long queues outside hospitals — more than 11,000 people a week in england are waiting in ambulances outside a&e. we come in in the morning at nine o'clock, and we were queueing then, and there was no bed space at nine in the morning. you see the time come up on the call and it's hours ago and you think, "gosh, what are we going to turn up to?", and they're in a really bad state. we will be asking what can be done to improve things. also on the programme... the royal british visit is overshadowed as a charity boss is challenged over where she really comes from. the growing impact of drugs

gangs on communities. we hear from the parents fearful for their children. do you know where he is now? no, i don't, and that's the worrying part, not knowing if he's alive or dead. and england's record—breaking first day in pakistan — we'll have all the details. and coming up on the bbc news channel: no goals, but plenty of drama. news channel: no goals, croatia reach the last 16 of the world cup, at the expense of the team ranked second in the world — belgium. there's an accident or a medical emergency — you call an ambulance and it takes ages to turn up. when it does finally arrive, you get to hospital and you have to wait for ages in a queue of ambulances outside before you are finally admitted. that is what happened to around

11,000 people every week in england last month as both ambulance response times and a&e waits hit their worst levels on record in all parts of the uk. one in seven ambulances in england queued for over an hour outside hospitals to hand over patients to a&e — the target is 15 minutes, and that's the highest figure since records began in 2010. one of the hold—ups is that more than 13,000 beds a day are occupied by people who are medically fit to be discharged, but don't have anywhere suitable to go. here's our health editor hugh pym. 53—year—old female saying, "help me". we think she might have abdominal pain, but the call handlers are struggling to understand her, so we will see when we get there. joe and nick are on their way to a patient in milton keynes. ambulance service.

diana is in severe pain and has been vomiting, possibly linked to an earlier operation. it's a category two call, a serious condition requiring urgent assessment. we'll take good care of you, all right? she needs to get to a&e. we need to find some space for you. but inside the city's hospital, there's a queue building up. paramedics are having to wait to hand over patients. it's a familiar scene forjoe and nick as they move diana into the emergency department. what's happening, joe? i've spoken to the nurses, they know we're here and they've asked us to wait in the queue until they have space available. until then, we don't know what's going on. a&e is crowded because beds are hard to find in the hospital. waits like this are part of everyday life for patients and paramedics. we come in at nine o'clock in the morning, and we were queueing then and there was no bed space at nine in the morning, and that's the start of a normal weekday. and you will hear calls going out

for assistance for other crews and you can't get to them. that is the frustrating bit, when you can't help colleagues. it does get tricky when you see a time come up on the call and it's hours ago and you're thinking, gosh, what are we going to turn up to? and they are in a bad state. but we try our best to get to everyone. when your person is in need, you want them to get the help they can, and they do get the help, but the wait time is a massive contribution. we're tired most of the time. you come to work tired, go home tired, do it all again the next day. but, you know, we keep smiling and keep going. it is what it is. if the front crew go into a, happy days. then you can take this patient, my patient and the next patient. joe, who's a senior paramedic, is helping speed things up. he allocates one crew to look after a few patients, allowing others to take new call—outs. 332, receiving. 332, thank you. just sent you down a category two.

after a wait of about half an hour, joe and nick can hand over their patient and leave the hospital. the aim where possible is to get patients treated at home. better for them and it eases pressure on hospitals. george, my name isjoe. this is nick. george, who is 83, has a temperature and back pain and feels shaky. ijust need to pop some stickers on your wrists and ankles and around the left side of your chest. joe does tests and diagnoses a chest infection which needs an antibiotic and a steroid. to get a prescription requires a call to a local gp surgery. phone: thank you for holding. we are very busy at the moment. please continue to hold and your call will be answered as soon as possible. sometimes, there's a priority line to call, but not today. so i'm having to call the normal number, and all i'm back is "user busy", so we will have to wait until we can get through to the receptionist, to the receptionist, so we're stuck at the moment doing that.

