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00:36Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
00:40I'm Naila Mohamed and here are your top stories on Thursday the 18th of June.
00:45Driving and dementia.
00:47Kent drivers face waits of nearly two months for licensing decisions after diagnosis.
00:52He phoned his wife and he said, I know I'm in France, but I have no clue how I got
00:59here.
00:59I feel like I can express myself.
01:01Gillingham Charity celebrates International Autism Pride Day.
01:05I feel like this is a safe space and I really feel like I can express myself.
01:14And finally, back with more.
01:17KMTV's flagship educational children's show receives more funding.
01:32Our top story tonight and it's a KMTV exclusive.
01:36Kent has one of the highest rates in the country of people driving with dementia when they shouldn't be.
01:40Stats discovered by KMTV show that the DVLA have issued multiple letters saying that these road users will be assessed
01:47on whether or not they're fit to drive.
01:49But it's taken two months to get the final decision.
01:52It means they're still on the roads whilst they wait.
01:54So our reporter, Chloe Brewster, has the story.
01:57He phoned his wife and he said, I know I'm in France, but I have no clue how I got
02:04here.
02:04For those who've experienced a family member with dementia, stopping their loved ones from putting themselves in harm's way is
02:12always a priority.
02:13But what do you do when your loved one continues to get behind the wheel, even if it's no longer
02:19safe?
02:20Receiving a diagnosis of dementia isn't a reason in and of itself to stop driving.
02:26In fact, one in three people who receive that diagnosis still do.
02:31But doctors will be looking out for several things to make sure you can still be safe on the roads.
02:36One of the main challenges drivers diagnosed with dementia may face is memory.
02:41Now, that can cause several issues.
02:43Like if you're planning to go to the supermarket and can't remember the route, or if you've left home and
02:48don't know where you were supposed to be going.
02:50Other skills that may be impacted includes focus, spatial skills, problem solving, judgment and reaction time.
02:59Kent has the fourth highest number of letters delivered to drivers concerning their fitness to drive when they have a
03:05diagnosis of dementia.
03:06I asked the DVLA how long it would take to receive a licensing decision following a diagnosis.
03:13They told me that for any medical condition, so dementia, epilepsy or a heart condition, in the UK it would
03:20take you an average of 57 working days or 11 weeks.
03:25The DVLA say those wait times vary due to the nature of a medical condition, and complex applications can take
03:33time.
03:33But they say they're currently rolling out a new system, which is expected to deliver improvements to support growing customer
03:40demand and reduce turnaround time.
03:43One of the people that I support was a train driver for the Eurostar.
03:49And when he was, just before he was first diagnosed, he drove the train out to Belgium or Paris, I'm
03:58not sure which.
03:58And when he got out there, he phoned his wife and he said, I know I'm in France, but I
04:05have no clue how I got here.
04:07Now he's driven a train at 200 miles an hour out to France.
04:12If I didn't feel safe driving beyond the wheel of my car, I would give it up tomorrow.
04:17Saying that, people with Alzheimer's do not understand that.
04:21Without the freedom to get around, as before, there are also concerns around someone with dementia's illness worsening, prompting calls
04:28for more accessible and widespread public transport.
04:32Somebody who is seeking a dementia diagnosis or on the dementia pathway, that is one of the major concerns that
04:39they have.
04:40Certainly in West Kent, we do support an awful lot of rural areas, and there are some parts of North
04:44Kent as well which are quite rural, so it can be much more challenging.
04:48And I think, if anything, it would be just increasing those community transport options available to people.
04:56As the number of people with dementia continues to rise, charities say conversations about driving need to be happening early,
05:03before safety becomes a concern.
05:07Chloe Brewster for KMTV.
05:09Now a busy tunnel is expected to remain closed all day after a suspected arson attack destroyed two caravans.
05:16The fire at Ramgate's Royal Harbour Approach Tunnel is believed to have been started deliberately at about 3am.
05:23A spokesperson from the Kent Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to report of two caravans on fire
05:28in the Royal Harbour Approach.
05:30They added that three fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets and light portable pumps
05:36to extinguish the fire.
05:37No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious.
