News

A private funeral for Granada Reports presenter Tony Morris is being held today

The iconic presenter - who was the face of North West evening news for 17 years - passed away on August 1 following a battle with kidney cancer.

The Manc The Manc - 13th August 2020
Granada Reports

A private funeral service for beloved Granada Reports anchor Tony Morris will take place later today, attended by close friends and family.

The iconic presenter – who was the face of North West evening news for 17 years – passed away on August 1 following a battle with kidney cancer.

He was 57.

Morris’ death sparked an outpouring of grief across Greater Manchester and beyond – with thousands signing an online Book of Condolence to honour his memory.

Co-presenter Lucy Meacock and fellow colleagues also paid tribute to the anchor during live broadcasts in the days following his death.

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Meacock tweeted this morning (13 August): “Farewell to one of the best friends you could ever have in your corner.”

Bury Hospice, where Morris spent his final days, has also seen a flood of donations this month.

More than £13,000 has been raised for the health facility since the presenter passed away.

News

Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Holding baby's hand

A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.

The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.

This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.

According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.

The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)

As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.

Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.

The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

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The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.

“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.

“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.

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“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”

Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)

News

Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.

In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.

But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.

Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.

At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.

This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.

These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.

All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.

Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.

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However, if you are travelling on Sunday morning, you are advised to check your journey before you go and allow a little extra time.

“If you need help, our station teams will be on hand,” Northern assured in a statement.

Featured Image – Network Rail

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