that wait to sort out the medication with the gp added nearly an hour to what the call might have taken. it may be unusual, but it certainly means delays getting the crew back on the road. looking ahead, how difficult will things be this winter? very serious. i think this winter is going to cause all sorts of issues. we will continue to work tirelessly as a system with all our partners to see what else we can do. back out withjoe, he's nearing the end of his shift. before i came into the service and when i was growing up, i don't think i realised that delays would even be a thing, really. we're an emergency service, we should be there to attend emergencies. but ultimately, do you still love the job and the challenges? yeah, i do, i couldn't imagine doing any otherjob. hugh pym, bbc news, milton keynes. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns is here to answer some of those questions. we're talking today about ambulances — but how does the situation

there reflect what's going on in the wider system? the best way to see this is to imagine ambulances as the start of a journey through the nhs. let's begin with those figures from last week, that record high, more than 11,000 people are stuck in ambulances outside hospitals in england. that generally meant they were stuck at the front door outside those emergency departments because they were too busy to let them in. once they got inside a&e, the wait wasn't over. last month, 150,000 people were left waiting longer than the four hour target to be admitted to a ward. this was often because of struggles finding them a bed, which in turn was due to problems further up in turn was due to problems further up the system. right now at any given time, hospitals in england, there are about 13,000 patients who are well enough to go home but not able to because no one has managed to sort the care they need when they leave. so you can see that ambulances are one visible way of looking at pressures across the whole of the system. find

looking at pressures across the whole of the system.— looking at pressures across the whole of the system. and the fear of courses that — whole of the system. and the fear of courses that people _ whole of the system. and the fear of courses that people will— whole of the system. and the fear of courses that people will die - whole of the system. and the fear of courses that people will die because| courses that people will die because of it? ~ , ,., , , courses that people will die because of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over— of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over this, _ of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over this, so _ of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over this, so right - of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over this, so right now - of it? absolutely. there is growing concern over this, so right now in l concern over this, so right now in england and wales, we are seeing an average 1100 more people dying every than we would expect. the president of the royal college of emergency medicine has spoken to the bbc today. he is worried that up to a third of those extra deaths are down to these pressures and emergency medicine. 0bviously, to these pressures and emergency medicine. obviously, there are other factors at play here, not least covid. we are more frail as a population because of it. during the pandemic, treatment times and waiting lists went up. so it is hard to say how many of those extra deaths are down to these problems at the hospital front doors. deaths are down to these problems at the hospitalfront doors. but deaths are down to these problems at the hospital front doors. but we can be certain— this is killing some people. be certain- this is killing some --eole. �* ., be certain- this is killing some n-eole. �* ., , ., ., be certain- this is killing some n-eole. ~ ., , ., ., , people. and how can the situation be eased? the — people. and how can the situation be eased? the government _ people. and how can the situation be eased? the government says it - people. and how can the situation be eased? the government says it is - eased? the government says it is sendin: eased? the government says it is spending £500 — eased? the government says it is spending £500 million _ eased? the government says it is spending £500 million this - eased? the government says it isj spending £500 million this winter eased? the government says it is i spending £500 million this winter to try and unplug the system. so one thing nhs england has set up is a0 control centres to divert divert patients away from hotspots and see

which areas need the extra help. but really, there is no quick fix and we arejust at really, there is no quick fix and we are just at the start of winter. let's not forget either that we are expecting some health workers to walk out on strike over the next few weeks. . . ~ walk out on strike over the next few weeks. ., ., ~ , ., a black british charity campaigner who was repeatedly asked at a royal reception where she was "really" from by a senior figure in the royal household has described her experience as "abuse". ngozi fulani was questioned about her background by lady susan hussey, prince william's godmother and the late queen's lady—in—waiting, at buckingham palace on tuesday. it comes as the duke and duchess of sussex prepare to release their documentary next week — in which they say they'll tell their story. 0ur royal correspondent sarah campbell reports. i'm very clear. no matter how uncomfortable it is for other people to accept, i'm very clear that i experienced racism in an environment that i should have felt safe in and

we need to address that.- we need to address that. ngozi fulani was _ we need to address that. ngozi fulani was an _ we need to address that. ngozi fulani was an invited _ we need to address that. ngozi fulani was an invited along - we need to address that. ngozi| fulani was an invited along with we need to address that. ngozi fulani was an invited along with 300 other guests to a reception at buckingham palace highlighting the issue of violence against women. here she is being warmly greeted by the queen consort, the earlier she says she received a very different welcome from a senior palisade, lady susan hussey. when she approached me, one of the first things she did was to take my locs and move it out of the way. no conversation at first, and then she says, "i just want to see your name badge". ms fulani, a british national, then says she was repeatedly and aggressively questioned. i'm from here, i was born here. "yeah, but where are you really from? " i am really from here". a bit of a challenge".

