Babak Belurs

Selasa, 15 September 2020

Coronavirus: Testing problems to be solved in weeks, says Hancock - BBC News

The testing system is facing an "enormous challenge" after a "sharp rise" in those seeking a test, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

When challenged on the reports of people struggling to get a test, Mr Hancock said it would take a "matter of weeks" to resolve the problems.

He said No 10 would update its testing policy shortly to prioritise the most urgent cases.

Labour said no tests were available in virus "hotspots" over the weekend.

It comes after hospital bosses warned that a lack of tests for NHS workers was putting services at risk.

An increase in demand for coronavirus tests has led to local shortages, with some people being directed to test sites hundreds of miles from their homes.

People have told the BBC of their frustration at being turned away from a walk-in test centre in Oldham, north-west England.

One woman attending the walk-in centre said staff told her that labs were struggling to turn test results around.

One parent questioned whether he would have to keep his child - who has a high temperature and a cough - off school indefinitely until they could get swabbed.

Another parent, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung problems, said he was "really concerned" about the testing problems after his daughter was sent home from school due to a classmate contracting the virus.

On Saturday, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told the BBC that the government was working to boost testing capacity through investment in new testing centres and so-called lighthouse labs.

Meanwhile, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she is hopeful that a backlog in coronavirus test results will be resolved shortly, after "constructive" talks with Mr Hancock.

The UK government announced 3,105 new lab-confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of positive tests to 374,228. Another 27 people have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, bringing the overall death toll to 41,664.

The number of patients in mechanical ventilation beds across the UK has passed 100 for the first time in nearly two months. There were 106 patients on ventilation in the UK on Monday - the first time the figure has been over 100 since 24 July.

UK-wide figures for today are yet to be published but there were 101 patients on ventilation in England alone on Tuesday.

Around 220,000 tests are processed each day, according to government figures released last week, with a testing capacity of more than 350,000 - which includes swab tests and antibody tests. The aim is to increase that to 500,000 a day by the end of October.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Hancock said there were "operational challenges" with testing which the government was "working hard" to fix.

He said throughout the pandemic they had prioritised testing according to need.

"I do not shirk from decisions about prioritisation," Mr Hancock said.

"The top priority is and always has been acute clinical care. The next priority is social care, where we're now sending over 100,000 tests a day because we've all seen the risks this virus poses in care homes."

Conservative chairman of the Health and Social Care Committee Jeremy Hunt was among the MPs to question Mr Hancock on testing, saying a number of his constituents had to travel for tests, while one key worker had to wait a week for her results.

"A week ago today, the secretary of state told the Health Select Committee that he expected to have this problem solved in two weeks," Mr Hunt said.

"Is the secretary of state, given the efforts that his department is making, still confident that in a week's time we will have this problem solved?"

"I think that we will be able to solve this problem in a matter of weeks," Mr Hancock replied.

"So we are managing to deliver record capacity, but as he well knows demand is also high and the response to that is to make sure we have prioritisation so the people who most need it can get the tests that they need."

Downing Street acknowledged the "significant demand" for coronavirus tests but said "capacity is the highest it's ever been."

Despite the health secretary's promises, there will be no easy solution to the shortages of tests.

All the expectations are that cases will go up. People are circulating more as society reopens and we are entering the period when respiratory viruses thrive.

As cases go up so will demands on the testing system. Even with the promise of more testing capacity in the coming weeks, the chances of shortages continuing remains a distinct possibility.

A new lab is due to open later this month which will be able to carry out 50,000 tests a day. But this could easily be swallowed up.

What it means is that testing will have to be prioritised where it is needed most. That will be in care homes, hospitals and among key workers, as well as where there are local outbreaks. The government's surveillance programme run by the Office for National Statistics will also be protected.

But this is not unique to the UK. Other countries are facing similar pressures. In fact, the UK is testing more people per head of population than Spain, France and Germany.

It promises to be a difficult winter across Europe.

'Enormous challenge'

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Hancock was "losing control of this virus".

"When schools reopen and people return to workplaces and social distancing becomes harder, infections rise," he said.

"Extra demand on the system was inevitable, so why didn't he use the summer to significantly expand NHS lab capacity and fix contact tracing?"

Responding, Mr Hancock said: "I don't deny that it is an enormous challenge and when you have a free service it's inevitable that demand rises.

"The challenge is to make sure that we prioritise the tests we have as a nation to those who most need it."

What's the average journey to a Covid-19 test centre?

