Who fans watch 50th anniversary show

23 November 2013 Last updated at 18:09 ET

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Watch clips from the show and interviews with the cast during its making

Doctor Who fans have praised the show's 50th anniversary episode as "epic" and "phenomenal".

The Day of the Doctor was broadcast in 94 countries at the same time as it aired on BBC One on Saturday night.

Featuring three Doctors - Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt - it delved deep into the character's psyche over 75 minutes.

There were also cameos from former star Tom Baker, and Peter Capaldi, who replaces Smith later this year.

"It's the most ambitious episode we've ever done," said the show's boss, Steven Moffat, ahead of the premiere.

Opening with the show's original credit sequence from 1963, the special featured the Daleks and the return of shape-shifting aliens the Zygons, who first appeared in 1975.

But the principal villain was potentially the Doctor himself.

Moffat's story played with the idea, introduced when the science-fiction show re-launched in 2005, that the Doctor was the "last of the Time Lords".

It transpired that Hurt's version of the Doctor had taken the decision to commit mass genocide in order to halt a "Great Time War" - and the 75-minute episode saw him fighting to come to terms with that decision, aided by two future versions of himself.

"The last few minutes affected me quite deeply," wrote Neil Perryman on the Guardian's website.

He conceded that some of the details "didn't make a lot of sense on first viewing" but added: "I don't care - I'll be watching it again this evening".

Speaking immediately after the show ended, star Matt Smith said: "I think what's really clever about it is that what he [Moffat] has managed to do is change the mythology of the character - which, after 50 years, is an achievement."

Aside from the emotional drama, the episode was filled with comedic moments - including a proposal, a marriage and "a machine that goes ding".

When Hurt's Doctor met his frenetic, childlike future selves, he asked: "Am I having a mid-life crisis?"

The show was also crammed with special effects, leaping from modern London to the planet of Gallifrey and Elizabethan England.

"I don't think it bears any resemblance to what we were doing," said Carole Ann Ford, who starred in the very first episode 50 years ago.

'Conned'

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Doctor Who fans give their reactions to the anniversary show

Screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas in 94 countries - from Russia to Ecuador - the episode attracted hundreds of fans in fancy dress, from bow ties to Dalek outfits.

A gala screening at the BFI in London was attended by Smith, Hurt, Moffat and their co-star Jenna Coleman.

A huge cheer echoed around the cinema as the end credits rolled, while Tom Baker's surprise cameo also received a large round of applause.

The reaction on Twitter was similarly ecstatic.

Karl Purdon wrote: "That was simply phenomenal", while Freema Agyeman, who once played Martha Jones in the series, called it both "epic" and "compelling".

Moffat said the special episode had been partly conceived as a way to explain the gap in the series' history - from its cancellation in 1989, until the re-launch, under Russell T Davies, in 2005.

"I knew I wanted to make it about the Time War, and I wanted that 16-year gap to mean something," he said.

"There was a whole other Doctor we got conned out of".

'Emotional wallop'

Speaking before the broadcast, Moffat - the show's lead writer and executive producer - admitted he was "nervous" about the scale of the special.

"I'm glad we don't do it every time, but it's very exciting to do it once," he told the BBC News website.

He said he hoped fans would be "very happy", adding: "It's got a big emotional wallop at the end".

Moffat described the first ever Doctor Who episode, An Unearthly Child, broadcast on 23 November 1963, as "one of the very best episodes of Doctor Who ever made".

"All the ideas come from there," he said.

"The music, the name, the Tardis, the police box bigger on the inside... in terms of brand new ideas that's a rollercoaster of 25 minutes."

Moffat, along with Matt Smith and Jenna Colman, attended the official Doctor Who anniversary celebration at London's ExCel on Friday.

The three-day event, which is being attended by 8,000 fans a day, features appearances from Doctor Who stars from all eras of the series.

American Richard LeCour said he made a special trip from his home in California because Doctor Who had been "part of my life for 40 years".

Adam Highway, from Brighton, predicted that Doctor Who still had a long future ahead of it.

"It'll go on as long as it keeps that balance of appealing to people who don't know the history, but respects the history for those who give a damn about it," he said.

"I think Steven Moffat's got it spot on."

