Catch up on all your latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV.
00:27I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories on Monday the 6th of January.
00:32The wait is over, Kent questions government plans to boost NHS appointments.
00:37I can see where they're going, I do have some doubts as to whether it's going to work as
00:42well as they think.
00:43Bonner Voyage, Gillingham Parkways with manager Mark Bonner after string of poor results.
00:50The reaction after the last home game was pretty volatile all around the ground so it's
00:55no great surprise to be fair.
00:57Neville's in the darts after Luke the Nuke's world championship win.
01:01Who from KMTV can throw a bullseye?
01:14First tonight, Kent medical professionals have been left divided over plans to cut NHS
01:18backlogs.
01:19The Prime Minister, Sir Chris Starmer, hopes to create two million more appointments.
01:24But as Oliver Leader de Sacks has been finding out, GPs and Medway residents aren't convinced
01:29the government is going far enough to help those currently waiting months on end.
01:34This is the year we roll up our sleeves and reform the NHS.
01:38A new era of convenience in care, faster treatment at your fingertips, patients in control and
01:45NHS fit for the future.
01:49A big promise in the Prime Minister's first big speech of the year.
01:54Today Sir Chris Starmer outlined plans to cut the NHS backlog that has left millions
02:00across the UK waiting for an appointment, including here in Medway.
02:06Yeah, I had to wait quite a few months for a new place.
02:11I've had a condition for the last 13 years that I've just been pushed from pillar to
02:17post.
02:19Neurology is horrendous, there's at least a two year waiting list.
02:25I've just got on through the pain management after a year's waiting list, so it just goes
02:31on and on and on.
02:33You just feel like you're banging your head against a wall.
02:35You know, I had elderly parents, unfortunately they're both dead now, but while they were
02:42alive, it was not a nice thing to have to go into hospital and see them wait for hours
02:51to get attended to.
02:54To cut the backlog, community diagnostic centres will be open for longer alongside new surgical
03:03hubs.
03:04GPs will be offered cash to discuss with doctors whether patients can be treated outside hospital
03:11and patients will be provided more choice over where they'll be treated.
03:15Currently there's 7.5 million people on NHS waiting lists and the government wants to
03:22get those numbers down by the end of next year.
03:26They want around 65% of people to be seen within 18 weeks, but those numbers to some
03:33medical professionals feel a tad ambitious.
03:37I think they've got to do something and I can see where they're going.
03:42I do have some doubts as to whether it's going to work as well as they think.
03:47It's very dependent on having extra capacity and that's both having beds in hospitals,
03:53rooms in GP practices and additional staff because if you're going to do additional consultations,
03:58you need additional doctors, nurses and so on to carry that out.
04:02Where is the workforce going to come from to do this extra work in the community?
04:07And also the estates, general practice particularly has huge problems with its estates, not enough
04:13rooms to even get the current staffing, let alone the additional staff to run these hubs.
04:20Doctors divided, but with the government hoping to provide 2 million extra appointments in
04:26its first year, change cannot come fast enough for those on Kent's waiting lists.
04:34Oliver leads us out for KMTV in Medway.
04:39Oliver joins me in the studio now.
04:41Of course, we know why this is so crucial.
04:43There's been such a huge issue with GPs for a number of years,
04:46but what's the significance of this speech?
04:49Well, it's a bit of deja vu in some sense.
04:51It reminds me a lot of the Darsey report.
04:53You may remember from last year, outline recommendations for the NHS.
04:57And it was all about community care was one of the big things we heard then.
05:01And it's similar to what we're hearing now today to cut those waiting lists.
05:05The prime minister is suggesting a lot more support in the community
05:09and a lot more referrals that could keep people out of hospitals.
05:15And the question is, is whether resources in Kent can match that demand?
05:20People on Rochester High Street have all expressed some level of concern about waiting lists.
05:26And the GPs I spoke to say they do believe waiting lists will go down,
05:30but perhaps what the government is suggesting might be a tad little ambitious for the county.
05:36And it's been a busy week in politics.
