At risk letter from NHS

[UnholyStramash]

If you're at ‘increased risk’ of complications from covid-19 but not in the extremely vulnerable category do you still receive a letter? I got a letter but have found it quite confusing - I’m taking strict social distancing measures anyway so hopefully I’m okay. But it would be interesting to know what’s what. I’m going to ask about it on Monday anyway.

[greathat]

Did you just get the letter everyone is getting?

[MyDcAreMarvel]

If you letter said you should stay at home for 12 weeks you are in the extremely vulnerable category.

[Lillyhatesjaz]

I got a letter I think from the consultant that I see at the hospital but it wasn't one of the extreme risk shielding letters. It has left me a bit confused

[UnholyStramash]

Thanks for all the responses. I’m in Scotland so my letter’s from Scottish Government/SNHS. It came in late March. It’s got the sentence ‘The NHS has identified you ... as someone at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus’ and that’s in dark type. At the bottom of the page ‘The safest course of action is for you to stay at home at all times ...’ and it’s underlined. Nowhere does it use the word shielding.I think that’s why I was/am confused. I’m on immunosuppressants for an autoimmune condition so if I am in the shielding group that’s under point 5 on the list. I don’t know if I got any texts as I lost my phone in December and haven’t replaced it yet - I don’t go out much anyway, DH was going to sort it for me but I couldn’t get my number transferred unless I attended in person with photo ID. Then the whole pandemic crisis overtook us and I’ve hardly been out since.

It looks like I’m in the shielding group then. I was at the medical centre for my 4-weekly blood test this wee. Other than that and a few walks in very open, empty space I‘ve not been out since the lockdown began. The part I’ll find hard is being away from the family, not eating with them, etcetera. I already sleep apart from DH a lot of the time - we have very different sleep patterns. He does all our shopping just now but is 73 - he’s fairly fit and very careful but it would give him a break if we had a option for some help. I worry about him being out so much.

[UnholyStramash]

• this week. Surely if I’m in the shielding group I shouldn’t be going to the med centre for bloods??? Though it’s usually okay - the last 2 times there’s been nobody else there, I walk both ways and touch nothing.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

That’s the same wording as my letter it does mean you need to shield. That’s why it stays to stay inside for 12 weeks etc .

[UnholyStramash]

Okay, I accept it. I feel a bit daft really - I’ve tried to play down this whole ‘having a serious condition that might kill me’ bc otherwise it saps my energy more than it is already sapped by being ill. I was surprised to get a letter, got a fright when I read the first page, then read a thread on MN that seemed to suggest not everyone that got a letter is on the first category, so I talked myself out of it. Yesterday my sib who works for an MSP sent me a letter they’d got from the Scottish Gov and that got me thinking about it again. The letter was about all the things they’ve set up very recently/mostly in the last week to support the very vulnerable- so hopefully there’ll be more supermarket deliveries soon. I hope so anyway.