'Outrage' Over Plans To Drop Cancer Drugs

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Cancer drug companies say they are "outraged" that their treatments may be taken off a list of approved medicines after a review by NHS England.

More than 40 drugs currently on offer to cancer patients are being re-evaluated as part of cost cutting after the Cancer Drugs Fund overspent by £100m.

Since 2010, the Government has put aside hundreds of millions of pounds for the fund separately from NHS spending on cancer drugs as some treatments cost tens of thousands of pounds a year per patient.

Decisions on future provision are expected next week but some manufacturers have said their products have been earmarked for withdrawal within two months - though patients already using the affected drugs will continue to get them.

Gary Hendler, president of Eisai's global oncology business unit which makes a breast cancer drug called Halaven, claimed the review process was based on "arbitrary scoring" and told Sky News: "We are extremely shocked, what we are asking for is the Prime Minister to pause the current process of rationing cancer drugs."

One breast cancer patient also spoke out about the review.

Shani Lloyd Roberts, 32, has secondary breast cancer and has been taking a life-prolonging drug for 16 months.

It is not yet known whether or not her drug will be offered to new patients but she is concerned about the review cutting choice to cancer patients.

"Why take drugs away that are actually working for people? If someone's going to be diagnosed today, tomorrow, a week or a month down the line, they're not going to be offered the same drug that's working for somebody else.

"I don't understand that, it makes no sense and makes life a little bit scarier."

Cancer Drugs Fund chair, practising oncologist Peter Clark, defended the process: "We need to get maximum value for every pound we spend through the CDF.

"We can no longer sustain a position where we are funding drugs that don't offer sufficient clinical benefit when drugs that will do more for patients are coming on stream."

NHS England said excluded drugs would include some which "offer some benefit but are very costly" and said it was essential that patients were able to access the latest treatments.

It pointed out that there was a formal review process available to affected firms.

Tarja Stenvall, general manager of Sanofi, which says its prostate cancer drug Jevtana and bowel cancer treatment Zaltrap are among those being withdrawn, also called on the Government to halt the process.

The full details of the review will be announced next week.

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First Private Firm To Run Hospital Pulls Out

The first private company to run an NHS hospital trust is pulling out because it is "no longer sustainable" because of cuts and pressure on its casualty department.

Circle Holdings, which runs Hinchingbrooke healthcare trust in Cambridgeshire, pointed to "significant changes in the operational landscape for NHS hospitals" since the contract was procured in 2009.

It has had to inject almost £5m to prop up the trust - and reaching this level would trigger an option to cancel the deal.

The company said it was "highly likely" it would have to pump in more cash as conditions had "significantly worsened in recent weeks".

Circle blamed unprecedented rises in people visiting A&E and a lack of care places for patients awaiting discharge.

Video: Which Hospitals Are Affected?

And bosses have claimed funding has been cut by 10.1% this financial year.

They are also facing an imminent report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is expected to be "unbalanced".

Circle began operating the trust in February 2012 but in August warned of "uncertainty over Hinchingbrooke's profitability over the next year".

In a statement on Friday the company said: "Circle today announces that it has determined that its franchise to operate Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust is no longer sustainable under current terms and that it has entered into discussions with the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA) with the view to ensuring an orderly withdrawal from the current contract."

Circle said it had invested in the quality of care and in staff and facilities while saving the taxpayer £23m in its first two years.

Low mortality rates, "excellent" patient feedback and waiting time targets have all been met, the company said.

Chief executive Steve Melton said: "Like most hospitals, over the past year Hinchingbrooke saw unprecedented A&E attendances and not enough care places for healthy patients awaiting discharge.

Video: Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?

"At the same time, our funding has been cut. We also believe that inconsistent and conflicting regulatory regimes compound the challenge for acute hospitals in this environment.

"This combination of factors means we have now reluctantly concluded that, in its existing form, Circle's involvement in Hinchingbrooke is unsustainable."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We're disappointed Circle has made this decision.

"There will now be a managed transfer of the running of the trust and patient care will not be affected."

