county news

‘People with MND dying before they are helped’

‘People with MND dying before they are helped’

Rhiannon YhnellandPippa Rifka,SomersetBBCNicky Jones was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in May but has given up waiting for financial supportSome people living with motor neurone disease (MND) are dying before they receive financial support to adapt their homes, families have said.Nicky Jones, 65, from near Frome in Somerset, said it is currently a postcode lottery and she has given up waiting after being diagnosed with the degenerative condition in May.Her daughter Katy Wyatt said: "When we've gone onto…

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Dorset Council needs more money for bus improvements

Dorset Council needs more money for bus improvements

A council has said it requires more funding for full bus service improvements despite securing £12m from the Government.Over the next three years, £6.8m in revenue funding will help Dorset Council make upgrades, such as restoring some Saturday services and improving frequencies.£5.2m in capital funding will pay for better bus stops and real-time information, with capital support continuing to 2029/30.Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Place Services, Jon Andrews said: "It's clear Dorset needs a fairer long-term share to…

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Rise in number of breastfed babies in Devon and Cornwall

Rise in number of breastfed babies in Devon and Cornwall

BBCAbigail fed both breast and bottle feeds her twin daughtersThere has been an increase in the number of babies who are breastfed in Devon and Cornwall, new government figures reveal. It is higher than the average for England, which is the highest since records began in 2015.Overall in the two counties, around six in ten babies are still breastfed at around six to eight weeks old, according to recent figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.…

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Seven-car crash brings A38 to a halt in Devon

Seven-car crash brings A38 to a halt in Devon

Traffic on a major road was held at a standstill after a seven-car crash, National Highways said on social media.It said the collision happened on the A38 westbound in Devon between Westover and Deep Lane near Plymouth on Tuesday evening, and traffic was stopped.It added this led to 45 minute delays and up to five miles of congestion.Two highway patrols worked at the scene to "clear the vehicles" and the road has since been reopened. Source link

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Boardmasters partners with Cornwall charity to boost grants

Boardmasters partners with Cornwall charity to boost grants

The charitable arm of Boardmasters festival has partnered with another charity to manage its grants.Boardmasters Foundation said the arrangement with Cornwall Community Foundation was a "significant step forward" in its aim to support local groups.It said the foundation would manage its grant programme and provide "expert knowledge, robust governance and established connections with grassroots organisations".Boardmasters said more than £120,000 was raised for local groups this year.As part of the deal, Cornwall Community Foundation will manage aspects of the…

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Poole Hospital pays six-figure sum over asbestos death

Poole Hospital pays six-figure sum over asbestos death

An NHS trust has paid a six-figure sum to relatives of a hospital porter who claimed asbestos caused his death.Geoff King, 76, worked for 21 years at Poole Hospital in areas contaminated with asbestos dust and debris, lawyers said.He died from mesothelioma - an asbestos-related cancer - in December 2021, according to legal firm Leigh Day.University Hospitals Dorset, which made the payment without admitting liability, said asbestos was commonly used in many hospitals and it had strict protocols…

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Rumours refugees housed in new homes quashed by council

Rumours refugees housed in new homes quashed by council

Nearly 90% of a county's new council homes have been let to local residents, the council says, despite speculation on social media they would be used to house refugees.The 54 properties built for the Rainbow Way project on the eastern edge of Minehead, Somerset, are among the first to be built in the area for 30 years.All are now occupied, Somerset Council said, with 48 allocated to people from the town, while the remaining six homes were let…

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People rescued from flooding in the South West as Storm Bram hits

People rescued from flooding in the South West as Storm Bram hits

Richard BrassettA resident said lots of cars were underwater in Lostwithiel, CornwallTwo people have been rescued from floodwater as heavy rain and strong winds brought by Storm Bram have impacted travel across Devon and Cornwall. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said two people were "safe and well" after being rescued from the roof of their car after it got stuck in floodwater at about 06:45 in Teigngrace, Devon.Fire services have been dealing with other weather-related incidents,…

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Royal Cornwall Hospital staff’s sick days exposed in data leak

Royal Cornwall Hospital staff’s sick days exposed in data leak

PA MediaRoyal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said it had written to 8,100 current and former employeesPersonal details of thousands of current and former staff working for a hospital trust have been exposed in a data breach.Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said it had written to 8,100 current and former employees after an editable spreadsheet containing staffing data was "inadvertently disclosed" as part of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.The names and job titles of staff together with descriptions…

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Secret Devon – It’s been there for 700 years, but what is the ‘Real Abbot’s Way’

Secret Devon – It’s been there for 700 years, but what is the ‘Real Abbot’s Way’

Available for over a yearThe line of crosses on Dartmoor mark a path called 'The Abbot's Way ' but the exact route is the subject of some debate. Author Nick Pannell has written a book about the path and is part of a campaign to get the route that's marked on our maps moved. He spoke to Caroline Densley and explained what the route is.Programme WebsiteShow less Source link

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Users of cashless toll system on Tamar Bridge face rise in fees

Users of cashless toll system on Tamar Bridge face rise in fees

Alison StephensonLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceBBCCampaigners said the increase in administration charges would hurt those reliant on the crossingA committee has approved a 150% hike in the monthly charge paid by electronic tag holders, using a cashless account to cross the River Tamar.Members of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee voted to increase the standing charge for having a TamarTag account from 80p a month to £2, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.The Tamar Toll Action Group…

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