By Ben Butcher, BBC Reality Check

Health Secretary Matt Hancock claims that the average distance travelled by people to a test centre is 5.8 miles.

Last week, he used a slightly different figure - 6.4 miles.

So, is this right? The problem is they're not releasing the data on journey times - despite us asking for it repeatedly.

The Department of Health says it plans to "at some point in the future". This makes it very difficult to scrutinise the claims.

It has supplied a limited amount of information about the methodology.

The average distance refers to "as the crow flies", so it doesn't take into account that most roads are not a straight line between someone's house and the testing site. This means the average distance will be higher.

For example, if someone was to drive between the BBC London offices and the Wembley testing site, the exact distance between the two is 5.5 miles. However, once we take into account roads, this increases to around 8 miles.

Additionally, Mr Hancock previously said 90% of people travel less than 22 miles, meaning 10% travelled further.

In the latest week, 199,000 tests were processed from regional testing facilities, meaning as many as 20,000 people travelled over 22 miles.

We also don't know how many people asked for a testing slot but chose not to travel because the site they were offered was too far away.

Earlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel told BBC Breakfast the government was "surging capacity" where it was needed.

"Clearly there is much more work that needs to be undertaken with Public Health England and the actual public health bodies in those particular local areas, and as a government obviously we work with Public Health England to surge where there is demand in local hotspot areas."

Ms Patel also said England's new rule of six meant families should not stop in the street to talk to friends.

MINDFUL ESCAPES: Why is breathing so important?
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH IS BACK: An exclusive look at Extinction: The Facts

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2020-09-15 16:30:00Z
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Coronavirus: Families 'mingling' would be breaking rule of six - home secretary - BBC News

Families stopping to talk in the street would be in breach of the rule of six restrictions, the home secretary has said.

Priti Patel told the BBC that two families of four stopping for a chat on the way to the park was "absolutely mingling".

She said she would report her neighbours if they broke the rules.

The rules restrict indoor and outdoor gatherings in England and Scotland, and indoor groups in Wales.

The new measures mean police can break up groups larger than six, with fines of up to £3,200 if people flout the rules.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Patel said that two families of four stopping for a chat on the way to the park was "absolutely mingling".

"You have got to put this in the context of coronavirus and keeping distance, wearing masks," she said.

"The rule of six is about making sure that people are being conscientious and not putting other people's health at risk."

The home secretary added: "Mingling is people coming together. That is my definition of mingling."

When asked if she would call the police on her neighbours if they breached the new coronavirus rules, Ms Patel told BBC Breakfast: "I don't spend my time looking into people's gardens."

Pressed further on the topic, she said anybody would want to "take responsibility" to help to stop the spread of the virus, adding that if she saw gatherings of more than six, "clearly I would report that".

Ms Patel's comments echo those made by Policing Minister Kit Malthouse, who suggested that people should ring the non-emergency 101 number if they had concerns that people were breaching the law.

It comes as the national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales called for guidance over enforcement of the measures.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, John Apter said that police officers on the frontline were "trying to interpret" the rules, and were being accused of "asking (people) to snitch on their neighbours".

He added: "Maybe we should have guidance, because we haven't had any yet."

Government guidelines include exemptions for physical activities that can be done in groups of more than six, such as football, hockey and netball, as well as sailing, angling and polo.

Shooting - including hunting and paintball that requires a shotgun or firearms certificate licence - is also exempt as an organised sport.

Earlier, Ms Patel defended the government's record on testing, following widespread reports of people struggling to get swabbed.

She told BBC Breakfast the government was "surging capacity" where it was needed.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the system is facing an "enormous challenge" after a "sharp rise" in people seeking a test. He said it would take a "matter of weeks" to resolve the problems.

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2020-09-15 13:28:43Z
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What's REALLY behind Britain's coronavirus testing fiasco? - Daily Mail

What's REALLY behind Britain's testing fiasco? How over-stretched and 'under-staffed' laboratories designed to fight the pandemic are crippling the UK's response

Officials say laboratories don't have the capacity to cope with rising demand
Labs are averaging around 180,000 tests per day but getting overwhelmed
This is despite the Department of Health claiming it has capacity for 244,000

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 15:37 BST, 15 September 2020 | Updated: 15:50 BST, 15 September 2020

Britain's coronavirus testing system has come under intense scrutiny in the past 24 hours amid reports that doctors, nurses and people living in the country's worst-hit towns are unable to get tested for the virus.

