Newsletter: January 2012

Published by the Secretary: Margaret Potter, 34 Featherby Drive, Glen Parva, Leicester,LE2 9NY Charity No: 1083274

AGM 2012
Tuesday January 10 at 2:30

The documents for this meeting have been distributed either by e-mail, by post, or at the October and November meetings. If you have not received yours please let the Secretary know.

The formal meeting will be followed by refreshments, with the compliments of the committee.

February Meeting Tuesday 14 at 2:30

Speaker: Hugh Davies

Special Operations in WWII

Now 'retired' in Derbyshire, Hugh gives talks on many aspects of intelligence during the Second World War. His venues are many and varied and have included talks on cruise ships.

Hugh's talk in 2009 on Propaganda was so interesting that we decided to invite him back. His background is in computing and he was also a guide and researcher at Bletchley Park. He gives quite a few different talks on intelligence activities during the Second World War and this time he is going to talk about The Special Operations Executive who were told by Churchill to "set Europe ablaze". He will tell us about their many devilish devices, some of which inspired the creator of James Bond, and will evaluate their achievements.

November Meeting

Speaker: Sally Ruane

Members were very interested to learn from Sally Ruane her critical views of the Health and Social Care Bill currently before parliament. Although the intent of the bill - to empower patients, involve clinicians and improve care - is laudable, the bill as it currently stands raises many concerns.

Since the NHS was created, the Secretary of State has had a duty to provide comprehensive care for all citizens. In the new bill, this becomes the responsibility of the Clinical Commissioning Board, hence a break in the chain of accountability. PCTs will be abolished and replaced by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) made up of clusters of GP practices. They will be the buyers in a market situation where under certain conditions, the providers can be public, private or voluntary.

Sally outlined her concerns about this model

- Since commissioning requires considerable commercial expertise, GPs may outsource the role to support organizations, including profit making companies.

- Present PCTs are responsible for everyone in their geographical area. CCGs will only be responsible for patients registered with the GP practices included in the CCG.

- CCGs will be able to use discretion in selecting the level of care to buy.

- There is no obligation to provide the same type and level of services for the patients covered by different CCGs.

- The CCGs have to have a regard for health inequality but this duty is narrowly defined.

- All NHS hospitals must acquire Foundation Trust status, a semi-autonomous status without accountability to the Secretary of State.

- It will be difficult for them to sustain quality in a context of budget constraint and market unpredictability.

- Commissioning, as an economic activity, will be monitored to ensure it complies with competition law, including EU regulations.

- The tendering process may lead to larger providers muscling out smaller ones, including small voluntary sector groups.

In summary, while equal care for equal need has been a major principle of the NHS, the bill will undermine this principle as access will be shaped by the commissioning policies of the CCGs which are not required to provide comprehensive care. The bill calls for more patient choice based on an individualistic model which might ironically have the effect of reducing patient choice for some. The intent is to make the provision of health care less a managed public service and more a regulated market such as that found in the utilities.

After the talk, members discussed the best ways of making their views known.

Susan Martin-Butt and Sally Ruane

Committee News

Please remember the correct address for sending email to the Secretary in future is secretary@leicesteru3a.org.uk and to the Membership Secretary is membership_secretary@leicesteru3a.org.uk.

Contributions to the Newsletter

The deadline for information to be included in the February Newsletter is Tuesday 31 January.

Christmas Lunch - Tuesday 13 December

Fifty six members enjoyed excellent cuisine at Le Bistrot Pierre. The staff very quickly resolved the only problem when we discovered they had set insufficient places, and as usual the occasion was enhanced by good company and good food. Many heartfelt thanks are due to Kathy for organizing such an enjoyable event. It's difficult to imagine that it could be improved but, if anyone has suggestions to make next year's lunch even better, please let Kathy know.

There will be a raffle at the January meeting for the token that Le Bistrot Pierre present to the organiser, proceeds to go towards Leicester City of Sanctuary.