05:38In fact, a busy year.
05:39We're six days in, Ollie.
05:41Yeah, I mean, it's so such a long year and it's only just begun.
05:47And of course, it's all to do with this KCC, Kent County Council and Medway Council,
05:54because by the end of this week, we'll know what's going to happen to both of them,
05:59particularly Thursday.
06:01Save that date at home because that's when the fireworks are really going to be happening
06:06because we'll know whether or not Kent County Council and Medway Council,
06:09where the entire county will be on the government's priority list for devolution.
06:15Obviously, we found out last year the government basically was to scrap a bunch of our borough
06:19smaller councils in favour of larger authorities with more power and, of course, a mayor.
06:25We're going to find out a bit more about that detail later in the week.
06:28They have to tell us by Friday.
06:29We're going to learn on Thursday and we'll give you all the updates at home
06:32because it is really important.
06:34It will change every aspect of your life.
06:36So hold your breath and wait for Thursday then.
06:39Oliver, thank you very much.
06:42Now, to sport, Ginningham FC have sacked manager Mark Bonner
06:45after less than a season in charge at the League 2 club.
06:49It comes after a poor run of results for the League 2 side,
06:52leaving them just 14th in the table.
06:54Now, the club has appointed former Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman
06:57to take charge until the end of this season,
07:00a move which some fans have described as completely out of the blue.
07:03Bartholomew Hall has more.
07:05One out and another in.
07:07The revolving door of Priestfield's manager's office
07:10is now set to welcome its fourth occupant in the space of two years,
07:14as Mark Bonner is replaced by former Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman
07:18after just seven months in charge.
07:21Bonner took the top job at Gillingham at the start of the 24-25 season,
07:26following the sudden sacking of Stephen Clements.
07:29Despite a strong start to the season,
07:30which saw the Gilles top of the League 2 table for a brief period,
07:34a poor run of form over the Christmas break
07:36has left the Gilles sitting 14th and 10 points from the playoff places.
07:41However, losing to local rivals Bromley for a second time
07:45appeared to be the final straw,
07:47a third defeat in a row,
07:48with Bonner himself admitting things weren't looking good.
07:52What can you change from here to change the direction, I suppose?
07:56Yeah, look, it's loads of things, really.
07:59It's a mess at the moment.
08:00The team looks a mess.
08:01It's so many ins and outs, chops and changes.
08:06Morale low, loads of frustrated people,
08:09me with the players' inconsistencies,
08:11the players with the inconsistency of coming in and out the team
08:13and not having runs and things changing.
08:17I don't think we are capable yet of being one of the top teams,
08:21but we're certainly capable of being better than we are at the moment.
08:24Thanking Bonner for his time at the club,
08:26Gillingham's managing director Joe Comper said
08:29we needed to make a change to give us the best possible opportunity
08:32of getting to where we want to be come the start of May.
08:36Moments after the announcement of Bonner's departure on Sunday night,
08:39the club followed up, officially appointing his replacement,
08:43former Accrington Stanley and Rochdale boss John Coleman,
08:46who's set to remain with Gillingham until the end of the season.
08:50John Coleman completely came out of the blue.
08:52He's got no connection with this club at all.
08:55And maybe that's a good thing,
08:57because he's going to come in with a completely clean slate
09:00as far as that's concerned.
09:02I think he's worked with Andrews and Nolan from his Accrington days,
09:06but the other part, I think he doesn't know the club at all,
09:10which is probably, as I say, a good thing.
09:12The appointment of John Coleman might come as a shock to some fans,
09:15but with just a few days until their next fixture
09:17and the transfer window firmly open,
09:20it's up to the new boss to prove he's the right man to steer this ship
09:24back into the waters of a promotion fight.
09:26Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
09:29Bartholomew joins me in the studio now.
09:30What more can you tell me about the new manager?
09:33Yeah, I mean, there's been a different air around Priestfield today.
09:37I think even his appointment feels different
09:39than what we've seen in the past three that came before him.
09:42As we heard from David there,
09:44there isn't much of a link between John Coleman and the club
09:48the way that he was announced.