The anniversary story was Matt Smith's penultimate outing, before he regenerates at Christmas into a new Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi.

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Possible date set for Scots independence

23 November 2013 Last updated at 19:10 ET

Scotland could be independent on 24 March, 2016, if voters back leaving the UK in the independence referendum, the Deputy First Minister has announced.

The date is included in the Scottish government's White Paper, described as a "blueprint" for independence.

Nicola Sturgeon said it was a "landmark document" which has economic growth, jobs and fairness at its heart.

The Scotland Office said naming a date weakened the government's negotiating position in the event of a yes vote.

The 670-page white paper will be available as a hard copy and as an e-book, and will be published on Tuesday.

Ms Sturgeon said it would be the document that drives the independence debate, providing the positive case for a vote in favour of independence.

"This guide to an independent Scotland will be the most comprehensive and detailed blueprint of its kind ever published, not just for Scotland but for any prospective independent country," she said.

"It is a landmark document which sets out the economic, social and democratic case for independence.

"It demonstrates Scotland's financial strengths and details how we will become independent - the negotiations, preparations and agreements that will be required in the transition period from a vote for independence in September next year to our proposed Independence Day of 24 March 2016 and in time for the first elections to an independent Scottish Parliament in May of that year."

'Greater participation'

Ms Sturgeon said the document was designed above all for the public and urged people to read it, compare it with any alternative future for Scotland and make up their own minds.

"The document contains two categories of policy choice," she said.

"Firstly, the choices that we will negotiate in the transition period - as the government leading negotiations - and which will therefore provide the starting point for an independent Scotland.

Continue reading the main story

Naming the date of independence ahead of a referendum result would only weaken the Scottish government's negotiating position if Scotland voted to leave the UK"

End Quote Scotland Office spokesman

"Secondly, the policy choices that we will make if this administration forms the government of an independent Scotland from May 2016."

Ms Sturgeon added: "The route to a successful Scotland is greater economic growth that benefits all and which supports greater participation - particularly amongst women - in the workplace and the economy as a whole.

"Ensuring that work pays, for example through a decent minimum wage, is central to our economic and social approach."

An initial print run of 20,000 copies has been produced but it will be made available to everyone who requests a copy.

The independence referendum will take place on 18 September next year, and the proposed Independence Day of Thursday 24 March 2016 follows the dissolution of the current Scottish Parliament, which is set to be scheduled to take place at midnight on Wednesday 23 March, 2016.

March 24 is also the anniversary of the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

A Scotland Office spokesman said: "Naming the date of independence ahead of a referendum result would only weaken the Scottish government's negotiating position if Scotland voted to leave the UK.

"People in Scotland still don't know the full terms the Scottish government would try to negotiate but the 28 members of the EU, Nato and the rest of the UK would all know that for the Scottish government the date is more important than the deal.

"We agree people should read the White Paper and the UK government's evidence and make up their own mind on the referendum issue."

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Local policing 'must be saved'

23 November 2013 Last updated at 21:14 ET

Neighbourhood policing is under threat in England and Wales as police "retreat to a discredited reactive approach", a report is to say.

The Independent Police Commission will say local policing - the "building block of fair and effective policing" - is disappearing and "must be saved".

The commission, which will publish its report on Monday, was set up by Labour in 2011 under former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens.

It will make a list of recommendations.

The report will say "bobbies on the beat are disappearing and neighbourhood policing must be saved".

According to the commission, figures from the House of Commons Library show there were 10,000 fewer frontline officers in England and Wales in 2013 than in 2010 - a drop of 8.3%.

'Beating a retreat'

Lord Stevens, the Met Commissioner who introduced neighbourhood policing into London, said every local area should be given a guaranteed level of neighbourhood policing.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Stevens warned that officers were "beating a retreat from the beat".

"In the course of our two-year independent commission on the future of policing, we have seen that neighbourhood policing is under threat and the police are at risk of retreating into a discredited reactive model," he wrote.

"The commission is clear that neighbourhood policing is the bedrock on which the service must be built."

Lord Stevens also condemned the government's police reform programme as "confused", "fragmented" and "unfocused".

