a stark claim by doctors — winter pressures have left patients dying prematurely in hospital corridors. they say safety in a&e units in england and wales is being compromised at a sometimes "intolerable" level. there is a clear emergency and what a number of other observers have clearly described as a crisis. the doctors‘ warning comes as a&e waiting time targets in england and wales hit their lowest level in m years. also on tonight's programme. the plastic pollution problem — the government lays out plans to cut out all unnecessary plastic use. the desperate search continues for those still unaccounted for after the california mudslides. iam22 i am 22 years old... the vlogger punished by you tube — after posting film of a suicide victim for his millions of followers. and which shops sparkled and who had a takings turkey? the winners and losers on the high street this christmas. and coming up on sportsday on bbc

news, roger federer is back to defend his title, but how did the british hopes fair in the draw for the australian open? good evening. patients are dying in hospital corridors in accident and emergency departments in england and wales because safety has been compromised by "intolerable" conditions. that's the blunt warning made in a letter to theresa may, signed by 68 senior doctors who run a&e departments. today there's fresh evidence of the pressure those units are under. over 300,000 patients waited longer than they should in december. 85% of patients were seen in four hours — the 95% target — the figure equals the previous low

recorded last january. 0ur heath editor hugh pym has the story. serious concerns about patient safety and an intolerable situation. strong words from senior front line doctors in a letter to the prime minister. with scenes like this filmed by a patient in a hospital, the warnings are echoed by some medical leaders. there is no doubt that our emergency departments are facing the biggest crisis that we have had for over 15 years. we absolutely must work together as system leaders at every level in order to find both short—term and medium—term solutions. the letter from the a&e consultants sets out the impact of the pressure and their own experiences. over 120 patients a day managed in corridors, some dying prematurely. an average of 10—12 hours from decision to admit a patient until they are transferred to a bed,

and patients sleeping in clinics as makeshift wards. they say nhs winter planning failed to deliver what was needed. but the prime minister insisted that significant measures had been put in place. for the first time ever, urgent gp appointments being available throughout the christmas period. that was a decision taken to improve the service for people, but also to ensure that the nhs had that better capacity to deal with these winter pressures. for the opposition, the problem is really about funding. the money has to go in now. but it should have gone in earlier. even if the chancellor announced billions today, we can't spend it all by tomorrow. is that the one that you want? while the debate goes on, rosie can only reflect on a humiliating experience in a&e. she was in severe pain because of a gynaecological problem and was bleeding heavily. but she was examined in a crowded corridor. i think i was trolley number 12. there were trolleys

going all the way up. you can't see to someone's dignity, you can't ensure they are having a private conversation and that if they break down in tears, which i think i did, i think i am pretty sure i cried as well, but you can't look into anybody's right to privacy or anything like that. at some hospitals, like ipswich, they say careful planning paid off and, though staff were extremely busy, they coped with the pressures. at times over the really busy new year period, there were trolleys down the corridor here. but at this a&e unit, things seem to have calmed a little this week, with fewer patients coming through the front the medical director told me flu was a significant concern. we've worked really hard to try and get our staff vaccinated. but we are not at all complacent. i think the next two months are going to be a challenging time. we will be looking at flu vaccination for vulnerable

patients and staff members. the battle isn't over. and with the latest figures showing the highest number of flu cases in england in seven years, health leaders have called for vaccinations for nhs staff to be compulsory. some hospitals have greater than 90% vaccination of health workers. others, less than 20%. this has to be an issue of leadership, but we need people in the health care sector to protect their patients. we have a duty of care to our patients. flu has been an even bigger problem for scotland's hospitals, with the a&e waiting time target missed. it's the same in wales, by a bigger margin. winter has been bleak so far for the nhs in the uk, and there are still a couple of months to go. if you want to find out how your local hospital is performing you can use the bbc‘s nhs tracker at www. bbc. co. uk/nhstracker joining me is our political

editor laura kuenssberg. she is at westminster and the nhs remains the big domestic challenge for the government? absolutely and politicians of all stripes care deeply about the national health service because they know voters cared deeply about the national health service and in no way the agonising winter pressure plays out in the health service and every year a similar political conversation begins about the health service and whether it can carry on under the current model and normally that does not get far. people say something must be done but those remarks often end up with not much changing. this year there is a sense it might turn out to be a more significant conversation, not just out to be a more significant conversation, notjust because the statistics are dire, notjust