Downing Street added that just 6% of NHS services were provided by the private sector - up only marginally from 5% under Labour.

But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "It was the decision of the coalition in November 2011 to appoint Circle and they must take responsibility for this mess.

"The Government were explicitly warned two years ago about the risky business model Circle were operating, but failed to take any action."

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Tory Plan To Make Public Strikes More Difficult

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Politics Reporter

The Conservatives have promised to legislate to make striking more difficult in some core public services if they win this year's general election.

Under the manifesto commitment, industrial action in areas such as health, transport, the fire services and schools would require at least 40% support of those eligible to vote - as well as a majority of those who have actually voted.

The move is an attempt to stop strikes going ahead which have been supported by, sometimes, only one in ten

The TUC has denounced the plan as a 'democratic outrage' which would make it "virtually impossible for anyone in the public sector to go on strike".

The proposals also pledge to end the ban on the use of agency staff to cover for striking workers, and promise a review on the possible introduction of minimum service levels to ensure that core services remain available during strikes.

Video: Tube Strike Causes Travel Misery

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told Sky News: "A lot people are affected by these strikes, hardworking people going about their daily business don't actually have the opportunity of participating in that ballot.

"So I think it is absolutely right that before a strike can be called in an essential public service there has to be very, very strong support from the membership of that union."

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the proposed measures would "shift the balance completely in favour of the government and employers, and away from dedicated public servants".

He added: "The UK already has tough laws on strikes - there is no need to make them stricter still."

Video: Acting RMT General Secretary

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny pointed out that Conservatives failed to secure 40% support of those who voted in the 2010 general election, while only 15 Tory MPs had the backing of 40% of those entitled to vote in their constituencies.

Nearly three-quarters (86) of 119 significant ballots for industrial action conducted between August 2010 and December 2014 would have been invalid under the proposed thresholds.

Among those was last year's London Underground strike, which fewer than one third of eligible RMT members voted for, said the Conservatives.

And next week's planned bus strikes in London would be banned, as only 16% of those entitled to vote backed the 13 January action in a ballot which attracted a turnout of just 19%, a party source said.

Video: Commuters React To Tube Strike News

Labour election campaign vice-chair Lucy Powell also criticised the plans. She said: "The Tories have run out of ideas for the country so are resorting to playing political games with the unions.

"They should be finding solutions to reach negotiated settlements to avoid industrial action.

"The current laws governing strikes were introduced by Margaret Thatcher - not exactly a friend of the unions."

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MI5: Al Qaeda Plotting New Massacre In Britain

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Al Qaeda is plotting to massacre huge numbers of civilians in Britain and other western countries, the head of Mi5 has warned.

Andrew Parker, director general of the security service, told a select group mostly from the Royal United Services Institute at his London headquarters that while the so-called Islamic State is the newest threat to the West and that self-started lone wolf plots are hard to foil, al Qaeda still has ambitions for something more spectacular.

He said: "We know that terrorists based in Syria harbour... ambitions towards the UK - trying to direct attacks against our country, and exhorting extremists here to act independently."

But this was in addition to newly identified plans from al Qaeda to revisit their traditional style of operations.

He said: "…we still face more complex and ambitious plots that follow the now sadly well-established approach of al Qaeda and its imitators: attempts to cause large scale loss of life, often by attacking transport systems or iconic targets.

Video: 'A Huge Worry To Us'

"We know, for example, that a group of core al Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West."

Al Qaeda experts are known to have moved from Pakistan to Syria, where they may be able to draw on British volunteers to conduct attacks in the UK. Their mission is entirely focussed on plots against the West.

They are known to be led by Muhsin al Fadhli, an expert bomb maker wanted by the FBI who has a $7m price on his head. He moved to Syria two years ago and was unsuccessfully targeted in a coalition air strike last year.

It is also known that British citizens are in the ranks of al Qaeda in Syria and could be used in a major atrocity back home.

The domestic spy chief spoke hours after the UK's COBRA committee ordered a boost to national security.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Following the attacks we took the precautionary step yesterday of increasing security at the French-UK border.