The report will call for "a set of national minimum standards of police service which everyone should be entitled to receive" and which police forces "must deliver".

"The neighbourhood remains the key building block of fair and effective policing and it is vital that visible, locally responsive policing is protected in times of fiscal constraint," it will say.

The report will recommend that the law should be changed "to make clear that the purpose of policing is to promote public safety and community wellbeing, thereby preventing crime as well as reacting to crime".

According to the commission, this was achieved in the legislation creating a single national police force for Scotland.

The report will call for stronger links between the police and other organisations, including giving neighbourhoods and councils more say over local police priorities.

It will also recommend:

• Electronic submission of case files to courts and prosecutors
• Mobile access to intelligence, including the Police National Computer
• Cybercrime experts to be recruited directly into police forces
• Restrictions on the use of private companies such as G4S and Serco for policing functions

'Non-political'

Labour announced the review at its 2011 party conference, saying it was time for a "serious vision".

Crossbench peer Lord Stevens stressed the commission, which included police figures, academics and judges, would be non-political.

Nick Herbert, then the policing minister, said Labour's decision to establish an inquiry was "an abdication of any kind of political leadership" and the government had a "coherent package of reforms".

The overall structure of the police service was last examined by a royal commission in 1962.

Lord Stevens was the head of the Metropolitan Police between 2000 and 2005.

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Iran agrees to curb nuclear activity

24 November 2013 Last updated at 03:33 ET

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Iran is to curb its nuclear activities in return for limited relief from sanctions

Iran has agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about $7bn (£4.3bn) in sanctions relief, after days of intense talks in Geneva.

US President Barack Obama welcomed the deal, saying it included "substantial limitations which will help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon".

Iran agreed to give better access to inspectors and halt some of its work on uranium enrichment.

President Hassan Rouhani said the deal recognised Iran's nuclear "rights".

But he repeated, in a nationwide broadcast, that his country would never seek a nuclear weapon.

Tehran denies repeated claims by Western governments that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It insists it must be allowed to enrich uranium to use in power stations.

Continue reading the main story

The first announcement of the most important agreement between Iran and the West in more than a decade was made on Twitter. Shortly before three in the morning in Geneva, the EU posted: "We have reached agreement between the E3+3 and Iran." Minutes later, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Javad Zarif followed: "We have reached an agreement."

The immediate origins of this deal date to 14 June 2013, when Hassan Rouhani was elected president of Iran. Mr Rouhani promised to end his country's repeated confrontations with the outside world, beginning with the argument over its nuclear programme.

To bring about a deal, Mr Rouhani pursued two key policies. Firstly, he secured the public backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his diplomatic efforts. Secondly, the new president and his foreign minister broke precedent and pursued direct high-level contact with Iran's long time enemy, the US.

If there is to be a lasting nuclear agreement, it may spring from a reconciliation between these two countries.

The deal comes just months after Iran elected Mr Rouhani - regarded as a relative moderate - as its new president, in place of the hard-line Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

After four days of negotiations, representatives of the so-called P5+1 group of nations - the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany - reached an agreement with Iran in the early hours of Sunday.

The specifics of the deal have yet to be released, but negotiators indicated the broad outlines:

• Iran will stop enriching uranium beyond 5%, the level at which it can be used for weapons research, and reduce its stockpile of uranium enriched beyond this point
• Iran will give greater access to inspectors including daily access at Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites
• In return, there will be no new nuclear-related sanctions for six months
• Iran will also receive sanctions relief worth about $7bn (£4.3bn) on sectors including precious metals

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement would make the region safer for its allies, including Israel.

But the Israeli government criticised the deal and said Israel did not feel bound by it.

"This is a bad agreement that gives Iran what it wanted: the partial lifting of sanctions while maintaining an essential part of its nuclear programme," said a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli comments came as it was revealed that the US and Iran had held a series of face-to-face talks over the past year that were kept secret even from their allies.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was an opportunity for the "removal of any doubts about the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme".

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Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif: "This is only the first step"

But he insisted that Iran had not given up its right to enrich uranium.

"We believe that the current agreement, the current plan of action as we call it, in two distinct places has a very clear reference to the fact that Iranian enrichment programme will continue and will be a part of any agreement, now and in the future," he said.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the agreement was "good news for the whole world".