05:43Requests for homes to be built on a green belt between Holborough, Snotland and Hawlink have been made for up
05:48to 2,000 homes.
05:49If approved, the development would begin in 2029 and 2030, estimated to be completed in 11 years.
05:56Additionally, plans include spaces for businesses, including a nursery, along with a community hall, a primary school and plenty of
06:03open spaces.
06:04The space, a mixture of woodland and open water, is a green belt sitting north of Holborough Lakes stretching up
06:10to Hawlin.
06:11Applications were submitted to the town's council on the 15th of June and are now being considered.
06:17The A249 Sheppier Crossing has been closed in both directions for emergency repairs due to faulty bridge joints.
06:23This is the third time the bridge has been shut in the past month due to a defect.
06:27Only two days after the carriageway heading off the island was fully reopened.
06:32A spokesman for National Highways confirmed the crossing had been shut by Kent police and contractors were being sent to
06:37assess the situation.
06:39Traffic is being diverted via the Kingsbury bridge and people are being told to allow extra time for their journey.
06:46Now today marks Autistic Pride Day and Club Awesome in Gyllingham is celebrating the day by spending time with friends
06:53and family by baking and playing.
06:55The day recognises the importance of pride for autistic people and its role in bringing about positive changes in the
07:02broader society.
07:03Our reporter Maisie Walker visited the club early today to hear from members about what Autistic Pride Day means to
07:09them.
07:10Let's have a look.
07:12I don't like singing out in public but I feel like I can now.
07:18In Gyllingham, members of Club Awesome are celebrating Autistic Pride Day with friends and family,
07:24spending the day playing games, baking and having fun together.
07:28Autistic Pride Day is a neurodiversity movement made for autistic people by autistic people.
07:34And it encourages individuals to be their genuine self.
07:38When I got to school I never had a play date with anyone or nothing but I have friends and
07:46I've had play dates with them, we met up.
07:48I feel like it's important to have these places so people can, like, open up.
07:55I've made a lot of friends here and some people might find it a little hard to make friends but
08:02I feel like they just open up when they do this.
08:06They just completely act differently.
08:09They just open up.
08:10It's like a flower just opening.
08:13I feel like this is a safe space and I really feel like I can express myself.
08:22But the club is more than just a place for children.
08:25It also brings parents together, creating a supportive community for families.
08:30My three children are all autistic but they also have a rare genetic condition.
08:35My Caitlin was, she couldn't walk very well.
08:38She was non-verbal for a long time.
08:40She didn't speak until she was seven and she was a little girl on the playground that nobody ever invited
08:44to birthday parties.
08:45She was left out.
08:46I was lonely.
08:47She was lonely.
08:48Not that she realised that she was lonely but it was quite isolating.
08:52So I wanted to get children together like her so then I can meet parents like me and hopefully grow
08:57our world a little bit.
08:58There isn't many places where we can bring our children and they can just be themselves and that they don't
09:05have to hide and mask and it's about belonging.
09:09It's not just for the children.
09:11Openly stimming, vocalising and demanding the same respect as others is autistic pride in action.
09:18And for the children here today, surrounded by a community that celebrates them, being proud of who they are comes
09:24naturally.
09:25Maisie Walker for KNTV, Gilliam.
09:29Now an amber heat health alert has been issued for us here in the southeast, with temperatures set to be
09:35hotter than Barbados this weekend.
09:37But with excessive heat can come dangers for those who are unprepared or vulnerable.
09:42Our reporter Ethan Maturinge has the story.
09:45An amber health alert has been issued across the country, with some parts of the UK seeing more tropical temperatures,
09:53so you might not need that holiday after all.
09:56With humidity higher than that which was seen in May, the heat is set to hit harder than before.
10:04Make sure to stay hydrated and watch out for when UV rays are at their highest because that's when you'll
10:10need sunscreen.
10:11You'll usually need it until around five to six p.m.
10:15If you're doing any physical activities, make sure to have plenty of water and even try to do them in
10:22the afternoon or the evening to beat the midday sun.
10:26The alert lasts until Tuesday evening.
10:30Also be wary to stay alert for rains like the one we see today.