Government officials including Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the testing boss at NHS Test and Trace have blamed 'lab capacity' for the shortcomings, described as an 'utter farce' and 'fiasco' by Labour.

NHS staff now warn they are staying home from work, patients are having operations cancelled, teachers and pupils are being kept out of classrooms and even care home staff are struggling to get swabbed as the programme buckles under the pressure of rising case numbers.

The vital system, which ministers promised would be world-beating, is floundering and appears to have hit its ceiling at just over 200,000 tests per day — despite the Department of Health claiming it can do 245,000.

This has prompted serious concerns as a second wave of cases is thought to be on the horizon for the UK.

Testing was abandoned completely in the first wave, in March, which let the virus spread unchecked across the country. Allowing this to happen again would be a disastrous mistake for the Government and it is now under immense pressure to keep the testing system on its feet.

People using the online booking system – Pillar 2 tests – report being directed to test centres dozens or hundreds of miles from home, or simply being denied one completely.

Officials are pointing the finger at the laboratories to explain why there is a backlog of around 250,000 tests.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of what is happening to the testing system:

Twitter user Ian Spencer said he had been met with this message when trying to book a coronavirus test, echoing the experience of many others

Public are being denied tests or told to travel cross-country

People all over England are being denied access to coronavirus tests or told they must travel across the country, dozens or hundreds of miles, to get one.

Members of the public must use the online booking system to arrange a coronavirus test to be sent to their home or to make an appointment at a drive- or walk-in centre.

But many say they are simply being met with a page that says 'This service is currently very busy' and ends their attempt to book the test, advising them to try again later.

Others say they have been told they can go for tests at centres in different towns, cities, counties or even countries which could take hours to drive to.

Speaker of the House of Commons and MP for Chorley in Lancashire, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, this morning said the situation was 'unacceptable' in a tweet.

MPs are furious that their constituents cannot get tested near to their home when the Government is so insistent that people should get a test if they feel ill.

Bosses at hospitals, care homes and schools say their staff are having to stay home from work and self-isolate because they feel ill but can't get tested.

In its most recent week of full data – up to September 7 – the Department of Health claimed it had capacity to carry out and process 243,817 tests per day in Pillars 1 & 2.

But it was doing an average of 182,564 per day and still ended up overwhelmed.

Capacity was drastically bolstered during April, as Mr Hancock pledged the UK would be able to test 100,000 people a day by May.

It was ramped up again to around 200,000 by June — but has barely changed since then, despite warnings that Britain would need more as it heads towards the winter and children go back to school.

Access is even being restricted in Covid-19 hotspots

Even people living in some of the worst-affected parts of England say they are struggling to get tested for Covid-19.

These areas, which receive 'enhanced support' from Public Health England, are supposed to have extra testing facilities and mobile units set up.

MPs said a mobile unit that was meant to set up in Oldham, Greater Manchester, never arrived.

And shocking footage showed a huge queue reportedly five hours long outside a test centre in Bury, Manchester, last Thursday.

Bury has one of the worst infection rates in the country, with 47 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people, according to PHE.

People were also struggling to get swabbed in other hard-hit places including Bolton (122 cases per 100k), Blackburn (62) and Pendle (58).

A huge queue of people is pictured outside a coronavirus testing centre at Southend-on-Sea, Essex, at 8am this morning. Many of the people reportedly turned up hoping they would be allowed in, but hadn't made appointments

Local man Tony Kirvin, 43, took this image of people waiting in a 'five hour' queue for Covid tests at Mosses Centre in Bury, Manchester, on Thursday, September 10

FAMILIES' TORMENT AT INABILITY TO GET COVID-19 TESTS

HOSPICE NURSE UNABLE TO WORK WHILE SON IS ILL

A hospice nurse has been unable to return to work because she can't get a test for her unwell son.

Samuel Austin, from Faversham, Kent, said he has been trying for 48 hours to book a Covid test, after his young son started showing symptoms on Sunday.

The situation has meant Mr Austin’s son cannot return to nursery and left his wife, a nurse at a local hospice, unable to work.

His wife’s hospice is not part of the NHS so she does not receive priority testing.

'Everything we submit we get "This service is very busy. Please try later" or if we get through to finding a test site, we are told no site is available to see us,' the 35-year-old project manager told the Press Association.

'Ultimately my disappointment is for my son and my wife. I feel powerless to help them and it shouldn’t be this way.'