'Significant agreement'

The US state department gave more details of the deal, insisting that most sanctions would remain in place.

Restrictions on Iran's petrochemical exports and some other sectors would be suspended, bringing in $1.5bn in revenue.

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Obama: "Agreed to provide Iran with modest relief"

But Mr Obama warned that if Iran fail to keep its commitments, "we will turn off the relief and ratchet up the pressure".

This deal may be the most significant agreement between the world powers and Iran for a decade, says the BBC's James Reynolds in Geneva.

Negotiators had been working since Wednesday to reach an agreement that was acceptable to both sides.

As hopes of a deal grew stronger, foreign ministers of the P5+1 joined them in Geneva.

But it only became clear that a breakthrough had been made in Geneva shortly before 03:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Sunday.

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Aid sent to help Typhoon victims

24 November 2013 Last updated at 03:00 ET

More than 1,400 tents and other supplies are to be flown to the Philippines on six UK aid flights this week to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

Four cities will also be given a total of £5m, taking the total amount of UK government aid to £55m.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said humanitarian efforts would not "stop here".

The number killed in the disaster has risen to more than 5,000 and with many still missing, say officials.

'Better future'

Ms Greening is currently touring the areas devastated by the typhoon.

She said the humanitarian efforts of the UK's armed forces and the Department for International Development (DfID) were already making a difference.

Speaking to the BBC in Manila, she said the devastation was "shocking".

"There is the beginning of people clearing debris and the roads are now clear. But there's a huge amount left to do," she said.

The six new aid flights arriving over the next six days will carry supplies including 22,000 plastic sheets, 23,000 tarpaulins, 3,000 cooking sets and 17,000 blankets.

HMS Illustrious, a helicopter carrier, is due to arrive on Monday delivering 500 tonnes of disaster relief aid to the area.

Ms Greening said: "What you can't see here is the smell. There's a huge amount of dirt around this place that needs to be cleared but gradually we're going to help people get back on their feet."

She said the UK was working to provide food, water purification kits and counselling for those affected.

"What we want to do is work with people so that they can help to support themselves, and in the meantime ensure they've got the water, the food and the shelter and the healthcare they need to get through these initial days," she added.

Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, is the deadliest natural disaster in the country's history, and was one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded.

Winds of up to 270km/h hit the central Philippines when it made landfall on 8 November, flattening parts of low-lying islands.

Ms Greening said the UK was working with the Philippines government to replace lost buildings to a standard that would withstand any future storms.

And she said the UK would continue to assist the country when media attention moves on from the disaster.

"We're going to support the Philippines through this crisis and we're going to work with them in the coming years."

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Tax relief to help grassroots clubs

22 November 2013 Last updated at 19:32 ET

The government is to give new tax breaks to small sports clubs in an effort to boost participation.

More than 40,000 clubs could benefit by being allowed to keep up to £100,000 each in additional revenue.

Clubs can earn the cash from bar receipts and hire of facilities before having to pay any corporation tax.

The move is part of the government's promise to create a sporting legacy following London 2012, something which some critics say is not being achieved.

Earlier this month the House of Lords Select Committee on Olympic and Paralympic Legacy said the Games were an "outstanding success",

But it urged the government to appoint a minister with overall responsibility for producing legacy benefits which, it warned, "are in danger of faltering".

Donation changes

The new changes to the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme come after a consultation over the summer.

Clubs will now also be able to deduct more travel and subsistence expenses for key players or trainers.

And to attract money into clubs, companies will be able to deduct in-full donations to a club from their tax bill. It is hoped this will encourage larger donations from corporations and local businesses.

To take advantage of these tax reliefs clubs must charge no more than £31 per week in membership fees as well as offering reduced rates for the less well off.

The new scheme is being run in conjunction with the Football Association and other sports groups.

So far some 6,000 clubs have benefited from the CASC scheme, saving over £100m in business rates exemption, and more than £12m in Gift Aid relief.

However, there are no changes on the status of PAYE payments due for employees - such as bar staff - at small clubs, an issue where some sporting organisations had hoped to see an alteration to the rules.