"The UK threat level, which is set by the independent Joint Terrorism Advisory Centre, remains at severe; that means a terrorist attack is highly likely and the public should remain vigilant.

"This morning I chaired COBRA to consider Britain's response to the attacks and our own preparedness to a similar attack."

Extra police have already been deployed at British ports and stations serving the Eurostar.

Lone wolf plots aimed at the police and military have surged over the last year and these have combined with the Paris killings to cause unease among officers.

"It's a huge worry for us," said Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.

"There is a particular increased threat to police officers at the moment and there have been a number of attacks foiled in differed parts of the country, but I can tell you that our officers are very concerned about it… they see what happened in France, and clearly we are an unarmed police force but it is the nature of that threat which is worrying but despite that our officers go out there and do their duty." 

Such concerns from front line police reflect similar fears in the intelligence community. Put simply - the world is getting more dangerous.

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A&E Waiting Times Up As Red Cross Drafted In

Accident and Emergency waiting times have got even worse since the turn of the year, new figures show - with the British Red Cross being drafted in to help some hospitals cope.

A&E departments in England again failed to meet the target of seeing 95% of patients within four hours during the week ending 4 January.

Figures released on Friday morning show just 86.7% of patients were seen within this time.

In the three months leading up to Christmas the figure was 92.6% - the worst level since the four-hour target was introduced a decade ago.

More than a dozen hospitals have enacted emergency measures over recent days and the British Red Cross is helping some transport patients.

Video: Why Are A&E Wards Struggling?

Against this increasingly troubled backdrop, Labour has pledged 20,000 additional nurses if they win the election in May - and has outlined a five-point plan that could immediately bolster A&E services.

Mr Miliband said: "Clearing up this mess will require the long-term investment only Labour is prepared to make - 8,000 extra GPs, 5,000 more homecare workers, 3,000 more midwives and 20,000 additional nurses.

"But the scale of the current crisis also demands immediate action.

"If I was Prime Minister we would be taking action now to ease pressure on A&E by helping families see a GP, getting more nurses answering calls to NHS 111, halting the closures of walk-in centres, tackling the scandal of social care, and recruiting former nurses back into the NHS to help deal with staffing pressures."

The Red Cross has been helping in cities such as Sheffield, where the NHS trust says it is facing "unusual demand".

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

Andy Peers, British Red Cross operations manager for Yorkshire, said: "This is the first time we have provided such support in Sheffield - but we have highly trained volunteers and an extensive fleet of ambulance vehicles across the country, used regularly to support NHS ambulance services during both routine work and periods of high demand."

:: Your experiences of A&E

The first set of weekly figures of 2015 show that for "type 1" major A&E departments, just 79.8% of patients were seen within four hours.

A total of 407,239 patients attended A&E in the week to January 4, up 20,000 from the same period last year.

NHS England said an extra £700m investment over winter had brought in 700 more doctors, 4,500 nurses and more than 5,000 additional beds.

Video: A&E Departments Struggling To Cope

David Cameron said: "This winter the NHS faced its challenges with more money, more nurses and more doctors than ever before.

"But that is only a short-term answer. The medium- and long-term answer has got to be about making it easier to see your GP and services in your community

"We now have seven million people who have seven-day access to a GP."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote on Twitter: "A&Es continued to face huge pressure this week. Appeal to everyone to get behind amazing NHS staff & support their sterling efforts 4 patients."

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BAFTA Award Nominations Revealed

Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Rosamund Pike are among the leading contenders for awards at this year's BAFTAs.

Redmayne and his co-star Felicity Jones have been nominated for their roles as Stephen and Jane Hawking in the film about the scientist's life, The Theory Of Everything.

"I'm feeling amazing, I'm feeling really extraordinary, we're in Los Angeles and we just found out so we're about to open a bottle of something," Redmayne said, after the nominations were announced by BAFTA host Stephen Fry in London.

Jones said: "I'm sort of stunned and excited. It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to celebrating with a glass of champagne and Skyping my family."