COUPLE IN THEIR 80s SLEEPING IN SEPARATE ROOMS

A man known only as Matthew said his 80-year-old mother in Leicestershire has been unable to book a test for more than 48 hours, despite showing two of the Government’s three key Covid-19 symptoms.

She is the primary caregiver for Matthew’s father, 86, who is partially blind.

Matthew said the couple have been sleeping in separate rooms and she has been administering her husband’s eye drops wearing a mask, in an effort to protect him from potential coronavirus.

'I would have thought an 80-year-old woman with underlying health issues... should be made a priority,' said Matthew, who lives 150miles away from his parents.

'I even got close to clicking key worker on the online form for getting a test, because I thought, in a way, she’s a key worker for my dad.

'And someone else said if she tells them she’s got chest pains they’re obliged to send an ambulance... but you know, she doesn’t want to tell lies.'

DAUGHTER CANNOT GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT TEST

Moz Bulbeck Reynolds, from West Berkshire, said she has been unable to send her nine-year-old daughter Matilda to school this week due to the testing issues.

Having stayed at home last Thursday and Friday with cold symptoms, Matilda was refused entry on Monday until she received a test, as per the local council’s rules.

However, Ms Bulbeck Reynolds said she could not book one despite trying 'almost constantly' since 9.30am on Monday through the Government’s website.

'I feel sorry for my daughter, rejected at the school gate. It made me feel like a failure as a parent,' she said.

The school has said Matilda either needs to be tested or quarantined for 10 days.

Ms Bulbeck Reynolds has now been able to book a test for 5pm on Tuesday, but it is in Cardiff, more than 70 miles from her home.

COUPLE MAKE 102-MILE TRIP WITH BABY FOR A TEST

A young couple with a baby have described how they made a 102-mile round-trip to get a coronavirus test.

Michelle Fryer and Bradley Richardson, both 25, travelled from Northwich, Cheshire, to Todmorden, West Yorkshire, with their daughter Rosie last Wednesday.

A testing centre has been set up in Chester city centre - just 18 miles from Northwich - but Michelle said she couldn’t book this online on the national portal.

The arduous journey, which took one hour and 18 minutes each way, came after a disastrous booking process which first tried to send them to Telford and then the website crashed.

Ms Fryer said: 'It was ridiculous. We are shocked as to why we had to travel so far and potentially spread the virus across the country if we do have it.

'Luckily we didn’t need a rest break as we would have had to use the service station even though we are having to self isolate... It just doesn’t make sense.'

The couple believe they both just have colds but wanted to be certain because Bradley has asthma. They are still awaiting the results.

Officials blame 'laboratory capacity' for shortcomings

The crux of the problem is that the Government's laboratories can't process the coronavirus tests as quickly as people are taking them.

Every test – which uses a swab like a large cotton bud – has first to be used by the person, then posted back to the lab, then processed in a specialised machine, then interpreted by a lab technician and the result put through a database and texted to the person who took the test.

This is supposed to take 24 hours but often takes longer.

The process inside the laboratory – the swab running through the machine and the result being noted by a technician – is the 'pinch-point', officials say.

Director of testing at NHS Test & Trace last week said on Twitter: 'Can I please offer my heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a Covid test at present.

'All of our testing sites have capacity, which is why they don't look overcrowded; it's our laboratory processing that is the critical pinch-point. We are doing all we can to expand quickly.

'We have additional NHS, Lighthouse, University and Partner Labs all due to open up imminently and we are also expanding the use of non-Laboratory based tests. The testing team work on this 18 hours a day, seven days a week. We recognise the country is depending on us.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock echoed this in Parliament today. He said the country has 'record levels' of lab capacity but admitted: 'It is in the labs that the constraint is'.

A new giant lab is set to open near Loughborough by the end of this month. It is not clear by how much this will boost test capacity.

Are test-processing labs short-staffed?

Part of the reason for labs not being able to keep up, some have claimed, is that they may not have enough qualified staff to operate the test-processing machines.

Jonathan Ashworth, Shadow Health Secretary for Labour, claimed the system was in difficulty because post-graduate science students who had been working in the labs over the summer were now leaving.

He said in Parliament today: 'Extra demand on the system was inevitable. So why didn't [Matt Hancock] use the summer to significantly expand NHS capacity and fix contact tracing?

'And just as demand is increasing, the ability to process tests is diminishing. Post-grad students working in the Lighthouse Labs are returning to university, so why did we not plan for these inevitable staff shortages in the Lighthouse Labs?'