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'Disturbing picture' in slavery case

22 November 2013 Last updated at 13:22 ET

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Det Insp Kevin Hyland: "It's clear that there was a degree of freedom"

Detectives investigating the case of three women allegedly held as slaves for 30 years in south London have uncovered a "complicated and disturbing picture of emotional control".

The women, aged 69, 57 and 30, were rescued in Lambeth last month.

Commander Steve Rodhouse told a press briefing that the three women told police they had been beaten.

It has also emerged the couple suspected of keeping them as slaves were arrested in the 1970s.

Police would not reveal the reason why the couple, both 67 and understood to be married, were arrested.

'Invisible handcuffs'

News of the women's plight did not emerge until Thursday, when police revealed the women, a 69-year-old Malaysian, a 57-year-old Irish national and a 30-year-old Briton, had managed to leave a house in Lambeth on 25 October.

They are not believed to be victims of trafficking.

Mr Rodhouse described the three women as having been restrained by "invisible handcuffs" and confirmed they have made a clear allegation of slavery against the two suspects, who have also been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

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Aneeta Prem, Freedom Charity: "We've ensured they're in a place of safety"

He said: "It is not as brutally obvious as women being physically restrained inside an address and not allowed to leave.

'Brainwashing'

"What we have uncovered so far is a complicated and disturbing picture of emotional control over many years, brainwashing would be the most simplest term, yet that belittles the years of emotional abuse these victims have had to endure.

"We are unpicking a story that spans at least 30 years of these women's lives, and all of this requires police activity to turn that into evidence."

He added the women had given a "disturbing picture" of their experience, although the household may have appeared as a "normal family" to others.

It is also being investigated as to whether the women had previous contact with public services.

The case has been described as "unique" by the force and its entire 37-person specialist team is working on it.

House search

Mr Rodhouse said one of the reasons the police had not revealed more information about the couple's arrest in the 1970s was because it must "take great care not to provide information that could lead to the identification of the subjects".

He said the two suspects had been bailed as the investigation would be a long one and could take up to many months, but said they had not returned to the Lambeth property.

The house has been subjected to a 12-hour search, with 55 bags of about 2,500 exhibits seized.

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Home Office minister James Brokenshire: "I want to see slavery consigned to history books"

The rescue was staged after the 57-year-old woman secretly gained access to a phone and contacted Freedom Charity.

She first called on 18 October and there followed a number of conversations over a week, before the women left the property when the occupants of the house were not around.

They were met by police and representatives of the charity and moved to a safe location.

It is not yet known if the women are related but police believe the 30-year-old has spent her whole life in captivity. Officers are trying to establish whether she was born in the property.

Leader of Lambeth Council Lib Peck said people were "horrified and shocked".

Dame Tessa Jowell, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, said: "It is shocking, and for one of the women this is a life foregone until she's in her early adulthood.

Bizarre behaviour

"It happened in my constituency and I think that until we begin to have more information from the community, it will be very hard to draw a precise conclusion as to how bizarre the behaviour of this household was.

"Once we've got those established as facts then we can draw conclusions about why this was allowed to happen, how it happened, did these people slip through the net, were there moments when the bizarre and brutal nature of this household could have been revealed?

"I think we have to accept that we have to be patient."

The Ministry of Justice said the women would be provided with secure accommodation for the first 45 days following their release.

The Salvation Army would be involved in helping the women with the next stages of their recovery period and re-integration into society.

Jakki Moxham, chief executive, of Housing for Women, a charity which works with victims of domestic slavery and trafficking, said the "horrific" case showed "slavery is not confined to the history books".

"Women who have been victims of slavery and trafficking are in an extremely vulnerable position but fail to get long term support and safe and secure accommodation after the government 45-day recovery period.

"We urge the government to address this lack of support in the Modern Day Slavery Bill so these women can try to rebuild their lives."

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "If it's as bad as it would appear to be, it's deplorable that something like this can happen in the 21st Century let alone in London, the greatest city on earth."

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Inquiry into 'events at Co-op Bank'

22 November 2013 Last updated at 17:59 ET

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Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that an independent inquiry will look into events at the Co-operative Bank

An independent inquiry will look into "events at the Co-op Bank" dating back to 2008, Chancellor George Osborne has said.