she said, "what is your nationality?" and i said, "lady, iam born here, iam british". i was thinking that would be the end of it, but no. lady susan hussey, seen here in the blue, who was a lady in waiting to queen elizabeth for six decades, stepped aside from her honorary role yesterday. a palace statement said the individual concerned expressed her profound apologies for what happened. lady has he is also prince william's godmother. today the royal capital's visit to the us city of boston continued. the headlines were supposed to be about his earthshot prize, they are what he founded for environment or innovations. instead, accusations of racism have had once again to be addressed. and today, the promise of more royal revelations.— the promise of more royal revelations. ., ., , , ., , revelations. no one sees what is happening _ revelations. no one sees what is happening behind _ revelations. no one sees what is happening behind closed - revelations. no one sees what is happening behind closed doors. | happening behind closed doors. netflix released the first look at it six part series starring the

of giant... stakes giant... it make sense hear us? look at the challenges force them to m [m 7ro als. sarah [e] a builder has been found guilty of murdering two women six months the body of ms ware has never been found. the leader of the snp at westminster has announced he will be stepping down from the role. ian blackford said he will not be seeking re—election at the party's annual meeting next week as now was the right time to find fresh leadership ahead of the next general election. he's held the post for five years.

rates on new mortgages had played a part. a number of teenage stabbings across the uk over the past few weeks has led to calls for more youth workers specialising in so—called county lines gangs — the organised criminal groups using children to supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas. the latest figures suggest a large rise in the number of children recorded as being trafficked and used for organised crime. jeremy cooke has spent months with edge north east — an organisation in newcastle that saves and rescues children groomed by criminal gangs — to see the devastating effect it has on young people and their families.

in the gravest danger. as long as they can line their own pockets with money, they don't care who they use. it ruins these young people's lives. is going to come in and grab them. county lines is all about drug dealing. 0rganised crime gangs using children to move cocaine, crack, whatever, all over the country. years ago you just wouldn't think about using a kid to run drugs but now they don't care who they use. it is heartbreaking. i'm really worried now. we've been given exclusive access to edge north east, a small team with one clear mission — to save children from the gangs. what time did she last text you?

about midnight. how old is she? 15. right now it's lorna dealing with an immediate crisis. a missing teenage girl. she is vulnerable, isn't she? she is very vulnerable. this is where it gets serious. i'm scared i'm going to lose her. lose her to the gangs, to exploitation, to being sent on trains, buses, any transportation to anywhere in the country. that's what happened to nicole. i think at the point i realised i wasn't going to get anything, it was too late. i was already well and truly in it and doing it and there was no choice in it. there was no, i can decide when i was going to do it or where i was going to do it. they were telling me i was doing it. if i wasn't doing it, i would pay for it and i would know about it. that's all that's left, really, the memory of him. another sad street memorial to another young life lost. reports this week from across the country of more stabbings. more deaths.

i feel absolutely gutted. we need more... more people out there on the streets to help these kids. to get them to understand and to teach them and to get them back on track. it's no way to live. it sounds odd, but for some young people, being arrested can be a turning point. an opportunity for youth workers to make first contact. there are ten cells along this corridor set aside for what they call juveniles — for children. and behind this door is a young person who is in police custody. like others on the edge team, lorna's own life experience, her own troubled youth can help make vital connections. if you were in custody, you were talking to your younger self, what would you say? i'm getting a bit emotional. that someone did care. and that my life didn't have to be like that.

sorry... the government says that thousands of county lines have been dismantled. it's becoming a priority for many police forces. some of these organisations are massive. they are so geared up to recruiting these young people with vulnerabilities, and not only is it about the drugs and the violence, it's about the life—ruining effect. so if they are listening, they are not safe. northumbria police will absolutely pursue them and will getjustice. edge is all about keeping kids safe. helping the families, too. like this mum we'll call sarah. worried sick about her missing teenage son. do you know where he is now? no, i don't. and that's the worrying part. not knowing if he is alive or dead. it's not his kind of choice. if somebody says to him, right, i want you here, there or at this time, that time, he has to be there or else there is repercussions on the family. imagine it was your child.

