Thread 4 Shielding chat

[Egghead68]

Thought I’d set this up as we don’t seem to have one. Please delete if we do and I’ve missed it.

From 31 Decemberr_ the area where you live is being placed into Tier 4 due to a fast rise in infections caused by the spread of a new variant of COVID-19.
The new Tier 4 restrictions are rules that apply to everyone in your local area and which everyone must follow. The full details of these rules can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/coronaviruss_.
We are writing to you because you have previously been identified as someone thought to be clinically extremely vulnerable and at highest risk of becoming very unwell if you catch COVID-19. This letter contains important advice on how to protect yourself and how to access further support and includes specific advice for clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people.
The Government is issuing new guidance to clinically extremely vulnerable people in these Tier 4 areas, setting out the help and support that is available to you. This is set out in the following pages and is the same as the advice that was in place during the national lockdown in November. Whilst you are strongly advised to follow these extra precautionary shielding measures to help keep yourself safe, this remains advice, not the law, so you can choose whether or not you want to follow it.
Advice summary
The advice states that you should stay at home as much as possible but are encouraged to go outdoors carefully to exercise or to attend health appointments. You are strongly advised to work from home if you can. If you cannot work from home, then you should not attend work. You may be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough). This letter is a formal shielding notification and can act as evidence for your employer to show that you cannot work outside your home from 31 December 2020 until 1 February 20211_, including for statutory sick pay (SSP) purposes.
This advice will apply in your area until 1 February 20211_, even if your area is placed in a different tier before then. If the advice is to continue beyond that date, we will write to you again with further information.
Please make sure your GP has your most up to date contact details, including your home address and, if possible, a personal email address, so that we can contact you quickly in the event that guidance changes in the future.
If you need any additional support to help you follow the guidance, your local council may be able to help. You can contact your council and register for support at the Shielding Support website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-supportt_
Advice for clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people
Our current knowledge suggests that very few children are at highest risk of severe illness due to the virus. Doctors have therefore been reviewing all children and young people who were initially identified as clinically extremely vulnerable to confirm whether they are still thought to be at highest risk.
If this letter is addressed to a child or young person, and you have not yet heard from your child’s hospital doctor or GP to discuss this, please contact whoever usually provides care for your child to check whether they should still be considered clinically extremely vulnerable. If you have already discussed this with your child’s doctors and they have confirmed your child is still considered highest risk, your child should follow the advice as set out in this letter.
Access to health and care
Please remember that the NHS is open, and we urge you to continue to access all the NHS services that you need. It is safer for you to use the NHS than to try to manage alone.
If you are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on your health, speak to your GP, hospital clinician or use NHS111.
Further information on how to access help, including how to register for support, can be found in the attached guidance.
Adults who are considered to be at highest risk are expected to get priority access to vaccination against COVID-19 before the general population. You will be contacted again with more information on when and how you will be invited to get the vaccine. Your local NHS will ensure that you can receive the vaccine as safely as possible, as well as any care and support needed.
This will not be the Christmas and New Year that many of us had hoped and planned for, and we know how difficult it is to continue making these sacrifices.
Once again, we thank you for your efforts to keep yourself and others safe.
Yours sincerely,
MATT HANCOCK
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
ROBERT JENRICK
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

This email is also available as a letter in different languages and formats, including easy read, on GOV. UK. For audio, braille, large print call RNIB on 0303 12399999_.

Guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people
This guidance is for clinically extremely vulnerable people in Tier 4 areas in England.
The full guidance can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/coronaviruss_. This is additional guidance specifically for clinically extremely vulnerable people, to help you protect yourself from the virus by following these shielding measures.
This guidance applies to clinically extremely vulnerable individuals only. Others living in a household with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable are not advised to follow this guidance.
Socialising
The new advice at Tier 4, which applies to everyone in those areas, means that you should stay at home as much as possible, except for limited purposes which are set out in that guidance.
We are advising clinically extremely vulnerable people in these Tier 4 areas to stay at home as much as possible, except to go outdoors carefully for exercise or to attend health appointments.
You cannot meet indoors with friends and family you do not live with unless they are part of your support bubble. This is part of the wider regulations in place in your area.
Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household.
Try to stay 2 metres away from other people within your household, especially if they display symptoms of the virus or have been advised to self-isolate.
Try to keep all contact with others to a minimum and avoid busy areas.
Whenever you go out continue to maintain strict social distancing, wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.
Work
You are strongly advised to work from home if you can. If you cannot work from home, then you should not attend work for this period of restrictions.
If you cannot work from home, your employer may be able to furlough you under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until the end of April 2021. You should have a conversation with your employer about whether this is possible.
If you cannot work from home or cannot be furloughed, you may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (UC). This letter is evidence for your employer and or the Department of Work and Pensions that you are advised to shield and may be eligible for SSP, ESA or UC. Other eligibility criteria will apply.
Other people you live with who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves can still attend work if they cannot work from home, in line with Tier 4 rules in your area.
Education settings
Our current evidence shows that there is a very low risk of children becoming very unwell from COVID-19, even for children with existing health conditions. Most children originally identified as clinically extremely vulnerable no longer need to follow this advice. Speak to your GP or specialist clinician if you have not already done so, to understand whether your child should still be classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.
Those children whose doctors have confirmed they are still clinically extremely vulnerable are advised not to attend school whilst this advice is in place. Adult students considered clinically extremely vulnerable should also not attend school or college. Your school will make appropriate arrangements for you to be able to continue your education at home.
People who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should still attend school.
Travel
You should avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport, this includes not travelling to work, school or the shops. You should still ensure you have regular follow up and treatment for your health conditions. If remote consultations are unavailable or insufficient, travel to hospital and GP appointments unless told otherwise by your doctor, but you may wish to check how to do this as safely as possible: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengerss_. If you need help to travel to an appointment, you can speak to your health care professional to arrange transport support. They may be able to arrange this with NHS Volunteer Responders.
Shopping
You are advised not to go to the shops. Use online shopping if you can, or ask others to collect and deliver shopping for you (friends and family, local volunteers coordinated by charities and local councils or NHS Volunteer Responders). If you already have a priority delivery slot with a supermarket that will continue, you do not need to do anything further.
If you cannot access food, your local council can offer support. This may include helping you to request a priority supermarket delivery slot (if you do not already have one) or help with shopping. See below for details on how to register for support.
Medicines
You are advised not to go to a pharmacy.
You are encouraged in the first instance to ask a friend, family member, carer or a volunteer (for example one of the NHS Volunteer Responders) to collect your medicines for you. If none of these are available, then you will be eligible for free medicines delivery. Please contact your pharmacy to inform them that you are clinically extremely vulnerable and need your medicines delivered, and they will arrange this free of charge.
Accessing care and support
It is important that you continue to receive the care and support you need to help you stay safe and well.
We urge you to continue to seek support from the NHS and other health providers for your existing health conditions and any new health concerns.
You can access a range of NHS services from home, including ordering repeat prescriptions or contacting your health professional through an online consultation. To find out more visit https://www.nhs.uk/health-at-homee_, or download the NHS App. If you have an urgent medical need, call NHS 111 or, for a medical emergency, dial 9999_.
If you do need to receive care in person, you can. Your local NHS services are well prepared and will put in measures to keep you safe.
If you need to have a test for COVID-19 then you are able to attend a test site. You may want to think about attending at a quieter time or asking for a home test to be sent to you, in order to reduce your contacts with other people. It is important that you have your test. More information about getting a COVID-19 test can be found at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-testt_.
It is also really important to look after your mental health. Go to the Every Mind Matters website for advice and practical steps that you can take to support your wellbeing and manage your mental health during this pandemic. If you or someone you care for are experiencing a mental health crisis, we urge you to make contact with a local health professional immediately.
Any carers or visitors who support you with your everyday needs or those of a child or young person in your care can continue to visit. They should follow social distancing guidance where close or personal contact is not required.
If you need any additional support to help you to follow this guidance, your local council may be able to help. You can contact your council and register for support at the Shielding Support website mentioned below.
You should also continue to access support from local charities and organisations, as well as NHS Volunteer Responders. As well as helping with shopping and medicines delivery, NHS Volunteer Responders can help with a regular, friendly phone call, and transport to and from medical appointments.
Call 0808 196 36466 between 8am and 8pmm to arrange support or visit NHS Volunteer Responders website.
Registering for Support
You will be able to use the online service to register yourself, or on behalf of someone else, to:
• request access to a priority supermarket delivery slot (if you have already got priority supermarket deliveries, you will keep them).
• tell your council if you need support in order to follow this guidance that you are unable to arrange yourself and cannot be provided by friends, family or other support networks
• make sure your details such as your address are up to date
This online service can be found at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-supportt_ and is now live for you register for support. You’ll be asked for your NHS number, which you can find at the top of this letter. It is helpful if you register even if you do not have any support needs at this time so we know to focus on caring for others who need it.
You can log in and update your needs if circumstances change at any time.
If you need to register your needs by phone, or have an urgent need, contact your local council directly.
Find out what help you might be able to get from your local council at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-helpp_.