The bank's ex-chairman, Paul Flowers, has been released on bail after being arrested in Merseyside in connection with a "drugs supply investigation".

Mr Flowers, a Methodist minister in Bradford, has been suspended from the church and the Labour Party.

Bradford Council is investigating his departure form the council in 2011.

The Mail on Sunday published a video on 17 November allegedly showing Mr Flowers, 63, handing over £300 for cocaine and discussing buying other illegal drugs.

Mr Flowers resigned from his position as deputy chairman of the Co-op Group in June amid concerns about his expenses.

Continue reading the main story

• Police are investigating Mr Flowers in connection with a "drugs supply investigation". He was arrested and bailed on 22 November.
• The Co-operative Group has announced a "fact-finding process to look into any inappropriate behaviour" in the Co-op Group or Co-op Bank.
• The group has also said there will be a "root and branch" review of how the organisation is governed.
• Chancellor George Osborne has announced an independent inquiry, agreed with two financial regulators, into "events at the Co-op Bank" going back to 2008.
• The Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority are considering carrying out separate investigations.
• Councillors at Bradford Council have asked staff to produce a report outlining what action was taken after "inappropriate but not illegal" material was found on a computer used by Mr Flowers.
• The Treasury Select Committee, which questioned Mr Flowers on 6 November about his former role as chairman of the Co-op Bank, has said it will not recall him - but the MPs are expected to recall City regulators from the time of his appointment.

Separately, he was forced out of the Co-op's banking arm in June because of doubts about his competence for the job.

Conduct of directors

The Treasury has not yet said who will lead the inquiry announced by Mr Osborne.

"The investigation has been jointly agreed with the two regulators - the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - who agree there is a public interest in a statutory investigation," a Treasury spokesman said.

"It will be led by an independent person appointed by the regulators, with the approval of the Treasury."

The chancellor used the Financial Services Act 2012 to order an independent investigation into "events at the Co-op Bank and the circumstances surrounding them".

This will date from 2008 and include the conduct and appointment of directors.

Separately, the FCA and PRA are considering whether they should launch formal enforcement investigations.

Internal review

The Co-op Bank is seeking to recover money paid to its former chairman, telling him to hand back £31,000.

It is also looking at emails and other evidence as part of an "internal fact-finding review".

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"I was thinking of investing with Co-op Bank - this has coloured my view"

The Co-op Group has launched a "root and branch" review of how it governs itself in the wake of the revelations about Mr Flowers, which its new chairman called "shocking".

Labour has sought to distance itself from Mr Flowers, as a political row developed over why he was allowed to reach a such high position in the bank.

From 2002-11 he was a Labour councillor in Bradford and subsequently served the party on what it says was an informal advisory group.

'Inappropriate material'

Mr Flowers stood down as a Bradford councillor after "inappropriate but not illegal" material was found on his council computer, but other councillors were told he had left due to work pressures.

The council said the circumstances of this would now be investigated.

"Coun David Green has asked officers to produce a report outlining what action was taken, and on what basis, from the point when the inappropriate material was discovered," a spokeswoman said.

"This report will be made public and decisions about any further actions/investigations will then be taken."

The Methodist Church said it had offered "pastoral care" to Mr Flowers, who is indefinitely suspended as a minister.

It has emerged that he resigned from running drugs charity Lifeline in 2004 after allegedly lodging false expenses claims.

The Charity Commission said it received a complaint at the time but had no evidence that Mr Flowers "acted in bad faith or fraudulently".

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Delayed hospital discharges examined

22 November 2013 Last updated at 19:03 ET By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News

NHS figures have highlighted the growing impact of delays in discharging patients in England once they are fit to leave hospital.

Last month the number of days "lost" by patients who needed the beds was the highest for more than three years.

Senior doctors working in accident and emergency departments say it is a major cause for concern.

NHS England said it was aware of the problem, but care working groups across the country were tackling it.

The problem facing the health service is about making sure patients who are fit to leave hospital can recover in the right place, and their beds are made available to others who need them.

Figures from NHS England show the number of hospital bed days lost because of delayed discharges in October was 78,424.

That is up nearly 8,000 on the same time last year, and the highest since monthly data was first published in August 2010.