09:50Gillingham was supposed to be playing yesterday against Chesterfield.
09:52That was called off due to the weather.
09:54And we find out Mark Bonner wouldn't even get a start.
09:56But what would eventually have been his last game,
09:59they announced Mark Bonner's been pulled and they put in John Coleman.
10:02It really felt like he was waiting in the wings
10:04with just how close it was between those two,
10:07those two pieces of news from the club.
10:10As we said, he's a former Accrington Stanley boss,
10:12spent 10 plus years with them.
10:14Very experienced non-league manager.
10:16He got three promotions with them
10:18and even got the club back into the EFL back in 2006.
10:22So lots on his CV, but let's hear from him.
10:24It's a club that can go places.
10:26And it's, you know, I've craved all my life to be successful.
10:33The first thing is your energy levels and your work rate.
10:37So if you don't want to work hard enough, you won't play for me.
10:42And that's just a fact of life.
10:45And, you know, I know all players are different
10:48and some players can give the impression that they're better than others.
10:52But if I don't see the effort and the desire,
10:54they certainly won't be playing for this club.
10:58And I think that's the minimum you should expect as a football fan.
11:03So can John Coleman be the man to turn things around?
11:06Well, he's definitely got a lot of expectations resting on his shoulders.
11:09He sounds like the man who's got the guts to do it,
11:11but I mean, it's going to be tough.
11:13He's got so much ahead of him.
11:15He's only got a six-month contract bearing in mind,
11:17so he's got a long way to go.
11:19The transfer window is open with Gillingham players already having left,
11:23so not long for him to really shape that squad
11:26that he wants to lead into next season.
11:27Bartholomew, thank you very much. All eyes to Gillingham.
11:31Now it's time for a very short break.
11:32Coming up, we've been looking into the easiest places
11:35to pass a driving test in Kent.
11:37Find out how you can get into the driving test
11:40and how you can get out of the driving test.
11:41And we'll be back with more from the Gillingham team
11:44as we go through the next few weeks.
11:46..to pass a driving test in Kent.
11:48Find out where after this break. See you then.
14:46Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
15:15The Archbishop of Canterbury has today symbolically laid down
15:18his ceremonial staff and resigned as the leader of the Church of England.
15:22Justin Welby's duties have been handed over to the Archbishop of York,
15:25Stephen Cottrell, until he's replaced permanently,
15:28and that could take several months.
15:29He stepped down in November over the church's handling
15:32of the abuser John Smythe.
15:33A report found Smythe abused more than 120 boys and young men
15:37since the 70s.
15:39It said Mr Welby could and should have done more.
15:43Mr Welby didn't give a Christmas Day sermon at Canterbury Cathedral
15:46or broadcast a New Year's Day message as usual.
15:51University staff in Canterbury could strike over plans to cut 400 jobs.
15:56Canterbury Christchurch University announced last month
15:59it would look at making a quarter of its workforce redundant
16:02to save £20 million.
16:04A ballot by the Union of Colleges and Universities
16:07showed almost 90% of voting members
16:09would support a dispute with the university,
16:12and 70% backed a further ballot for strike action,
16:15with even more stating they had no confidence
16:18in the vice-chancellor or governors.
16:20The university have been approached for further comment
16:23but have previously said no action means
16:25they'll spend more than they'll make this year.
16:29Next night, Tunbridge Wells is the easiest place in Kent
16:33to pass your driving test.
16:35According to the latest Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency data,
16:38nearly 60% of those who took to the roads to be marked last year passed.
16:43But there's a 20% difference between test centres across the county.
16:47So why does the road you drive on have any bearing on the chance of passing?
16:52Local democracy reporter Gabriel Morris has been finding out.
16:56It's a nerve-wracking 40 minutes putting months of practice to the test
17:00and trying to avoid those trembles translating into mistakes.
17:04The pressure to pass these days, compounded by long waiting times,
17:08just to get an exam.
