Do doctors get any advice re shielding letters?

[1stV45]

As in a criteria or similar?

The new advice (paraphrased) says:
Clinically vulnerable carry on as usual, lots of handwashing, take care to follow the rules.There will be detailed advice for Extremely Clinically Vulnerable tomorrow and they will receive a letter from the government.

Last time around we had a number of staff (school) who did not have official shielding letters but did have written advice from their doctor that they should shield. Because of the way we were working at that time and the fact that the majority of staff were happy to be in to work with our vulnerable kids, we didn't ask any questions and allowed anyone who felt they needed it to wfh.

This time, if we are to stay open, we will need to assess need more critically.

Is it a fair assumption that everyone who got a doctor's letter last time will get a similar one this time?

If we follow that advice, we're (very) unlikely to be fully open, but I don't see how we can do otherwise. TBH it will be a push once we take out the ones with official shielding letters, assuming the criteria is the same this time.

[Pineapple5678]

I would ask to see the official shielding letter itself and would not take a note from their GP, everyone in the extremely critical vulnerable group will receive one and theregire very clear cut.

I know people's who have badgered there GP into writing something and have pa d for the service.

[Haenow]

There is a broad list of conditions and disease that are included.

There should be official criteria for most individual conditions e.g. disease specific criteria for what makes you extremely clinically vulnerable as a COPD patient or liver transplant recipient. However, there was always scope for doctors to include patients who didn’t fall into a standard category. There are many rare and complicated health problems so this seems reasonable. Some people contacted their doctors and either managed to (inappropriately) find their way onto the shielding list or - as you said - got an unofficial letter. I don’t blame the doctors, they were concerned, especially at the beginning there were so may unknowns. Ditto, the patients. Some people are, understandably, incredibly anxious. I don’t know what the answer is when it comes to work. It’s really, really hard especially in certain high risk roles.