This email has been sent to you as a clinically extremely vulnerable patient on the Shielded Patient List in England using the email address you have previously registered with the NHS. If you wish to change your email address, or no longer wish to receive these communications by email, please speak to your GP who can update your contact information.
If you want to understand how we use your information, please visit: https://www.digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patient-list/shielded-patient-list-transparency-noticee_

Thank you!

My paper shielding letter came today email was on the 18th
I’m pleased the pregnancy rules have changed and pleased with the updated allergy guidance
I think Pfizer have me spooked as they can’t guarantee tge vaccine efficacy with a 12 week break.
I’m very worried about next week we are tier 4 and as predicted DS won’t be returning to school but DD will like the poster above I can’t distance from her and she’ll really struggle if we try, my November shielding caused upset at school for her I think this may just tip her over the edge if Ds is staying home but she isn’t how do you explain that!
I’m desperately hoping there will be new guidelines by next week
When I spoke to my LEA they referred me to the national helpline who very gently suggested my best bet was de-registering the children and home education until this is over
I’m tying myself up in knots about this DD wants to be back at school but is worried I want her to have school but I’m worried

@Anewuser, are you not even getting statutory sick pay? Have you chosen unpaid leave rather than your school trying to find ways for you to work from home?

@figgyitypudding, they had been paying me while we were on lockdown but as that eased at the beginning of December, they told me I'd be on unpaid leave. I did send the link to the shielding guidance when we became tier 4 but that was just after we'd broken up so haven't heard anything. I think it's because they are only looking at it from my son's shielding status rather than my own. I can't really work from home as I'm a SEN TA, although I did make a few video calls in December.

I've just postponed my liver function tests until February. The only place doing blood tests here are at the hospital which is currently Covid central, so not going anywhere near there. All treatments are on hold anyway so no point in worrying if the results are bad.

Work gave me back the 1/2 months pay they took off me in November but of course that tipped me into 40% tax bracket and I ended up with £1500 deductions! So I only got £200 extra after all the increased NI, student loan and pension deductions. Feckers!

Getting sick of my house now. I used to be out and about everyday, whether it was work, gym or just pootling around town. Life has just completely changed and I think I'm going slightly bonkers. My get up and go has vanished and I'm not even going out for walks now. Ugh.

@Babysharkdoodoodood, I have been sent an appointment for an echo on the 18th, but think I should postpone too. I know what you mean about being fed up of your four walls! I'm also quite nervous about meeting people to do stuff. A friend has invited me to go for a walk with her, but I feel uncomfortable.

@Anewuser, that sounds tricky. I hope you're coping okay.

I cancelled one of my hospital appointments on Monday due to Covid and the hospital cancelled the other. Quite relieved. Hope my phone appt on Tuesday will go ahead.

I’ve ordered myself a posh meal for one for tonight. I’m deciding whether to dress for dinner!

We’ve just moved to tier 3 but are very close to tier 4. I work in a secondary school with many staff and students from tier 4 areas. I can’t work from home and was furloughed for the previous two lockdowns. Wording looks like ECV school staff in tier 4 should be at home in full pay but I should go to work as usual? I’m really worried about it. Anyone else in the same situation?

Does anyone know if you have to provide the shielding letter to your work or can I be furloughed without it? I have recently been diagnosed with an illness so didn't receive a letter first time round and haven't received one yet.

Thank you @Outnumberedwoman
Your DS2’s school sounds lovely - & it’s absolutely right he gets recognition for the things that are big achievements for him, which is something his school’s absolutely set up for. Brilliant about his progress with SaLT too

I think @Teaistheanswer was having to go in the whole time her school was in Tier 3, @figgyitypudding...

@NewCatMummy, how helpful/sympathetic are your SLT? Have your Union provided any support? I realise it’s not very helpful just now but Tier 4 seems to be expanding so fast it seems likely you’ll be moved into it before too long - hopefully you’ll not have to put yourself at any risk before then.

@Babysharkdoodoodood
I hope that things go ok when you finally get the tests. Being stuck totally inside is... less than ideal: hopefully with the Oxford vaccine being approved things will turn round again soon. (Also, boo to tax bracket shenanigans.)