what's it doing to you? killing us. it's really, really hard. he's my little boy and i can't protect him and he is out there. it's breaking the family apart. for chris, a check—in at the beach with jason. i'm not going to allow anyone to cast you adrift either. keeping him on track. small steps are massively important. long—term support. the situations where i've either been arrested and i've been in a holding cell, they've called my dad and my dad has not turned up. they've called my social worker and my social worker is off work, so he ain't coming. without even having to ask, chris hasjust turned up. if you wanted to say something to chris, what would you say to him? thank you, innit, for being a father, an uncle figure, big brother, friend, best friend. i can't lie. thank you, you've helped. these children need all the help they can get. for nicole, it's still hard to believe what the gangs do to children.

what they did to her. i'm worried for them. you know? i couldn't think of anything worse, and i wish on them people, to be fair. because it's so self—centred of them to know that they are young and naive kids that don't genuinely know at that age any better. but with intervention with ongoing support, young lives can be turned around. but mum sarah is still waiting for her son to come home. he's already been missing more than 50 times this year. and tonight, he's still out there, somewhere. jeremy cooke, bbc news, newcastle. for details of organisations that offer advice and support with county lines and modern—day slavery, you can go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. our top story this evening... ambulance waiting times hit a record high across the uk, with long queues outside a&e.

hello... coming up... former rugby league player rob burrow is to read the cbeebies bedtime story using a voice computer. coming up in sportsday, on the bbc news channel: england's batters rewrite the record books, as they return to pakistan with 500 runs and four centurions — both new marks for the opening day of a test match. england have been back in training today as they prepare for the first knockout stage match on sunday against senegal. if they win that they'll be through to the quarter finals. the england midfielder declan rice says he wants to deliver the fans the best christmas present they've ever seen by winning the tournament. but senegal — the reigning african champions —

will also have it on their christmas wish—list, as natalie pirks reports from doha. in the battle of the fans in qatar, there is only one winner. senegal�*s supporters here in doha have been practising daily, determined to win the world cup of fandom. it's a contest they believe they will not only win in the stands, but also on the pitch. this is the time to do it for africa. we are ready. yeah, a good team, a lot of good players. i'm very happy to say we are here. and we want to win. this year is for our years, it is our year. we are the best. we were chosen by god himself. training in the heat is in stark contrast to the plummeting temperatures in england. thanks to social media, though, shows of support are still hitting home. yeah, it makes me happy seeing the videos of them celebrating us scoring. we're going to try to keep going. we're going to try to keep pushing, keep trying to lift everyone.

it's obviously very close to christmas now so hopefully we can deliver them the best christmas present. let's see. christmas feels different here. so does england's form. after a rocky build—up, gareth southgate's side are starting to show some artistic flair. england's journey in the desert has been one of ups and downs, but now it's knockout football, and an unfamiliar obstacle stands in their way. there is no history between the sides. they've never played each other. senegal are missing their best player. but seven of their squad play in the premier league, and for those who have done the same, this match has added spice. i love england. england, for me, is one of the best countries in the world. i live there, i have a beautiful time over there. everyone is excited for that game. and i hope the winners are going to be senegal. the spirit of the so—called lions of teranga has lit up this world cup. on sunday, we'll find out definitively if three lions

are better than one. natalie pirks, bbc news, doha. another upset at the world cup today, as belgium were knocked out. they had already suffered a surprise defeat by morocco in the group stages. this afternoon, they could only draw 0—0 with croatia, who will now progress to the knockout stages from group f along with morocco. will germany be the next big upset? they could be eliminated if they do not win their crucial game against costa rica. that match will make history because for the first time a female referee will be in charge. stephanie frappart from france will lead a team of three women officials. laura scott reports. after years of climbing the refereeing ranks, today in qatar comes a significant moment in the sun for female officials as the trailblazing frenchwoman stephanie frappart becomes the first woman to take

charge of a men's world cup match as part of an all—female on—field refereeing team. before the tournament, she told me she's ready. the men's world cup is the most important competition in the world, not only in football, so we know that there is a lot of expectations. there was always pressure, there are always pressure in the matches and also when you are women you are more pressured. but how comfortable does she feel that this step forward comes at a tournament hosted by a country whose record on women's rights has come under intense scrutiny? it's not me who decided this world cup. when you are selected for the world cup, how can you say that you are not going? we know that there is some difficulties there for the women, but i think all this world cup will end that. the attention on frappart�*s history—making moment will be amplified by how much is riding on the match she's officiating — tonight's group e clash between costa rica and germany.