Kathy Gill and Cliff Ault

Membership List 2011 - Additions, Corrections and Updates

Please welcome new members Rosalind Adam, Gordon Adam, Susan Baker, Susan Burnett, Malcom Elliott, Jennifer Elliott, Janet Geere, Rosemary Goldberg, Laurence Goldberg, Mike Goodall, Phil Harvey, Jacqueline Kiggell, Robert Litchfield, Linda M c Guire, Deborah Orange, Margaret Seymour, Helen Stroud, Gordon Wallaw, Jocelyn Watkins, Maureen Wood, Margaret Young,

There are new contact details for Beryl Allen and Helen Bellis. Dilly Newman has a new landline number, and Chris Marston's telephone number has been corrected.

Contact the Secretary or the Membership Secretary (Irene Ault) if you require more details of these.

Members' Notice Board

A notice board for members' items will be displayed at each general meeting. If you wish to put something on this board please ask any member of the committee to initial and date it first. The best way to affix to the board is using the hook side of stick 'velcro'. Notices which advertise events promoting a particular political or religious stance will not be allowed as this contravenes the aims of the movement. For advice please speak to the Secretary.

Members' Welfare

If any of our members or their families are unwell or have sadly had a bereavement we send them a suitable card to say that we are thinking of them. Liz Hassall who has been fulfilling this function on a temporary basis has now agreed to continue on a permanent basis and any requests should be sent to her (contact 0116 2714512). We still need a leader for the Welfare Team - see the panel below.

Sue Howard

Loughborough U3A - September Holiday

Loughborough U3A have places on their holiday to Kent, 3rd to 7th September 2012, with proposed visits to Hever Castle, Chartwell, Sissinghurst, Dover Castle and others. Contact Carolyn McDermott for details and costs. Book by 20 January.

Third Age Trust - Summer Schools 2012

Monday 16 to Thursday 19 July

Harper Adams University College Newport, Nr Telford

The subjects offered are: Cinema History; Design Principles in Art; France; History (England 19 Century); Music Appreciation; Philosophy/Fiction; Poetry ( 3 Priest Poets); Recorder Ensemble Playing; and Writing Fiction.

Cost Residential £315, non residential (with lunches) £118 Deposit £70.

Monday 20 to Thursday 23 August

The Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester

The subjects offered are: Drama (comedy); History (The Orient & the Occidental); Literature (Last works); Needlepoint Lace Making; Philosophy (Greek); Psychology (reality & imagination); Singing for Pleasure; and Website Design.

Cost Residential £315, non residential (with lunches) £118 Deposit £70.

Full details are available on the U3A Website at www.u3a.org.uk in the members only area for which you need to register and obtain a logon. Or contact the Secretary.

Third Age Trust DVD

The Third Age Trust (TAT) have produced a DVD in MP3 Format - so it cannot be played on an audio CD player- of the presentations made by Heinz Wolff, John Benyon, and Eric Midwinter at the conference in September 2011. If you would like a copy, you can order one direct from TAT. You can contact them on 020 8466 6319 or by email at national.office@u3a.org.uk

U3A Explores Science at the Ri

This event is to take place on Tuesday 27 March. 2012 at the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle St, London.

Speakers are Dr John Manlove "Forensic Science, an overview"; Dr Suzie Sheehy "Accelerated Dreams: How particle accelerators have changed our lives"; and Prof Tim Wheeler "Food Production in a changing climate". Cost - £18 including refreshments.

Details on the U3A Website or contact the Secretary.

Information Overload?

The Secretary receives a great many emails asking us to advertise various events/promotions. The committee have decided that in future they will pass on all relevant material received or supported by the U3A movement (Third Age Trust), also requests for help with research from Universities as this supports our educational aims. All other information will be at the discretion of the committee.

Singing for Pleasure

It has been suggested that we start a singing for pleasure group. As one with an interest in this (but no musical talent) I agreed to coordinate a start up meeting if the interest is sufficient. So far I have a group of 10 names, but obviously we shall also need someone with a piano or keyboard (or some instrument) who can provide the necessary support to the group.

If you are interested in joining or can (and are willing to) play an instrument please get in touch so that I can try and get us off the ground. I stress - I shall not be 'leading' the group.

Margaret Potter

Resources from the Third Age Trust

The Third Age Trust holds a large range of resources that are available, free of charge, for any member to borrow. These may be of special interest to group convenors. (See the poster on page 9.)

As well as those, our Secretary holds a new set you can use for the following