Thread 3 shielding chat

[AuntieSocia1]

I hope this unimaginative thread title doesn't put off all the amazing posters from this group!

As we transition into this new phase things could get interesting....

Waves to lurkers

Hello everyone, sorry I've been AWOL for a few days. Not much happening here...I had to go for blood tests this week.. the first time I'd been in any building other than home since 10th march. Hence I was very anxious ( also at the public hanging around the front door of the surgery, the queue for the pharmacy hatch and the two staff members lurking in the reception area for a nice chat!). But hurrah for the phlebotomist who could see I was cacking it and sent me straight back to my car and did the blood letting through the window. God bless her brains and sensitivity.

Hope to go bodyboarding this morning, my joints need the cool, and my psyche needs the waves!

Love to all. Sorry, I've banged on about me me me. But I'm rooting for you all, especially in these changing times.

My DF (84) got his original shielding letter from the hospital group, not the government.
He has just received a letter telling him his risk has been downgraded from now (nothing to do with August 1 'pausing'), and to contact his consultant.
He has rung the three he is under. All three deny that they had anything to do with the original or subsequent letters or can say why he is now deshielded. Final one told him to ring his GP. His GP says they have sent no letters at all and to contact the hospital.
Neither letter has a signature and both are just from the hospital trust.
He is really confused and upset.
Has anyone else experienced similar or got any advice?

Forgot to say, the upset comes partly because the letter also says that deliveries from the pharmacy and food deliveries will stop immediately. I have reassured him his main food deliveries will continue, and i will plead with the chemist.

@Scarby9 I've seen a few people in this situation on various boards and forums, its really strange as they say its the primary care or consultant who has made the decision but none of them have heard anything about it. Yet more confusion and stress for a group of people who have had their lives completely paused, its really not on. I hope the chemist is understanding and will continue to deliver, I think there are some online ones that deliver too, I think the dr sends the prescription to them and they deliver but I've not used them. I hope it gets sorted, your poor dad (and you! )

Hello all (waves)
To the chemist deliveries - my pharmacy holds my script (and has done since I became disabled, nothing to do with CV) and my meds get delivered as usual . Only difference is that the bloke holds onto the bell for what seems like an eternity - and it's a V.Loud bell!- stands back, gives me a cheery wave as I pick up the bag, and that's it.
Originally, my Drs surgery sent the script to them, so phone your Practice and ask them to facilitate.

Morning you lovely lot.

Baby shark- owww! Blood test sounds awful. Hope you’re ok.
Tea - yep, anxiety levels are high waiting for Big Gav’s announcement, although most of it is out there already. I just want to read the actual guidance to see if vulnerable staff are mentioned. Or are we not vulnerable any more after 1st August??
Fuzzy - what a lovely phlebotomist. People like that restore your faith in humankind. I’m jealous of your beach trips. If I can have one day on a quiet beach this summer with a bag of chips I will be a happy lady.
Scarby - that’s so worrying for your poor dad being passed from pillar to post like that. Hope he gets some answers soon. Are you able to be there with him when he rings his consultant? Maybe speak to them on his behalf?

I got really angry last night. We had a FaceTime chat with part of our family who live at the other end of the country from us. They popped up on the screen and we realised that they had another group of people with them, in the house, no social distancing. Ok, your life, crack on. But then they started saying about us getting our hair cut at the weekend (they know we’re shielding) and that we must be excited to be able to go to shops/restaurants etc now that shielding has ended. Absolutely no concept of what we’re going through at all and their ignorance made me cross. Which is probably silly but I couldn’t help it.

Anyway, got loads of work to do so should probably get busy..

Thanks for the messages. Weirdly,, it is reassuring to hear others have had the same experience.
My DPs' GP surgery are USELESS. I would go as far as to say obstructive, actually, although individual GPs are lovely if/ when you get to them, but their communication is shocking and they never do what they say they will eg. Return calls, make appointments, liaise with pharmacy, see you when they told you to come in etc. But the hospitals and chemist have always been great.
My DF doesn't want us to take this over, or deal directly with anyone. My DM has dementia and he wants to hang onto dealing with his own life as long as he can, I think partly because he wants to spare us, but also to show himself he still can. He is happy for us to sort online shopping as he won't use money online.

@rugbymummy yes awaiting details about whether anyone is vulnerable or extremely vulnerable in teaching with hear groups of up to 240, or classes of 30 in primary will be interesting.

@FuzzyPuffling glad you had a great plebotomist.

@scarby my letter seemed to have been done centrally as neither God nor consultant did it ... although the Gp was expecting me to get one. Hopefully he will still get the support and reassurance he needs.

Awaiting a call from a Gp today - mine not around (hol) which will be my first Gp contact since April. I have some issues that I have left, knowing if I reported them it probably would mean being seen ( breast pain, sob) and even worse more stress and maybe a hospital visit. Cannot ignore it anymore so feeling guilty in case lost valuable months. Been a long 2 hours anxiously waiting for the phone to ring already!

I had a chat with my headteacher yesterday. I'm by no means the only member of staff who has been shielding. I think he's in the dark as much as we are. I work in a boarding school, in the prep dept, so small classes but given what the leaked guidelines have said - still completely unsuitable!