10:35But most importantly, remember to make the most of the sun while it lasts.
10:42Well, luckily, I don't have any holidays booked, but on that note, let's have a look at the weather for
10:47the coming days.
10:53It will be a clear night tonight, with temperatures staying in the low 20s and wind speeds up to five
10:58miles an hour.
11:00Tomorrow will be a lovely sunny morning for the country, with temperatures also reaching the high 10s of 17 and
11:0618 degrees there in Dover.
11:07But come into the afternoon, be sure to get that sun cream if you're out and about, as temperatures are
11:12set to sort of 30 degrees in Dartford and sun shining across Kent.
11:15And for your outlook for the week, it's going to be nice and cloudy on Saturday, 27 degrees, sunny on
11:21Sunday with 28 degrees and a nice 29 degrees on Monday.
11:34And now it's time for a quick break.
11:36But don't go anywhere because I've been joined on the sofa by David Brooks-Horsley to discuss the recent approval
11:41to merge two GP surgeries,
11:43as well as some possible concerns raised by patients and staff.
11:47We'll also learn about a local mother's shocking discovery of hundreds of perfectly fine books being thrown out by a
11:53private school in Rochester.
11:54I'll also be joined by historian Christopher Monk to discuss the new show, News Nugget, at KMTV.
12:00But we'll see you very soon. Don't go anywhere.
12:29We'll see you very soon.
12:43We'll see you very soon.
13:13We'll see you very soon.
13:32.
14:02.
14:32.
15:25Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
15:29In February of 2025, plans were announced to merge the Newton Place Surgery and Farisham
15:35Medical Practice.
15:36The application has now been approved and confirmed by NHS Kent and a Medway spokesperson.
15:41But some patients and healthcare professionals have raised concerns surrounding staff turnover,
15:46appointment availability and communication.
15:48And David Brooks-Horsley joined me in the studio earlier to tell us more.
15:52So David, how are patients reacting to this merger?
15:55So not all patients are actually fond of this merge that's happening.
15:59One patient, a 73-year-old known as John Ralph, who is a patient from Newton Place Surgery,
16:05requires regular pressure bandages to be applied to his leg.
16:09And has actually spoke about how this merge meant that there's a lack of healthcare professionals
16:15who know the patients inside out in terms of what their medical needs are, what's their
16:20background history.
16:21And with that, he's actually spoke out and said that he struggled to access the same level
16:26of care that he once got with those nurses who knew him inside out.
16:30And he actually claims that this is because of too many agency staff who come in just to
16:35see a patient and then to leave and go to their next practice.
16:39But it's not just patients who are unsettled by this decision.
16:43So you said that it's not just patients who are unsettled by this merger, who else is?
16:47So one general practitioner has actually spoke out anonymously and spoke to Ken online about
16:53their thoughts and has actually echoed the patient dissatisfaction, especially in terms of how
16:58patients were communicated about this merge.
17:01And because they found out through Facebook rather than a formal letter or telephone call.
17:07And do we have any healthcare professionals who are in agreement with the merger?
17:11Yeah, so one is actually the managing partner of Favisham Medical Group, Dr. Gaurav Gupta.
17:18And he's defending this, saying that there's actually much more sustainable services that
17:23are happening, especially in terms of expanded physiotherapy.
17:27And now that blood tests can now occur more often on a Saturday.
17:31And has said that routine bookings have actually halved now from four weeks to two weeks.
17:37But obviously, that's for routine bookings, where it's potentially every month or every
17:42two weeks, not an acute illness where you need to see the doctor there and then.
17:46Well, thank you so much for joining us today, David.
17:50Now, mum has criticised a private school's decision to throw hundreds of perfectly good
17:54books into a skip.
17:56Becky was horrified to find a skip full of books waiting to be collected as she dropped off
18:01her son for swimming lessons at King's School in Rochester.
18:03She stated that her seven-year-old son was furious, describing it as his first sense of injustice.
18:10Other parents accompanying their children at the school swimming pool were also stunned
18:14at the discovery, as she went on to add that they took the opportunity to take some books
18:18home with them.
18:20Job vacancies are at the lowest point since 2021, with thousands of people struggling to
18:25find employment.