17:10And we found an almost 20% difference between the easiest and hardest test centres in Kent,
17:16with Tunbridge Wells having the highest pass rate,
17:19and Folkestone trailing at the bottom.
17:21When you talk about common faults, I think quite a big one is observations.
17:26Ian's been teaching learners for almost 20 years.
17:28He says the reason for the big difference is more than just the geography of a town.
17:33It could be a case that there might be a shortage of instructors in Folkestone,
17:37so people are having to take fewer lessons when they get to test.
17:39It could be that people are having fewer lessons anyway.
17:42It might be a money thing, it might be a timing thing,
17:45so people maybe are more ready in Tunbridge Wells or in Folkestone.
17:49Instructors say learners going to a DVSA centre in a different area isn't uncommon,
17:54particularly when it comes to those long waiting lists.
17:57Taking a test in an unfamiliar town might also come with some benefits.
18:02I've taken a lot of driving tests and I find I work better in areas I don't know,
18:06because I'm not expecting things around the corner.
18:07So if there's suddenly some new roadworks or a diversion, I'm not surprised by it.
18:12And I think if really we want our drivers to be confident driving anywhere, not just on test routes.
18:19And at the moment, learners say it takes six months or even more
18:22just to get a test in the first place,
18:25and they can't book their practical until they've passed their theory.
18:29With the long waiting list for the practical tests,
18:33instructors are saying that it can really get in the way.
18:37So if people don't get on and do their theory, but they've started their practical lessons,
18:41you can end up with a big gap, which is not cost effective.
18:45It doesn't support road safety particularly well because people end up having ad hoc lessons.
18:51So it seems with the current backlogs,
18:53taking a test at a centre further away won't harm your odds in passing.
18:59Gabriel Morris in Tunbridge Wells.
19:03Well, maybe not the evening tonight for a driving test,
19:05but perhaps the weather for the Gritters.
19:07They'll be out from 7pm on the roads as a new weather alert has come into place.
19:12A weather warning for snow has been issued for all of Kent.
19:15There's a yellow alert for Wednesday from 9am until midnight.
19:18In some areas, two to five centimetres of snow could fall and settle,
19:23and as much as 10 centimetres over some higher ground too.
19:26Rain or sleet is more likely near the coast though.
19:29Well, let's check out the full forecast.
19:33Tonight's looking very windy, wind speeds of 10mph,
19:40temperatures of 3 in Tunbridge Wells and Ashford sitting at 2.
19:43Into the morning, wind picking up slightly,
19:45temperatures of around 2 across the county, 3 down in Dover.
19:49Then in the afternoon, it's going to warm up just slightly,
19:52perhaps some sunshine between the clouds.
19:53They're highs of 4 and 5 degrees.
19:56And for the outlook on Wednesday, of course, that yellow weather warning for snow.
20:00So wrap up warm and drive safe if you are heading out.
20:03Some sunshine come Thursday, Friday, looking cloudy.
20:13Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
20:16by logging on to our website.
20:18It's kmtv.co.uk.
20:20There you'll find all our reports, including this one about the remarkable individuals
20:23who received some well-deserved recognition in the New Year's Honours list.
20:28I ripped open and I read the first couple of lines and I burst into tears.
20:34And I said to myself, oh, my parents would have been so proud of me.
20:38A British Empire Medal is awarded to individuals who have had a positive impact
20:43to their local community through providing exceptional service.
20:47And Wilhelmina Cooper from Canterbury has done just that.
20:50You are to be recommended to His Majesty the King
20:54for the honour of British Empire Medal in the New Year's Honours list 225.
20:59The short citation for the award would read
21:02for services to charitable fundraising and to the community in Kent.
21:06Wilhelmina has contributed her time across many different sectors,
21:10from helping hundreds of disadvantaged children have access to music making,
21:14to being the director of the Samaritans.
21:16From the Samaritans, I was headhunted by Relate marriage guidance.
21:20I went to work with them and I helped raise money to buy them a new building.
21:24I've always bought new buildings, you know.
21:27And then I worked with the Sirenians, which was a homeless charity in Canterbury.
21:31And again, we bought a house for people who were homeless.