He said to just 'watch this space' - that things are changing all the time and he expects things to change several times before we get to September. I just can't see how I can go back into the classroom in September with no PPE allowed and 6 year olds who cannot social distance. I'm thinking more and more I'll need to take unpaid leave... it's so unsettling!

@Pebble21uk encouraging your Head was not making firm plans due to changing guidelines all the time!
My issue is I have to walk past a whole class to get to my desk and I don’t know how I can stand 2m at the front as no space for all desks! Secondary here. Plus giving out books, collecting them up and needing time to do that in between classes - which I usually Do whilst class packs up, but that involves being very near lots of children!

Thankfully for now my DH’s work is following guidelines which is to work from home if you can.

@Cloudburstagain an added problem is that my partner is also a teacher in a different school! She is in the vulnerable catagory herself... so it feels like either we both go back or we both have to take unpaid leave - not much point just one of us staying home!

But we can't take unpaid leave for too long!!!

Hi All

@FuzzyPuffling, I’m so jealous of you. I’d love to live near the sea, I’ve even spent lockdown looking at rightmove. I just can’t face having the house adapted again. I hope you enjoy your body boarding.

@rugbymummy, it’s so frustrating when people just don’t get shielding. I had a lovely call from my headteacher Friday (I’m the only member of staff shielding) inviting me to the year 6 picnic next week at school - kind but I’m not undoing months of isolation.

Just had another call from government shielding line, that’s 2 calls in 2 weeks. He made it very clear that shielding is only pausing and they expect to be doing it again in autumn/winter.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

Don’t know if I’ve done that right, but here’s the new guidance.
There is a section for us but basically we are in the hands of SLT who should ‘be flexible’ in how we are deployed.

The guidance for shielded children in secondary school hasn't allayed my fears.

It's other kids not keeping their distance that are going to be a huge problem.

I'm desperate for her to get back to some semblance of normality, but it feels like I could be marching her off to her death by sending her in to school

Thanks for the link. That’s worrying. Some of that guidance has been written by people who have never been to school! The transport bit is particularly bonkers. My dd starts yr7 in September and DH is a teacher so it’s all very concerning.

I’ve never had a call from the shielding helpline. I feel left out!

I had a disappointing hospital appointment on Tuesday. Apparently my kidneys are failing to the extent that we have to start ‘preparing’ for dialysis/possible transplant. DH is burying his head in the sand and it isn’t something I feel I can just drop into a whatsapp conversation with friends.

Obviously there’s the chance things may stabilise but I don’t know where I’d find the energy for another transplant- my first one was liver so it’d be different but blah. Even dialysis sounds so gruelling. I don’t know. I just wanted to share. A problem shared and all that.

OrganTransplant I am so sorry to hear that your kidneys are doing the dirty on you. After one transplant that must be a horrible sort of deja vu thing to be going through. No words of wisdom (my kidneys aren't great but I'm not near dialysis) as I don't know any, but plenty of socially distanced support and a bloody great hand hold.

And to all those who say I am lucky to live by the sea....YES, I AM! (Only my 5th year here, so I really appreciate it. It is 45 miles to the nearest hospital though )

Hi everyone! I was very worried after reading the headlines about children returning to school I. September, so I read the guidance.

Here's the bit that's relevant to us:

•	shielding advice for all adults and children will pause on 1 August, subject to a continued decline in the rates of community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). This means that even the small number of pupils who will remain on the shielded patient list can also return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding. Read the <a class="break-all" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">current advice on shielding</a>g_
•	if rates of the disease rise in local areas, children (or family members) from that area, and that area only, will be advised to shield during the period where rates remain high and therefore they may be temporarily absent (see below).
•	some pupils no longer required to shield but who generally remain under the care of a specialist health professional may need to discuss their care with their health professional before returning to school in September (usually at their next planned clinical appointment). You can find more advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Where a pupil is unable to attend school because they are complying with clinical and/or public health advice, we expect schools to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education. Schools should monitor engagement with this activity (as set out in the section below).
Where children to attend school as parents are following clinical and/or public health advice, absence will not be penalised.

My haematologist has strongly advised me to continue shielding. I'll get them to put it in a letter. Phew.

@OrganTransplant123 big handhold from me too. It’s good to share.

Big Gav and Jenny doing a special briefing in a few minutes. I’m not going to watch. I’m feeling very scared and on edge.

Watching for you rugbymummy

Banging on about year group 'bubbles' and staggered starts atm.

Schools will have Covid testing kits on-site from September.

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch does that mean that your children will be staying home?

@OrganTransplant123 I'm so sorry your kidneys are misbehaving. You really didn't need anything else to worry about. My DS is starting Y7 and it's such a dilemma. I really don't think that the suggested guidance is at all safe. But I also really want him to have a proper transition to secondary school.

@Pebble21uk I think your HT sounds very sensible. I think I'm going to try and put it out of my mind for a bit and see what emerges nearer the time before I stress about it. I usually visit lots of schools in my role so that gives me lots of exciting infection opportunities

Thanks everyone. I felt better once I’s typed it out. At some point I need to have a really good cry but I’m not ready yet.

@FuzzyPuffling It must be wonderful to be by the sea. I’ve felt lucky to live so rurally in such beautiful countryside. A sea breeze would be lovely though!

I don’t know if I can bear the briefing.