because the experiences for patients are so because the experiences for patients are so awful. but also because tory politicians and opposition politicians and opposition politicians are saying in greater number we cannot avoid having a bigger conversation about the way the health service is run and how much money it requires, we cannot put that off much longer and even the health secretary jeremy put that off much longer and even the health secretaryjeremy hunt told mps yesterday he would like 10—year told mps yesterday he would like io—yearfunding told mps yesterday he would like 10—year funding deals for the told mps yesterday he would like io—yearfunding deals for the nhs and in the years ahead it will need significantly more money. the fact is in downing street residence of number 10 is in downing street residence of number10 and number” is in downing street residence of number 10 and number 11 do not say that yet. they do not believe it is that yet. they do not believe it is that kind of moment. but with the situation in hospitals as it is, the pressure on them is only going one way. we are talking about the nhs but what ministers wanted to focus on is the environment today. but what ministers wanted to focus on is the environment todaym but what ministers wanted to focus on is the environment today. it was in 2015 the tories promised a grand vision that would look ahead to the

next 25 years but it was only today that plan emerged. this is a big new priority. the government say they have always cared about the environment but now it is top of the list and the headline from the prime minister today was a crackdown on using plastic and she went off to make her first big speech of the year to polish her green credentials. what you think i should look for? a grand vision we were promised, a plan to look after spaces around us for yea rs plan to look after spaces around us for years to come and the prime minister trying to spot political opportunity. the environment is something personal to each of us and also something that collectively we hold in trust for the next generation and we have a responsibility to protect and enhance it. top of the list, cleaning up plastics that harm wildlife on land and in c and more

charges for plastic bags, possible taxes on containers and encouraging shops to use less. but with no new law to underline the change. in yea rs law to underline the change. in years to come i think people will be shocked at how today we allow so much plastic to be produced needlessly. it is one of the great environmental scourges. we will take action at every stage of production and consumption of plastic. you are talking about ideas taking place over 25 years with no legal guarantees. if actions speak louder than words, do you believe this problem is urgent? it is an inspiring plan, a long—term plan about the next 25 years. a plan that speaks to everybody with an interest in our environment. everybody who wa nts to in our environment. everybody who wants to ensure future generations enjoy a beautiful environment and place in which to live. looking on,

alongside these white faced whistling ducks, campaign is pleased there is a plan. but not quite convinced that a government that believes in fracking and building high—speed rail really means it. believes in fracking and building high-speed rail really means it. the problem talking about a 25 year plan, in the absence of hard measures about what they will do here and now, this is a government where most commentators question it will last possibly 25 days. what we need to know the actions happening in 28 team to make a difference. theresa may says conservation and conservatism have always gone hand in hand, but this is notjust about principles, policy, the new environment plan, it is also about politics and how the tories fell back at the election. anxious that millions of younger voters turn to labour then, the tories have tried to green their credentials, banning

microbeads, plans to ban the sale of ivory. 25 years is far too long. the plastic culture has to be challenged. the pollution of our rivers and seas by plastic waste is absolutely dreadful. the prime minister believes her promise is the right one to make. her hope, to create a habitat more friendly to her political breeze. with tackling plastic pollution a major part of the government's strategy, just how practical is it to live without the stuff? well, they've been trying to do just that in penzance in cornwall, asjon kay has been finding out. we can remove it, we can recycle it. a rubbish day at st hilary's school. who has straws in their drinks? a lesson in pollution and waste. we pick up, again, hundreds of toothbrushes from beaches. if theresa may wants

to reach out to the young with her green strategy, well, these kids will be 30 at the end of her 25—year plan. what would you say to those politicians in london? stop using plastic, and stop making it. if a turtle is swimming and it sees a plastic bottle, which is shaped like a jellyfish, he could see it and then swallow it, and then he could drown. here in penzance, they are trying to be britain's first plastic—free town. and they're making some progress. businesses like this cafe have signed up, and it's backed by the council. well, there's plastic on that, and the apples. but at the local supermarket, the challenge is clear. apples, wrapped in plastic. sausages in a carton and in plastic. frozen stuff in plastic, apples — plastic, leeks — plastic.

you just can't get away from it. most shoppers told us they would try plastic—free aisles, but some, like roxy, worried it might not be practical. it wouldn't necessarily be the most hygienic route to go down, maybe? having the meat next to the eggs, or the cheese, for example. well, this is why people around here are so concerned about the long—term impact of plastic. look, found on a local beach recently, a lollipop stick from when i was growing up in the 19705. it hasn't broken down at all. and a packet of peanuts, best before 1983. we've got some takeaway cutlery in the bottom here. rachel was behind the penzance campaign, and she says all communities can do the same. litter is all over the uk, no matter where you live. it's exactly the same issue, it just looks different.