translation: i trust her 100%. i think she deserves to be here due to her performance and achievements. i think she'll perform very well. despite progress closer to home for female officials, there are concerns the environment is still not welcoming enough, and there's never been a female referee in the premier league. i don't want women to be promoted to the middle of the premier league just so we can tick a box. they have to be good enough. and we have got girls coming through now that are possibly good enough. so i say, watch this space now. maybe five years? for so long in refereeing, women were on the fringes. now, on the biggest stage of them all, there will be a woman in the middle. laura scott, bbc news. cricket and a there was a stunning performance from england on the first day of the first test against pakistan in rawalpindi. they ended the day on 506—a — the first time 500 runs have been scored on the first day of a test match.

four players each managed to clock up a century — also a record for day one. 0ur sports correspondent joe wilson has the details. rawalpindi. after 17 years of waiting, one day of record—breaking. england began with ben duckett�*s touches. and the crashes from zak crawley�*s bat. "welcome, england", read the sign. well, they were delighted to be there. crawley with the first century. on your feet in the dressing room — and why sit down? the runs, the records, the celebrations kept coming. key factors — helpful conditions, england's bold ambition and some questionable fielding. duckett made 107, then it was 0llie pope's chance. another fluently forceful innings, another 100. yeah, him too. yet the most dismissive batting only came now. harry brook hit one over for 2a on his way to a century. four hundred—makers on the first day of a test match, 506 runs —

astonishing records. england are back in pakistan but playing as they've never done before. joe wilson, bbc news. the former rugby league player rob burrow, who has motor neurone disease, has agreed to read the bbc�*s cbeebies bedtime story using a computerised voice machine controlled by his eyes. the computer recreates the words in his own yorkshire accent. the a0—year—old — one of the most successful players in rugby league's history — revealed he was suffering from the disease in 2019. he says he is honoured to be taking part. graham satchell reports. rob burrow with his family at the cbeebies studio. he is here to record a bedtime story, with a little help from his daughter, maia. dad, remember, big smile. five, four, three, two, one. action! voice over: cbeebies bedtime story.

hello, i'm rob. i can't use my voice in the way that maybe you can, which is why i use this computer to talk for me. it's called an eye gaze. i use my eyes to gaze or look at the words and it speaks for me. it's like magic. watching at home in sunderland, lucy, and her mum, jo. lucy has cerebral palsy and also uses a computer to help her communicate. i used to play rugby as myjob, but something happened that made my world go upside down. but i was brave and didn't give up. rob is reading a book called tilda tries again. it tells the story of a little girl whose world unexpectedly turns upside—down. tilda sees a ladybird stuck on its back. then the ladybird tried again. and again... ..and again... ..until, at last, it flew free. tilda thought about this.

the ladybird hadn't given up, so neither would she. lucy used her device to tell us what she thought. i feel happy rob used eye gaze while reading cbeebies' bedtime story. lucy's grown up watching. the bedtime story and never until now has she seen herself represented in that way. - it helps to generate awareness. i think it helps to generate a real understanding about the technological advancements that we have seen, and the real benefit that that is bringing for disabled people. wasn't tilda brave? even though at times things felt a little topsy—turvy and she wanted to give up, she didn't. she just kept on trying. night night. rob burrow there. and the cbeebies bedtime story. time for a look at the weather. here's ben rich.

we chew logically we have moved from autumn into winter and so we can look back into the autumn and it has brought us lots of rain, wetter than normal, the blue areas on this map shows the places that have been wetter than normal, particularly for northern ireland, eastern scotland and the south of england. it has also been very warm autumn. the third on record. and that keeps us on course for 2022 potentially to be the warmest year on record. the one thing that could change that would be very cold december. how has dec started? with a lot of fog and where that lingered it stayed chilly and through parts of the midlands into the west country we see more of that fog tonight and it will be quite dense and widespread and further north across the uk, lots of cloud and spits of drizzle so whichever way you slice it, quite a murky night and temperatures typically above freezing if the sky is clear you might get a touch of frost. if

you might get a touch of frost. if you have travel plans through the midlands, east wales