviews with the woman, who reportedly named Prince Andrew in US court documents.

Jeffrey Epstein was jailed for 18 months in 2008

Her claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.

In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.

The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.

She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.

The accusation is reportedly contained in a motion filed in a Florida court this week which is part of a lawsuit over how prosecutors handled Epstein's case.

The Duke is understood to be planning to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, later this month, despite the controversy.

An associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, has branded the claims against her as "untrue" and "obvious lies" after she, too, was reportedly named in the court documents.

But the woman has hit back, saying in a statement: "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent and the reason why I did for a long time.

"That trend should change. I'm not going to be bullied back into silence."

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Second Palace Denial Over Andrew Sex Claims

Buckingham Palace has issued a second denial over a woman's claims she was forced to have underage sex with the Duke of York.

It has branded the allegations "false and without any foundation".

The denial comes after two Sunday newspapers published details of interviews with the woman, who reportedly named Prince Andrew in US court documents.

The palace said on Friday that "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" by him was "categorically untrue".

In the second statement, a spokesman said: "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with (the woman).

"The allegations made are false and without any foundation."

The woman's claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.

In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.

Epstein was jailed for 18 months in 2008

The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.

She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.

The accusation is reportedly contained in a motion filed in a Florida court this week which is part of a lawsuit over how prosecutors handled Epstein's case.

The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror have since published details of interviews given by the woman in recent years, in which she discusses three alleged encounters with the Duke.

According to the Sunday Express, Andrew was due to fly back to Britain later following a ski trip in Switzerland.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 and spent 13 months in jail after he admitted having sex with a 14-year-old.

He had been investigated for paying underage girls to have sex with him at his luxury Palm Beach home - and 40 women had come forward as victims.

However, he cut a deal with federal prosecutors and the charges were not progressed.

Two of his victims have now brought a case against the prosecutors, claiming their rights were violated because they were not consulted on the secret deal.

The woman, referred to as Jane Doe 3 in documents, has applied to the court to be included in the lawsuit.

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Man Stabbed To Death In Manchester

A murder investigation has been launched after a 26-year-old was stabbed to death in Manchester's city centre.

The man was found at about 3.25am in Charles Street in the city centre and died later in hospital.

Detective Superintendent Joanne Rawlinson of Greater Manchester Police said: "A young man has sadly died and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his relatives and friends.

"I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through and specially-trained officers are offering them whatever support we can."

She appealed for any witnesses to come forward, adding: "We are in the very early stages of the investigation and we have a team of experienced detectives working to establish the circumstances leading up to his death."

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Det Supt Rawlinson said:"Although one man has been arrested in connection with the murder, we still need to hear from anyone who was around the Charles Street area in the early hours of this morning or has any information which may assist us with our investigation.

"We will have an increased police presence in the area as we continue our investigation and to reassure local residents, so if you have any concerns or information you wish to provide please come and speak to us."

:: Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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UK Passengers On Ebola Nurse's Flights Traced

All the British-based passengers and crew who were on two flights taken by a British nurse who contracted Ebola have been tracked down, health officials say.

Pauline Cafferkey, who was part of a team of medical volunteers deployed to Africa by the UK Government last month, is receiving specialist treatment in north London.

She was diagnosed with the deadly virus after returning to Glasgow from Heathrow after flying to the UK from Sierra Leone via Casablanca in Morocco.

Ms Cafferkey was diagnosed with Ebola after returning from Sierra Leone

A Public Health England (PHE) spokeswoman confirmed all British-based passengers and crew members on both flights from Heathrow to Glasgow and from Casablanca to Heathrow have been contacted.

She said they had all been "given advice and reassurance" by health officials.

Video: Experimental Drug For Ebola Victim

She added that an additional 31 international passengers on the Casablanca to Heathrow flight were being contacted by international public health authorities.

The Moroccan Ministry of Health has also been tracing passengers aboard the Royal Air Maroc flight from Freetown in Sierra Leone to Casablanca as a precautionary measure.

All passengers on that flight were screened before they left Freetown and cleared to travel, as well as on their arrival in Casablanca, PHE said.

Video: Nurse Given Experimental Drug

Ms Cafferkey, who works at Blantyre Health Centre in South Lanarkshire, faces a "critical" few days as she is treated with an experimental anti-viral drug and blood from a survivor of the virus, her doctor has said.

Dr Michael Jacobs said she is being treated via a quarantine tent at the Royal Free Hospital with convalescent plasma taken from the blood of a recovered patient and an experimental anti-viral drug which is "not proven to work".

But he revealed the hospital was unable to obtain ZMapp, the drug used to treat fellow British volunteer nurse William Pooley, who recovered, because "there is none in the world at the moment".

Video: Changes To Protocol 'Must Be Made'

Dr Jacobs said Ms Cafferkey was in an early phase of the disease which gave the hospital the "best opportunity to give her treatment".

She has been sitting up and talking, was able to read, eat and drink, and had been in communication with her family, he added.

The 39-year-old, from Glasgow, was initially placed in isolation at a Glasgow hospital early on Monday after feeling feverish, before being transferred to north London on an RAF Hercules plane.

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