21:36And since then, I've been doing other work.
21:39I'm now permanently, I'm the general manager of the Deal Music and Arts,
21:42where we do a lot of work with young children and the community, which is great.
21:48For more than 50 years, she has given her time to a number of different causes
21:52and has not, until now, realised the worth of her contributions.
21:56It was a great shock, really.
21:58You never think, when something like that happens, you never think you deserve it, of course.
22:02You know, you say, oh golly, it can't be for me, but it was, and that's great.
22:08From looking around her office, the contributions she has made to the community are clear.
22:12But she is not the only person from Kent who's being recognised for their hard work.
22:18David Ward is getting an MBE.
22:20He's a founder and CEO for Abigail's Footsteps, a charity supporting bereaved parents.
22:26We always talk about the importance of fundraising,
22:28but the raising awareness is equally as important.
22:31And any recognition we can give towards the tragic situation that still goes on in this
22:36country with stillbirth and the poor facilities that exist in many hospitals still.
22:40So the more we can do, and if this award helps recognise that,
22:44and the more we can challenge hospitals to improve their bereavement care, then fantastic.
22:49Another is the longest-serving Doctor Who actor,
22:52Tom Baker, who is being awarded with an MBE for his services to television.
22:58Don't you mean the infirmary?
22:59No, I do not mean the infirmary. I mean the sickbay. You're not fit yet.
23:02Not fit? I'm the doctor.
23:04No, Doctor, I'm the doctor, and I say that you're not fit.
23:06You may be a doctor, but I'm the doctor.
23:09A total of 26 people were on this year's list for their services to Kent
23:14for making a positive impact to those in the county.
23:17Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV.
23:20Well, congratulations to all of those lucky winners.
23:23And finally this evening, thousands across Kent watched on as darting sensation Luke Littler
23:28took the title of youngest PDC world champion.
23:31The 17-year-old has been an inspiration for young people up and down the country
23:35and for those keen to try out the sport.
23:38So us here at KMTV have been throwing in his footsteps.
23:41But who from the newsroom claimed the KMTV darts championship?
23:45This works a lot better in practice.
23:48That counts.
23:52I'm nervous.
23:53Trouble 20, here we go.
24:00Six KMTV staff are battling it out to see who is the office darts champion.
24:05The winner will be getting the grand prize of bragging rights.
24:08Let's meet the contenders.
24:10I'm Bartholomew the Great Hall.
24:13This is the first time I've ever played darts.
24:17Hi, I'm Andy the Rocket Richards and I've been playing darts since 1984.
24:23I'm Abby the Hawk Hook and I've been playing darts for five minutes.
24:27Hello, I'm Finn the Horizontal McDermid and I'm going to beat Andy today.
24:32That's my only goal.
24:33My name is Zini Anakbe and I'm going by Zini the Panini today.
24:38And it's my first time playing darts.
24:40My name is Kristen Hawthorne aka Crisp Kristen because I love crisps.
24:46The rules are as follows.
24:48Each player will have six warm-up shots and then three real goes
24:51which will count towards their final score.
24:53Whoever scores the most will win the tournament.
24:56Let's see who the new KMTV darts champion is.
25:00All right, here we go.
25:05Two, all right.
25:07Oh, yeah, not so happy about the result there.
25:11Could have done a lot better.
25:12Needed more practice.
25:18No.
25:20Oh, yeah!
25:29Now that counts.
25:3133 plus 19, what's that?
25:3452, really bad.
25:36All right, triple 20.
25:41Here we go.
25:42All right, eight.
25:51Sad.
25:51Oh, my practice one was better.
25:59Well, that was something.
26:06Here are the final results.
26:09That was this year's KMTV darts championship.
26:17Well, no Luke Littler's on our hands, especially not Finn.
26:20Brilliant.
26:21You've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KTO.
26:23That's all we've got time for.
26:24There's, of course, more news made just for Kent throughout the evening
26:27and coming up all the sports news within Victorsport in just a few minutes time.
26:31I'll see you then.
26:57you