In the best-actor category, Redmayne is up against fellow English acting darling Cumberbatch, who is nominated for his part in The Imitation Game, about the life of wartime codebreaker Alan Turing.

Video: Curtain Raised On BAFTA Awards

The other best actor contenders are Jake Gyllenhall for Nightcrawler, Michael Keaton for Birdman and Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The nominees for best actress are Jones, Pike for Gone Girl, Amy Adams for Big Eyes, Julianne Moore for Still Alice and Reese Witherspoon for Wild.

But it is Wes Anderson's stylish comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel that surprisingly leads the pack with 11 nominations.

One of those nominations is for best film; it is up against Birdman, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game.

Birdman, a dark comedy tipped for glory at the Golden Globes this weekend, and The Theory of Everything both received 10 nominations, while The Imitation Game got nine.

Mike Leigh's Mr Turner is up for four awards, including costume design, but Timothy Spall was snubbed for his performance in the title role which won him the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film version of Paddington, which stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the famous bear, picked up two nominations.

Other nominations include nods for Keira Knightley and Imelda Staunton for best supporting actress, along with Steve Carell and Ethan Hawke for best supporting actor.

The winners will be announced at London's Royal Opera House on 8 February.

The main nominations are:

:: BEST FILM

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

The Theory of Everything

:: OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

'71

The Imitation Game

Paddington

Pride

The Theory of Everything

Under The Skin

:: DIRECTOR

Alejandro G Inarritu - Birdman

Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Video: 'Current British Talent Is Magical'

James Marsh - The Theory of Everything

Damien Chazelle - Whiplash

:: LEADING ACTOR

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Jake Gyllenhall - Nightcrawler

Michael Keaton - Birdman

Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel

:: LEADING ACTRESS

Amy Adams - Big Eyes

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Reese Witherspoon - Wild

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

:: SUPPORTING ACTOR

Edward Norton - Birdman

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

J.K Simmons - Whiplash

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher

Steve Carell  - Foxcatcher

:: SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emma Stone - Birdman

Imelda Staunton - Pride

Keira Knightly - The Imitation Game

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Rene Russo - Nightcrawler

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PFA Boss Sorry For Ched Evans Comparison

The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has apologised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.

The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.

Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.

"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.

Video: 'The Deal Could Not Go Ahead'

"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.

"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'

"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."

Amid widespread criticism, Mr Taylor returned to the airwaves to apologise.

"The last thing I intended to do was to upset anybody connected to the Hillsborough case," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I've long been a supporter of them (the Hillsborough families) so if that's the impression they got, it's a totally wrong one and I'm very sorry for that."

Video: 4 Jan - What Do Fans Think?

Social media users were quick to condemn Mr Taylor's initial comments.

Paul LFC Foreman posted on Twitter: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."

Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."

Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.

The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.

The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.

Video: 21 Nov: U-Turn 'Right Decision'

After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".

However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.

"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.

"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."

The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.

Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.

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'Evil' Cleric Abu Hamza Sentenced To Life

By Sky News US Team

A New York judge has told radical preacher Abu Hamza he is "evil" as she sentenced him to life in prison for supporting terrorist organisations.

The 56-year-old was found guilty of 11 charges last May, including a plot to establish an al Qaeda training camp in the US state of Oregon.

He was also convicted of providing a satellite phone and advice to Yemeni militants who kidnapped Western tourists in 1998.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May said she was pleased with Hamza's sentence

Judge Katherine Forrest told Hamza: "Evil comes in many forms but doesn't always show itself immediately in all its darkness...

"There is a side of you which this court believes is evil."

Video: May 2014 Abu Hamza Found Guilty

The judge said his actions were "barbaric, misguided and wrong".

Sky News' Hannah Thomas-Peter, who was at Friday's hearing, said Hamza addressed the Manhattan court shortly before learning his fate.

He said even a lenient sentence would "consume the rest of his life", and pleaded to be kept in a medical facility.

Hamza, who wore blue prison clothes, asked the court that his incarceration not be a "back door for a slow-motion crucifixion, not a back door for torture".