@Egghead68
You know I’m now envisioning you (tricky as I’ve no idea what you look like) in white tie with a tiara & a stole, right? Ah, genuinely being asked in my first year at Uni if I had “some spare” evening gloves that I’d not mind lending someone.

I’m worrying a bit over getting my portacath flushed & locked... it’s due to be done mid-January & like everywhere in London the hospital is COVID-filled. I can maybe delay for a couple of weeks, but that might not make any difference...

@user908547
I think you need to provide a letter. If you’re in England you can still register as CEV which I think should get you an email as soon as you’re added to the list. Your GP might be able to provide one - some surgeries seem to be much more helpful about this than others though.

@MarieVanGoethem im not in England, tried GP surgery but they were not very helpful. Tried my consultant but he is not back in hospital till mid January.

Hello all
Yes, @marievangoethem is right, I was in school when we were in Tier 3 but looking back was lucky to only actually be in with pupils for 8 days as it was like a self-isolating hokey kokey!
I had to leave my house for blood tests today at my GP. Bit scary with the current rates where I am but it was so nice to have a walk and say hello to other people (through my mask and from a very generous social distance!)
I really hope we all hear about our vaccine turns soon (and that their changing of the dose times in no way takes away the protection we so badly need)
Just want to say a big thank you to everyone on this thread, you've all been such a great source of information and support this year without you I would have felt very very alone in this bonkers world of shielding
Here's to a much better 2021 all round

@MarieVanGoethem it’s like you can see in my window!
I’m not surprised you are worried about going into hospital. Last time I went I wore two masks, gloves, a green “stay 2m I am vulnerable” badge and refused to use the loo or sit in the waiting room. Fingers crossed they will be social distancing etc as much as possible. I think delaying is omit going to make things worse, sadly, what with the post Christmas peak.

Thank you to you and everyone else @Teaistheanswer. It’s been so nice being less alone because of these threads.

Happy new year! 🍾🥂💉

Happy New Year!
(Hopefully it sounds less like all the major battles of WWI rolled together where you all are - my poor cats are Deeply Unimpressed...)

Thank you to everyone who’s made the shielding!weird of 2020 less difficult - & I hope that The Donkey Of Destiny is all affection & soppy nuzzles for everyone in 2021 after being A Very Naughty Equine all year, frankly.

So relieved that great eejit Williamson has backtracked on ridiculous demand schools be kept open in 10 London boroughs that were being absolutely crippled by COVID. He was quite blatantly after punishing Greenwich for trying to shut the schools early; & a wee look at the letter from the MPs of said 10 Boroughs was... illuminating. Man wants a serious dose of COVID & no hospital bed for him to go to* for that kind of revolting mucking about with people’s lives as a way of seeking revenge/political point-scoring. Lewisham & Greenwich CCG stopped all planned procedures bar cancer treatment & endoscopies before Christmas - but yes sure let’s be sending the children of those Boroughs into school. While keeping kids in Kensington & Chelsea with its much lower rate of infection & a hospital with fewer cases home. I do so wonder why that might be.

I know in NI everything’s online for primary until the 11th @Outnumberedwoman - hopefully Weir will see the absolute pasting Williamson got & decide that keeping things closed (other than for vulnerable children + keyworkers’ children + the special schools, I mean) is The Way To Go.
@Didkdt, I wish you could get some breathing space, at least, with school worries & your DD. I don’t know if it helps at all, but part of the decision-making re:schools looks at “pressures on the NHS” & the latest look at bedspace being used by Covid patients in England has just been published. Quite a lot of Tier 4 areas still have lots of hospital capacity; but if you’re somewhere it’s limited & the infection rate is going up lord contacting your MP & local councillors might be worthwhile.

Speaking of Utter Eejits, as well as a ridiculous amount of fireworks from shortly before 1700 on NYE culminating in what sounded like an attempt to simultaneously recreate the soundscape of all the battles of WWI (complete with screams, not heard shrieking fireworks - which sounded to be going right past my fecking window - like that for years) at midnight, which had one of my cats so upset he hid under my bed from the things for the first time in years; some of the so-called gentrifiers up the road decided to have a party. Whole gang of adults standing in the front garden drinking champagne with a load of children running in & out of the house. Am cross with myself I didn’t call the police to report them to be honest, but my brother wasn’t sure which house it was - he crossed the road to avoid it - & while we’re only a tiny wee road I wasn’t sure if they’d come out. It’s just so SO selfish. My neighbour couldn’t have a proper funeral, couldn’t even have people in to see her most of this year - & those utter UTTER idiots had an actual party, mixing God knows how many households, with us in Tier 4 & the new strain meaning the R rate is at least 1.3 Doubtless at least part of their justification was that their children were going to be in school Monday & mixing with lots of people there. Mmmhmm grand, so you thought you’d add to that number; & if any of their wee classmates live with someone vulnerable increase the risk to them? And of course children being at school involves lots of adults mixing at close quarters with no masks on.