Growing problem

Continue reading the main story

These figures are a cause for concern. The delays are a key cause of overcrowding in emergency departments, which is associated with higher mortality"

End Quote Dr Clifford Mann College of Emergency Medicine

The figures also indicate that getting appropriate social care in place - so patients can be discharged safely with the right support at home or in a care home - is a growing problem.

The number of hospital bed days lost where the delay was caused by social care difficulties was 14,830 in October. This is the highest since April 2011.

The President of the College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Clifford Mann, said the figures were not a surprise, but were a cause for concern.

"The delays are a key cause of overcrowding in emergency departments, which is associated with higher mortality," he said.

However, he added that the announcement this week of extra funding to relieve pressure on A and E departments was "very welcome"

"Intense pressure"

For Labour, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said the figures exposed the intense pressure faced by hospitals in England.

"David Cameron's severe cuts to older people's home care services have left people without adequate support and at risk of hospitalisation. Once admitted, a growing number are trapped on wards because they can't be discharged."

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said councils had worked hard to protect social care services from the full impact of cuts, but added: "Unless local government finance is put on a sustainable footing, social care will remain substantially underfunded and services will suffer as a result."

In a statement, NHS England said it was very aware of the pressures hospitals faced when they could not discharge patients.

"Across the country we have urgent care working groups set up so the whole health and social care system is pulling together to tackle these important issues. The extra £150 million that we have just released will help. We need to get every penny we can working hard for patients."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health in England said in an average week NHS hospitals in England admitted a quarter of a million patients, and in that context the number of delays was very low.

"But no patients should experience unnecessary delays. We know hospitals need to join up better with social care and community services and are investing £3.8 billion in making this happen."

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MP warns of corruption in minorities

23 November 2013 Last updated at 03:03 ET

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has said politicians need to "wake up" to the issue of corruption in some minority communities.

Mr Grieve told the Daily Telegraph it was not restricted to "any one community" but he was referring mainly to "the Pakistani community".

He said it must be made "absolutely clear" that a "favour culture" is unacceptable in Britain.

One Pakistan-born MP accused Mr Grieve of "dividing" communities.

Mr Grieve told the Telegraph he would be "wary of saying" it was just a Pakistani problem, pointing out corruption was found in the "white Anglo-Saxon" community too.

Continue reading the main story

We have managed integration of minority communities better than most countries in Europe"

End Quote Dominic Grieve Attorney General

But he said some immigrants come to Britain from countries where corruption is "endemic".

These are societies "where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture," he said.

"One of the things you have to make absolutely clear is that is not the case and it's not acceptable."

Mr Grieve, Conservative MP for Beaconsfield and the government's chief legal adviser, added: "It is something as politicians we have to wake up to."

'Divide and conquer'

In a statement to the BBC, he said integration of ethnic minorities in the UK had "delivered great benefits for all of us".

On the issue of corruption, he added: "I am absolutely clear that this problem is not attributable to any one community, as I know very well from my many years promoting community cohesion."

But the Telegraph says when he was asked if he was referring to the Pakistani community, Mr Grieve said: "Yes, it's mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community."

Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP who came to the UK from Pakistan as a child, said the attorney general was marking out the Pakistani community as "more corrupt" than other minority groups.

The MP for Birmingham Perry Barr told BBC Radio 5 live that Mr Grieve was trying to "divide and conquer" within communities.

Electoral fraud

Mr Grieve's warning echoes comments made by Conservative peer Baroness Warsi in 2010.

She told the New Statesman magazine there were "at least three seats where we lost, where we didn't gain the seat, based on electoral fraud" and said the problems were "predominantly within the Asian community".

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said electoral fraud was a "particular concern".

He said the the issue of corruption in certain communities was "sensitive territory" for politicians, and that the attorney general was "careful to qualify" his comments by saying the problem was not restricted to one minority.

In his interview with the newspaper, Mr Grieve also said he was "very optimistic about the future of the UK".

"We have managed integration of minority communities better than most countries in Europe," he said.

But he warned the UK's infrastructure could be put under strain if large numbers of people from Romania and Bulgaria come to the country when immigration controls expire in January.

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