He also complained about his last two-and-a-half years in a Manhattan holding prison.

"I've been coerced to do things no disabled should be asked to do," he said.

"This is torture. When the cuts happen, when the pain happens, when the stress happens."

Hamza finished by pleading in the courtroom, just a few blocks from Ground Zero, that "the victims of all wars get together ... and investigate how the (Twin) Towers collapsed".

He said he wanted "victims of all this false intelligence to see their day in court".

Throughout the hearing, Hamza had access to a prosthetic with a pen attachment for making notes, which he seldom wore.

Video: Archive: Terror Camp In Oregon

Manhattan prosecutor Preet Bharara issued a statement on the sentencing that made reference to the jihadist attacks in France.

"Abu Hamza's blood-soaked journey from cleric to convict, from imam to inmate, is now complete," he said.

Hamza's lawyers said their client's toenails were not cut for nine weeks, causing them grow painfully into his skin.

His legal team have argued he is too disabled to spend life in a high-security jail.

They say the court should consider Hamza's disabilities - including his amputated forearms, psoriasis, diabetes and high blood pressure.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday: "His sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and I am pleased he will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs."

In the 1990s Hamza led London's Finsbury Park Mosque, which was reportedly attended by 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and shoe-bomber Richard Reid.

Hamza denied ever having met the pair.

He later spread violent messages at the mosque after the 9/11 attacks.

Hamza was jailed in Britain for seven years for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred in 2006.

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Recovery Mission For Pair Missing In Sea

The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said there is now "no chance of finding them alive".

The pair were among four men believed to have been on a night out in the town who had gone into the water in the early hours of this morning.

Two managed to get back to shore and called the coastguard just after 1am, saying two of their companions were missing.

Volunteer lifeboat crews are expected to resume searches in waters close to the shoreline, although the helicopter crews have returned to base having "exhausted all possible options", the coastguard said.

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1. Gallery: Two Missing In Sea Off Brighton

   The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission, with "no chance of finding them alive", the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Pic: Jason Reeve

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Britain Braced For Second Storm - And Snow

The first widespread snowfall of the year is expected today as a second burst of extreme weather from across the Atlantic sweeps parts of the country, the Met Office has said.

More than 100,000 homes were left without power on Friday as hurricane-force winds bringing gusts of up to 113mph battered the north of Britain, bringing down power lines.

The worst affected areas were across the Highlands, islands, Aberdeenshire and the central belt of Scotland.

There was also major disruption to travel services. National Rail said trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Carstairs will divert and not call at Motherwell today.

The Forth Road Bridge was temporarily closed after a van was blown over

While flooding near Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands has meant trains are not running between Perth and Inverness.

Ferries were cancelled, roads closed and the Forth Road Bridge was shut for a period after a van was blown onto its side.

Video: Latest Sky News Weather Forecast

A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest there since records began in 1970.

High winds caused severe problems on the A1 throughout Yorkshire and the North East as a number of lorries were blown over, blocking the carriageway.

The trans-Pennine A66 route has been closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles between Brough and Bowes.

The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the US hitting warmer air in the south.

Gales are expected to return this weekend but are due to peak at around 80mph.

Forecasters said they will be accompanied by snow with yellow "be prepared" weather alerts in place for all of Scotland, the north and Midlands of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "There will be snow, mainly over hills, but also to lower levels for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Video: Sub-Zero Temperatures Grip US

"Tonight there will be further wintry showers in the north and west, with snow over northern hills, reaching lower levels at times.

"Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England are most at risk from snow and ice."

The Met Office said between 2cm and 4cm of snow, and perhaps 8cm on the highest ground, is likely.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said it has restored supplies to around 60,000 customers and is working to restore electricity to more than 32,000 customers.

It said its engineers were continuing to reconnect homes today, but staff were "facing a monumental task'' in getting to damaged lines in remote parts.

Scottish Power said around 20,000 customers have been reconnected after losing power, with work ongoing to reach a further 800 properties.

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