I really really REALLY can’t wait to be vaccinated. Though if it’s the Oxford one it’s going to be a slow process for much less protection than the Pfizer jab, because for some mad reason they’re giving 2 full doses rather than the amounts that provided much greater coverage.

• I don’t really hope/mean/think that; it would be very wicked & wrong to; but could he maybe just feel really miserable with it? (Long Covid would be a dreadful thing to wish on someone too. Even when they’ve behaved truly despicably. But would it be really wrong to hope he gets a bit of maskne? Probably. Bother. )

So iv had a number of hospital appointments at the hospital but also alot on the phone...

Numbers are rising here but iv got an appointment at the hospital at the end of the month, which is important as its about a newly discovered ‘benign brain tumour’ luckily slow growing and non spreading

But i am worried to go to be honest

Sorry I missed this ... just catching up - but, wow, Egghead68 for getting a vaccine!

Newcatmummy I had to work in a school last term, all the time in Tier 3.

Honest to God I woke up this morning with skin the like of which I never had even as a teenager. It’s not a covid-type mask I’ll be needing when I leave the house, but a full-face-disguise. That’ll teach me to think - much less say - something so horrible about someone else, won’t it...

@user908547
Is it you that’s in Wales? Well clearly you’re not the only person in Wales, I’m just meaning that I get names-that-aren’t-names muddled very easily, sorry.
With how Wales are managing things, I think your Consultant adding you to the list should have triggered a letter. As that’s either not happened or it’s been caught in the Christmas post, you might want to contact your Local Council; contact the Practice Manager at your GP surgery; & try PALS at the hospital your Consultant’s based at to ensure that you’ve been added to the list & see if they can generate or expedite a letter for you. I hope it’s sorted for you soon, so you can, er, just worry about your health. Or something comforting like that?

@Poppystars
Did you have as ok a Christmas as possible? (Suggesting a good Christmas feels a bit overoptimistic to point it risks being read as sarcastic or rude, which is very much not the intent.) Are you on a delayed start to term, at least, or have you to go in for exam classes? I’ve my fingers crossed that you’ll be prioritised for doing any online teaching your school might offer this term if secondaries have to move more online. I realise it’s not the best solution, but

@MarieVNGoethem I will be teaching live via Teams the first week as many staff will be due to not needing everyone in due to only limited numbers in. We will know more once schools know more I think.
I was in all last term, so who knows!
Christmas was great for the children, but obviously was different. No family seen. Hope was as good as could be fore everyone - glad you were not in hospital!

I have not had a new letter in 2021 though. I did delay a scan for start of Jan though, hospital admin seemed happy to give me a later date!

And Happy New Year to you all.

Shocking behaviour from your neighbours @MarieVanGoethem.

Yes I was very lucky @Poppystars. Waiting to see if I yet my second dose this week or if it is cancelled. If I get it I think I’ll be expected to start working on Covid wards (am NHS) which is a scary thought after shielding so long.

I’m glad the schools in London are closed (apart from children of key workers etc). The situation here is dire.

@SomethingsGottaChange that sounds really frightening. I hope you are OK . Really good that it is benign and slow growing though. Are they going to treat it or just monitor it?

DP started chemo on Christmas Eve, he's been told nothing about shielding (was diagnosed with cancer in Sept, told it was terminal in Dec). I am very confused.

I’m very sorry about your DH @bloodywhitecat.

I think shielding is indicated if he is immunosuppressed or if he has blood or possibly lung cancer. However, your husband may not wish to spend his final weeks or months shielding if time is very limited.

If your husband wants, there is a site to register yourself as CEV here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support

There’s not much benefit to registering that I’ve found except that (a) it makes it easier (in some cases) to get your employer to let you work from home and (b) it will push you up the priority list for the vaccine (if you are not over 70 or a health or social care worker).