Code of conduct. Good morning and welcome to bbc newsroom live. More than a0 of Maternity Wards in england closed their doors to expectant mothers at least once in 2016, according to data from the labour party. 42 out of 96 trusts in england that responded to a Freedom Of Information Request said theyd shut Maternity Wards temporarily on 382 occasions. The most common reasons given were too few staff and not enough beds. But the government says the numbers are misleading. Our health correspondent, Dominic Hughes has more. For some years, Maternity Units have been struggling to recruit enough midwives. The Royal College of midwives says theres a shortfall of around 3,500. Now, based on a Freedom Of Information Request, labour says a growing number of Maternity Units are closing doors to new mothers. In england, 136 nhs trusts offer Maternity Services. Last year, 42 of them closed their doors to new admissions at least once. There were 382 separate locations where units were closed, up b
this is thought to be one of the biggest strandings ever in britain. the pilot whales were found in the beach north of stornoway about seven o clock yesterday morning. most were already dead, but 15 were still alive. police, the coastguard and charities trying to help them. vets and special equipment were brought overfrom the mainland. but it proved too late, and they were euthanised on welfare grounds. these are animals that have spent their entire lives in the water. they have evolved to not need the ability to support their own weight when they re out on land. so they do gradually crush themselves. and having been out for such a long time now, the effect of that crushing can potentially be fatal. pilot whales are one of the smaller species and part of the dolphin family. they re known for their strong social bonds. when one gets into difficulty, others often follow. one of the female whales was giving birth, and this may have led to the stranding. jamie mciver, bbc news.
they have evolved to not need the ability to support their own weight when they re out on land. so they do gradually crush themselves. and having been out for such a long time now, the effect of that crushing can potentially be fatal. pilot whales are one of the smaller species and part of the dolphin family. they re known for their strong social bonds. when one gets into difficulty, others often follow. one of the female whales was giving birth, and this may have led to the stranding. jamie mciver, bbc news. the bosses of major supermarkets and other fuel retailers will meet the energy secretary today, to discuss concerns that a drop in the wholesale price of fuel hasn t been passed on to consumers quickly enough. ben s looking at this for us this morning. yes, the energy secretary grant shapps will give them until next month, to voluntarily share live prices online, to help motorists find the cheapest fuel. unleaded hit almost £2 per litre at the pump last year before coming back do