if it's not a beach, it's by a river, it's in a hedge, it's by the road. the prime minister insists her plan has a wider vision. she says it's about more than plastic, about more than the coast. jon kay, bbc news, cornwall. search teams in california are still trying to find eight people missing following mudslides on tuesday. 17 people are known to have died after a torrent of mud carrying boulders the size of small cars smashed through the town of montecito. more than 500 homes have been damaged or destroyed. james cook is there for us. you do not have to walk far in montecito to see something shocking. there are homes like these behind me, either smashed to pieces, or simply swept away, all over the town. hopes of finding anyone alive are very slim and more harrowing details of how this started have

been urging, and it started in the dead of night. turn around! the flash flood is right there! get out of here, go! this is the moment it began. oh, my god! and then panic. close the door! it was! million miles an hour in slow motion, if that makes sense. i clicked into survival gear, survival mode. every second, it is just roaring and banging against the house and the most vicious and violent sounds you have ever heard. montecito has onlyjust grasped the scale of the disaster which will bear its name. for this idyllic little town ofjust 9,000 people, recovery will be long and hard. this was somebody‘s driveway. there are three cars destroyed. buried inside that trouble. looking at this house, it is difficult to believe anyone on this street survived, but many did and their stories are remarkable.

people walked the dogs through here, there are trails my kids have grown up riding their bikes. noelle fled with her three children just before the storm. but many of her neighbours did not. really young boys were swept out of their home, along with their mother. in the middle of the night. and the dog is gone. and they are lucky to be fine. it is like a war zone here. there are homes that arejust missing. and i walk down the street and i see balls and toys and bicycles and shoes and socks. and knives and hammers. it looks like people's lives orjust lost to the ocean. much of the wreckage ended up clogging the main coastal motorway. the mountains above are scarred by rivers of debris. southern california was once famed for its agreeable climate. these days, it reels from drought, fire and flood. james cook, bbc news, montecito. the time is 17 minutes past six.

our top story this evening: doctors claim some patients are dying prematurely because of winter pressures on the nhs. and still to come... we talk to steven spielberg about speaking truth unto power in his latest film, the post. coming up on sportsday on bbc news: the nba comes to london tonight for a regular—season game but watch chances of having a team in the capital for good? our christmas shopping choices have had some retailers rejoicing, but others have reported rather frugal festive trading figures. tesco says it had a record christmas, but m&s suffered falls

in both its food and clothing sales. here's emma simpson. the show‘s over, we've moved on. but the christmas story for retailers is only now becoming clear. so who are some of the winners and losers? tesco has done well, with sales up today, so have many of the other grocers. but food sales, usually a bright spot for marks & spencer, went into reverse, and there have been profit warnings at debenhams, mothercare and moss bros. things are certainly more challenging here on the high street. take house of fraser, a business under pressure. it saw another fall in sales today. and you don't have to go far to see how the gap between the weaker and the stronger players is widening. here atjohn lewis, it's had no problem pulling customers in. it's one of the winners today. there's a sort of slight air of caution about people's attitudes, for all sorts of perfectly

understandable reasons, but there is demand there. you just have to go and find it, and you have to create the conditions where people want things, and of course that comes down to having fabulous product. and it actually means you have to be outstanding at online and shops. this small but fast—growing online retailer is doing very nicely with shops. very nicely without shops. and is expecting to grow sales by 90% this year, but some are predicting problems for the high street ahead. this is going to be the year of retail distress. we've already seen bits of distress percolating through even before christmas, and i think that the weaker players are going to find it too tough to really survive. it's been a season of mixed fortunes for retailers. the new year heralds the clearance sales and some uncertainty about what 2018 will bring.

emma simpson, bbc news. a lingerie company has lost its most prestigious customer — the queen — after its director wrote a book revealing details of royal bra fittings. rigby & peller had held the royal warrant since 1960, and said it was "deeply saddened" by the decision to cancel it. company directorjune kenton published her book ‘storm in a d cup' last year. youtube has cut some business ties with a popular video blogger — logan paul — after he was criticised for posting a video youtube has cut some business ties with a popular video blogger — appearing to show the body of a suicide victim. the 22—year—old said he felt ashamed afterfilming at a location injapan known to be a frequent site of suicides. logan paul's channel has more than 15 million subscribers. here's our media editor, amol rajan. we are going to take a break from

vlogging and each other. low-budget, confessional and often astonishingly popular. this couple announced they we re popular. this couple announced they were breaking up on youtube in a video seen 15 million times. they are part of a phenomenon called vlogging or video blogging, very often on youtube. the industry has created a vast new fleet of online celebrities. many vloggers have a prolific following. this 22—year—old american is a youtube star or awards. i think this definitely marks the moment in youtube history. this morning youtube cut business ties with him after he posted a video from aokigahara forest,

intimate as a suicide spot. he issued an apology to his subscribers on youtube. i have made a severe and continuous lapse of myjudgment and i don't expect to be forgiven. i'm simply here to apologise. in a statement, youtube said: vlogging is now hugely popular business with the likes of logan paul making money in a variety of ways. they get paid up to £3 per 1000 clicks and can top up their income through merchandising and deals with brands and they do all of that without the more stringent controls apply to traditional media. the boss of britain's biggest media agency wants to see smarter regulation. i would definitely like to see vloggers with this much reach and influence to have the sorts of regulation traditional broadcasters