An expert in the field said many technicians had been drafted in on intense short-term contracts during the crisis but were now going back to their everyday jobs.

Doris-Ann Williams, chief executive of the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA), told The Telegraph: 'People worked really, really hard for the first three or four months.

'I think everyone just ran out of steam, needed to recharge their batteries.

'It could be that it's just getting back up to strength again after everyone has had a bit of a break in August.'

But one leading scientist was not convinced that the problem was quite as simple as 'lab capacity'.

Professor Alan McNally, a University of Birmingham expert who helped set up the Government's Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab, said a 'perfect storm' of events have crashed the testing system.

He told BBC Breakfast there were 'clearly underlying issues which nobody wants to tell us about'.

He said: 'The labs are still fully staffed, they are still churning through huge amounts of samples per day - the same number as they were a couple of months ago - so there are problems elsewhere in the chain...

'I think this is multi-factorial. I think you almost have a perfect storm of events that have come together to almost essentially crash the testing system.

'I think there is a surge in demand [and] I think our stated capacity is very different from actually how many tests can be run in a given day.'

What is the impact of growing pressure on test labs?

A large workload for testing labs around the UK means that people's results are taking longer to process – many people have to wait more than the target 24 hours to find out their result.

This means that the government is throttling the number of tests that are sent out to avoid completely overwhelming the system.

So people in some areas are finding it difficult to access swabs, and in lesser-affected areas the number of tests available may be cut so there are more to distribute in hotspots.

The Health Secretary confirmed today that yesterday testing in the 10 worst affected areas accounted for 9,278 of the total. The total has not been published but this is likely to be around five per cent of all tests.

There are concerns that a system that is frustrating or slow to use will put people off and members of the public will stop bothering to use it.

Should people still be ordering tests?

Yes, anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus (a cough, fever or lost sense of taste/smell) must order a test however they can.

People who do not have symptoms, and have not been instructed by a medical professional to get tested, should not order a test.

Matt Hancock last week vented frustration at 'ineligible' people ordering tests but this was a reference to those who were getting swabs just because they thought they might be at risk because their child had gone back to school or they had been on holiday.

Tests are still reserved mainly for people with symptoms and essential workers who are officially referred by their employer. The rules are laid out here.

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2020-09-15 14:37:07Z
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Coronavirus: Matt Hancock admits 'challenges' with COVID-19 testing after 'sharp rise' in demand - Sky News

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has admitted there are "challenges" with the coronavirus testing system following a "sharp rise" in demand.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Hancock said the government was "working hard" to fix issues with COVID-19 testing availability but admitted it could take a "matter of weeks".

He revealed tests were now having to be prioritised and also hinted at a possible future further rationing of tests.

Live coronavirus updates from UK and around world

"The whole House knows there are operational challenges and we're working hard to fix them," the health secretary said.

"We've seen a sharp rise in people coming forward for a test, including those who are not eligible."

The government has come under growing pressure from NHS hospital trusts, public health officials and MPs over a lack of availability of coronavirus tests in some areas.

Mr Hancock said he would not rule out a further prioritisation of testing in order to ensure hospitals and care homes can get the tests they need.

Currently anyone who displays coronavirus symptoms can get an NHS test, as well as those who have been asked to get a test by a hospital or local council.

"Throughout this pandemic we have prioritised testing according to need," the health secretary told MPs.

"Over the summer, when demand was low, we were able to meet all requirements for testing whether priorities or not.

"But, as demand has risen, so we're having to prioritise once again. I do not shirk from decisions about prioritisation.

"They're not always comfortable, but they're important. The top priority is, and always has been, acute clinical care.

"The next priority is social care, where we're now sending over 100,000 tests a day because we have all seen the risks this virus poses in care homes.

"We'll set out in full an updated prioritisation and I do not rule out further steps to make sure our tests are used according to those priorities.

"It is a choice that we must make."

A number of MPs have complained their constituents are facing difficulties securing a coronavirus test - with some being told to travel to distant parts of the UK to get a test.

But Mr Hancock insisted the average distance travelled to a test site is now 5.8 miles.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth asked why Mr Hancock did not use the summer to "significantly expand" laboratory capacity for testing, ahead of the return of pupils to schools and people to workplaces.

"When schools reopen and people return to workplaces and social distancing becomes harder infections rise," he told Mr Hancock.

"So extra demand on the system was inevitable."

Mr Hancock replied: "I don't deny that it is an enormous challenge and when you have a free service it's inevitable that demand rises.