18:27Our reporter, Kevis Hammond, went over to the streets of Rochester to find out what the public's
18:31experience with job hunting is, and the effects of job hunting, especially on the younger generation.
18:38Job vacancies are at the lowest point from the past five years.
18:42We're here in Rochester asking the public their opinions on the job market.
18:47Job vacancies are the lowest they've been since 2021.
18:51We've asked about personal experiences, the struggles from the younger generations to find
18:55their first jobs, and how AI is affecting employability.
18:58I was on Indeed for seven or eight months before I managed to find a job.
19:04Well, I came out of uni about September, and I've been looking for a job ever since.
19:08I've only just found a waitress position.
19:12It's not many hours.
19:15It's minimum wage.
19:17Well, because you're meant to have experience, but how do you get experience if you don't
19:20ever get a job?
19:20It's that vicious cycle.
19:23How do you gain experience if somebody doesn't give you the opportunity?
19:26You send an application off and you don't hear anything back.
19:29You spend ages tweaking your CV for nothing to happen.
19:32It's really disheartening.
19:34It makes you feel like you're putting all this effort in for uni and into your CVs, and
19:38you get nothing out of it, and you end up being a waitress in a random pub.
19:43I do use AI, and I will continue to use AI, because as it's growing every day, it's getting
19:49more and more human-like, and it's so cost-effective being a business owner.
19:53There used to be a time when you would have student placements and, you know, part-time roles,
19:58but that seems to be a thing of the past.
20:01It is the kind of older adults that they're expecting to work.
20:05We all need to start somewhere, and we need to give people a chance no matter what their
20:11experience is.
20:11So if you're willing to learn, if you're, you know, determined and you're, like, in
20:17that right mindset, I think you should be given a chance no matter what.
20:20I spoke to Tudor Price earlier today to see what he has to say about why there has been
20:23such a decrease in available jobs.
20:26The continued effect of the increase to national insurance contributions that employers have
20:31to make, that was quite a hit, and I don't think the government at the time appreciated
20:36just how much of an impact that would have, because businesses have had to take on additional
20:41cost without any ability to be able to sort of reclaim that anywhere else.
20:46And so actually it's made them sort of reluctant to take anybody else on.
20:51The second thing, which again is clearly pointing to sort of some of the causes here,
20:55is the increase in national minimum wage.
20:58The challenge being that if that goes up at the bottom, then of course there is a requirement
21:03to raise that across the rest of your staff.
21:05So that differentiation is sort of remains in place.
21:09And finally, heritage projects across Medway have been awarded more than £118,000 in grant
21:16funding as part of the Medway Heritage Place Programme.
21:19Up to 20 places across the UK will benefit in an initiative that supports places to use
21:24heritage to build pride in place, inspire local communities and power regeneration.
21:29Now KMTV has received some of the funding for our flagship children's show, News Nuggets,
21:34to preserve Medway's rich medieval food heritage.
21:37So let's have a look at some of the highlights from previous episodes so far.
21:41Hello, I'm Abbey and welcome to News Nuggets.
21:46Do you think you're doing a good job?
21:48What's the difference between a pharmacist and a doctor?
21:51I think it's really nice having the dogs around.
21:54They make everyone feel so happy.
21:55This week we'll be learning about sport and exercise.
21:59Hello, News Nuggets. It's Joe Wicks, the body coach here.
22:02Thank you so much for coming down to report on my visit.
22:05We got the chance to find the best seats in the whole stadium.
22:10Swoo!
22:12For me, sport's really important as a young person
22:14because we can't just report on one side of the story.
22:18Taxes are something grown-ups pay so we get public services.
22:22The votes are in.
22:25I would always say to keep your phone away
22:27unless you actually need it when you're walking to and from school.
22:30Right, we've got our box for our food parcel.
22:32Fred, go on and grab those rolls, put those in the box.
22:36This is so cool!
22:38This is our sensory story stack area.
22:41We're in a plane right now.
22:43Oh, so those taxis are picking up other students.
22:45I do have a school closer to me.
22:48I was struggling with everything, but I was overwhelmed.