have got to adhere to, particularly around content that can be dangerous, can be glamorising or condo owning anti—social behaviour, dangerous behaviour, that can be copied by children. i'm going to be the biggest entertainer on the planet... logan paul is a new kind of celebrity. for all of the glory of celebrity. for all of the glory of the open work, the danger is that his kind of immaturity exposes audiences to material that is in nobody‘s interests. audiences to material that is in nobody's interests. i'm just getting warmed up. the oscar—winning director steven spielberg has told the bbc he believes president trump is using the same tactics as richard nixon used during his presidency to "try to silence the press." the story of 19705 battle between the media and the nixon administration is the subject of his latest film, the post. he spoke to our arts editor, will gompertz. this is a devastating security breach that was leaked out of the pentagon. before the watergate scandal, there were the pentagon papers. the first expose a of a cover—up

in the nixon government by the washington post, led by its legendary editor ben bradlee and publisher kay graham. do you have the papers? set in 1971. yes. but you have described it as a timely movie. well, obviously if you flip the 1 and the 7, or the 7 and the 1, you really get to see the great arc of the pendulum that has brought us right back to the same tactics that richard nixon used to try to silence the press. i'm talking about the current administration and their absolute broadsiding of media, social media, news, anybody that offends. you know, there is a label that is immediately attached to them, well, that can't be true, because they're all fake news. i mean, it's a lot more insidious today, by the way, than it was in 1971.

if you publish, we'll be in the supreme court next week. meaning? we could all go to prison. there's been another massive press expose the last six months, it looks like the endemic sexual harassment and exploitation of women in hollywood. i mean, you're a really senior figure in hollywood and you've been around a long time. do you ever think, you know what, i think i could have done a bit more to stop this? well, you know, i can only basically react to that question within my own workplace environment. within my organisation, there weren't incidences, except for a couple of years and years ago, that i would say gave me the experiences to be the authority on that question you ask. what happened in those incidences? just a couple of incidences, i don't want to go into detail on them, but they happened years and years ago, where we had to let somebody go. people are concerned about having a woman in charge of the paper. think she doesn't have the resolve to make the tough choices. thank you for your frankness.

my prediction is that this watershed moment for women, in extolling the courage of women who, like katherine graham, with the pentagon papers, with her decision to publish or not to publish, so many women have found their voices and they have been given so much support. notjust by other women, but also by certain men. i think this is notjust another news cycle. i think this is a permanent change in the culture. maybe. but as kay graham showed with her courageous leadership of the washington post, exposing deeply rooted corrupt behaviour is one thing — changing it is quite another. will gompertz, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's helen willetts. it's been a tale of two halves today, such contrast in the weather so let's start with the western side of the uk, the sunnier parts.

further east we have the remnants of all weak weather front which has brought rain to scarborough. the rain is tending to peter out but there's an awful lot of cloud. where we have had clear skies the fault is beginning again and in northern ireland for the second day the fog didn't clear. it should clear more readily tomorrow. there will be for in western parts of england and dance was the south as well, and given that temperatures in cities could be freezing it could mean freezing fog tomorrow. again, it is going to be an issue for the rush hour, scotland and north—west england, for a time northern ireland, parts of eastern wales into many parts of the midlands and central and southern england. it will be widespread but more patchy. it eventually clears from most parts but we have that complication of the

weather front with its cloud around and the drizzly showers again, so yes of course there will be some sunshine and some breaks in the cloud, lifted by the freshening breeze, but it is then starting to change weather—wise. this comes through tomorrow night, rain from northern ireland and a fairly stiff breeze as well so we shouldn't have as much frost going into saturday morning. but we have that rain stagnating in the west, a lot of cloud further east so i think we will keep a lot of cloudy and grey weather this weekend. but then it all changes into next week because once the weather front fizzles out, we have this one coming in from the atlantic. firstly heavy rain and gales, then rather wintry weather on the cards. that's all from the bbc news at six so it's goodbye from me and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. this is bbc news, our latest headlines: patients are dying in corridors — the stark warning from more than 60 a&e doctors who've written an open letter to the prime minister. i think i was trolley number 12,

two more people came after me and they said we can't take any more trolleys and then the ambulance said we would have to wait outside. plastic—free supermarket aisles and a 5p bag charge extended to small shops — theresa may lays out her 25 year plan to improve the environment. rescuers are desperately searching for eight people still missing in the california mudslides. 17 people are know to have died. dozens of homes have been destroyed after heavy rains hit the area. and which shops sparkled and who had a takings turkey? the winners and losers on the high street this christmas. in a moment, it will be time for sportsday — but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news... in beyond 100 days — as the deadline approaches for donald trump to commit to the iran nuclear deal or not, uk and eu foreign ministers urge

the president the deal is working.