"The challenge is to make sure that we prioritise the tests we have as a nation to those who most need it."

Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative chair of the House of Commons health committee and Mr Hancock's predecessor as health secretary, described how some of his constituents in Surrey had been sent to Bristol or the Isle of Wight for tests.

Mr Hancock responded: "I think that we will be able to solve this problem in a matter of weeks."

He added: "We are managing to deliver record capacity, but as he well knows demand is also high and the response to that is to make sure we have prioritisation so the people who most need it can get the tests that they need."

Earlier, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed she had spoken to Mr Hancock and Baroness Harding, the head of the UK's testing programme, about the issues and to "seek assurances that Scotland will continue to get fair access to the UK-wide laboratory capacity".

"I have a concern about the capacity constraints right now with the UK-wide system and for Scotland in recent days this has not been an issue of access to testing slots at regional testing centres or mobile testing units," Ms Sturgeon said.

"But instead it has been one of access to sufficient 'Lighthouse' laboratory processing and it is this that has led to a backlog in the system and longer turnaround times for tests than we we want to be the case.

"As this is a UK-wide system we are not able to resolve this on our own and the issues are impacted by demand elsewhere in the UK."

Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg defends to governments record on coronavirus testing — 'The testing issue is a government success'

Downing Street revealed testing was discussed at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday morning.

A Number 10 spokesman said the government was "working to increase capacity", including with a new laboratory facility in Leicestershire.

Following the cabinet meeting Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House of Commons, hailed the testing programme as a "government success".

"I think it's going as well as could possible be expected considering the demand," he said.

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2020-09-15 13:07:30Z
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Charlie Elphicke: Ex-MP jailed for sex assaults on women - BBC News

Elphicke arrives at court for sentencing

Ex-Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke has been jailed for two years for sexually assaulting two women.

Elphicke, 49, the former MP for Dover, was convicted of groping the women in similar situations, nine years apart.

He denied the charges, but was found guilty of one count of sexual assault in 2007 and two further counts in 2016, after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The judge told Elphicke he was a "sexual predator who used your success and respectability as a cover".

Within minutes of his jailing, Elphicke confirmed he would appeal against his conviction, arguing he had not had a "fair trial".

'Pack of lies'

Mrs Justice Whipple said Elphicke's denials had left his victims faced with the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

"They told the truth, and you told a pack of lies - not only to the jury, but your wife, the whips and the police," she told him during the sentencing hearing.

Despite the fact the defendant's wife Natalie - the current Dover MP - ended their marriage when he was convicted in July, she agreed he had not had a fair trial and confirmed she would support his appeal.

Before Elphicke was sentenced, the court heard victim impact statements from both of the women he attacked.

His first victim, who was attacked at the then MP's London home in 2007, said his actions had had a "lasting impact" on her life, leaving her cautious of being around men.

He had forced the woman on to a sofa and groped her breast while trying to kiss her, before chasing her and chanting "I'm a naughty Tory", his trial had heard.

'Stole my self-worth'

The second victim, a parliamentary worker aged in her 20s, said the assaults in 2016 left her with a feeling of "fear and helplessness".

"He stole a large part of my self-worth and self-esteem," she said in a statement read to the court.

Elphicke sexually assaulted her twice, the first involving him attempting to kiss her and groping her breast.

In the second assault several weeks later, he ran his hand up the inside of her thigh towards her groin.

Ian Winter QC, defending, had argued Elphicke should not be jailed because he had "fully and completely" learned his lesson.

"Shortly, Mr Elphicke's descent into total disgrace will be complete," Mr Winter said.

As well as his marriage ending he is estranged from his daughter as a result of the conviction, he added.

"The only further degradation would be to lose his liberty," Mr Winter said.

'Innocent of criminal wrongdoing'

Mrs Justice Whipple said she "considered carefully" whether the sentence should be suspended.

"[But] bearing in mind the gross breach of your position of power... I am satisfied that appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody," she said.

However, a spokesman for Elphicke said his lawyers had begun an attempt to overturn the conviction.

"I know that I am innocent of any criminal wrongdoing and will continue to fight to clear my name," Elphicke said in a statement.

Mrs Elphicke confirmed she supported an appeal against conviction and "today's excessive sentence," adding that "the court seems to be on a bit of a mission".

There was "no doubt that Charlie behaved badly," but he had been denied a fair trial, she said.

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2020-09-15 12:33:00Z
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