22:51We're looking for litter because we don't want it to hurt all the animals that are here.
22:56So does Kent have a lot of history underneath?
23:00Absolutely.
23:12Now, historian Christopher Monk is set to feature on the show
23:17and joins me in the studio now.
23:20So Christopher, News Nuggets has looked at politics,
23:22it's looked at sports and health,
23:23but what does Medway have to offer when it comes to medieval food?
23:27Well, quite a lot, actually.
23:28There's a couple of medieval books, for example,
23:30that Rochester Cathedral has,
23:32and they tell us or give us insights into the history of food,
23:36particularly with the monks and what they ate,
23:38the monks that were at the Priory in Rochester.
23:41And we also find out about the cooks that cooked for the monks,
23:44and we find out things about the types of meat that they ate
23:48and fish and so forth.
23:49And what's this on screen here, speaking of some of the meat that they ate?
23:53Well, it looks rather lurid, the colour, doesn't it?
23:55It's actually a salmon dish,
23:57and we know the monks, for example, were very fond of salmon.
24:01And what's in this that makes it special,
24:03it's from a cookery book that was commissioned by Richard II
24:07in the 14th century,
24:09and it has almonds in it,
24:12and it has spices, which would have been extremely expensive.
24:16And it's possible that spices did come into the Medway area,
24:20particularly they would have been eaten by any nobility
24:23or even perhaps the monks as well,
24:25because relatively speaking, they would have been viewed as elite.
24:29And you spoke about some of the spices.
24:31Yes.
24:31Have you brought some of them with us?
24:32We have, yes.
24:33In there is a spice mix,
24:36and that's called pudrefort, or powderfort,
24:40which just means strong powders or strong spices.
24:43And that's made up of mostly peppers,
24:47but I don't know whether you can see that,
24:48but there's a little bit of nutmeg,
24:50and then there's these very long peppers,
24:53which are quite unusual.
24:55We hardly ever see them today.
24:56There's black pepper,
24:58and then also a few cloves as well.
25:01So that's actually based on an Italian recipe,
25:04because we don't actually have an English recipe.
25:06But that's the kind of thing
25:08that would have been added to that fish dish
25:10that you saw there.
25:11It's like a salmon pate,
25:12but given a bit of zip with the spices.
25:15I see.
25:16And you're filming this series with us here at KMTV,
25:19and you're visiting primary schools.
25:20What are you doing with the students there?
25:22What are you teaching them about?
25:23Well, they're interviewing me,
25:25and they're asking lots of questions.
25:27And, for example, tomorrow,
25:29I'm going to be speaking to two students at Gillingham Pier,
25:33and they're going to be talking about fish
25:35and asking about fish and oysters
25:37and fishing in the Medway estuary.
25:41And a very interesting thing we're going to look at
25:44is how a royal charter was given
25:46to try and protect the rights of fishing
25:48from those that were trying to steal the fish.
25:51Is this what the medieval writer you're talking about here,
25:54or are these some of the manuscripts?
25:55Can you tell us a little bit about what these are?
25:56Yes.
25:57This actually is the very article that I was talking about,
26:00the charter,
26:01and in it it's Henry I,
26:03and he's ordering prohibiting those people
26:05that were fishing in the Thames
26:07coming across and blocking the Medway.
26:11And because Rochester had had a new fishing trap put in,
26:15he ordered that they had to allow the fish to come through.
26:18So, you know how the Medway and the Thames merge.
26:21So it was at that point that the king was annoyed
26:24that the fishermen from the Thames
26:26were actually blocking the fish.
26:27I see.
26:28Very interesting.
26:29Well, thank you so much for joining us in the studio today.
26:32I can't wait to learn more about medieval food history
26:34here in Medway.
26:36Thank you very much, Christopher.
26:38And you've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:41And there's more news made just for Kent
26:43throughout the evening.
26:44Don't forget you can keep up to date
26:45with the latest news across the county
26:47by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:50You can also keep up to date
26:52on our social media timelines.
26:53But that's all we have time for this evening.
26:55We'll see you again tomorrow.
26:56Goodbye from us.
27:13We'll see you again tomorrow.
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