AIBU to think she should she have been classed as vulnerable?

[whatevernext1976]

I live overseas and I am worried about my Mum in the UK. She hasn't received any notice that she is classed as vulnerable, but I believe she is.

She is 68 years old and has had Rheumatoid Arthritis which she has had since the age of 36. She is classed as disabled, has high blood pressure and takes steroid medication. One thing that worries me is that a few years ago she was admitted to hospital with Double Pneumonia. She was in intensive care and was told that if she had left it 24 hours later, she might not have been around to tell the tale. They say it was caused by methotrexate (sp?) that she was on.
Anyway, since recovering she's had a chest weakness. Every cold she has goes straight to her chest and it takes forever for her to recover.

She has been trying to self isolate but can no longer get shopping delivery slots. As she hasn't been told she is vulnerable she will have to venture out. I'm really worried about this as based on her history, I think she IS vulnerable.
I'm really worried as I'm overseas and the country is on lockdown with no flights in or out. AIBU or do you think she needs to contact her Doctor to see if she has been missed off. I know she won't because she won't want to be a problem but I'm very worried about her.

@OrganTransplant123 if your GPs confirm you are extremely vulnerable and you need help your best bet is to send an email to your MP. (Though to be fair local volunteers are your best bet as they will give that day help if they can.)

If you aren't recognised as extremely vulnerable then contacting your MP won't work.

I have got a letter, and registered as extremely vulnerable. Nothing has happened at all. It’s frustrating. As far as I can tell no one in this group has received anything re supermarket deliveries.

@Rhumatoidwarrior88, thank you that link was very helpful.

I’d be a bit wary of registering if there is any way to avoid so doing.

We are not making cohort decisions about intensive care resources currently, but it’s not inconceivable that a place on a ‘particularly vulnerable’ list due to co-morbidities might influence treatment decisions a bit further along.

Yes I saw that they said contact GP if you believe you’ve been missed out. Also Tesco release slots at midnight for 3wks later, it’s worth staying up for one

I think this is the link to register her but sorry if I am wrong.
www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

How could registering make a difference though @CherryPavlova ? All my medical notes are linked to my NHS number and I presume that even in an emergency situation they’d have a look at those and it would be those that impact ‘treatment decisions’ rather than being on this list.

The socially shielding group is made up of people who are at high risk of being hospitalised if they catch C19. It's not about general vulnerabilities. It's about protecting the NHS.

See what provision her local council has made for helping people like her,. Local charities and mutual aid groups might also be able to help.

Believe me, she wouldn't welcome the stuff that's being dropped to the socially shielding anyway. It's pretty poor quality so far.

Get her to join or you join local facebook page for her area. I've been able to easily find details of local companies doing deliveries for my Mum. Milkman and fruit and veg delivery sorted. I ordered a Morrisons box for her. No need to go out.

OrganTransplant123 Those treating C19 patients won’t have access to patient notes unless they are in a hospital where they are usually admitted. Even then the notes are unlikely to be available until after decisions to tube have been made.
Ambulance staff will only have ‘the list’.

So you are saying that they’re got vulnerable people to sign up to a list by offering help, but actually it’ll be used to triage those who aren’t worth treating?

Obviously if you’re 87 and clearly have COPD then it’s a simple decision about likely success of ventilation. If you’re 61 but with asthma it may be less clearcut and if cohorting is eventually used for decision making then being on ‘the list’ may not be in your best interest.

At the moment every decision is an individual one and across the country there is reasonable capacity. There are no plans to change the individual decision process at the moment but who knows where this will take us?

If you absolutely need the additional support put yourself on the list. People need to eat and be brought their drugs etc so I’m not suggesting those who have no alternatives go without.

I don’t want to incite fear either and would reaffirm every decision is an individual one at the moment. However, if you can get the support in other ways, why would you need to be on a list?

Being on the list does not get your a supermarket slot!

Heaven knows, I’ve been trying hard enough. They say it might, in future

But they can’t say when, or how (at the moment you can only register for free parcel if you need food support) and getting through to a supermarket is pretty hellish - the 72 hours for a response is an underestimate

Cherry that is my very worst fear about being in the extremely vulnerable group.

Am 40 with severe but well controlled asthma (did online spinning class today) terrified that because the combination of meds I am on puts me in the shield group I wouldn’t be eligible for ICU support if I need it.

On the positive side I’m fairly sure DH and DS are getting over it, and I only have a sore throat and occasional cough and no worse after 5 days r so, maybe I’ve escaped!

OP if you message me I am part of a nationwide volunteer group on FB that gets shopping, prescriptions to vulnerable people.
Just need her postcode and they will match her up.

You must be so,so worried. I hope this group can help, they were fantastic with friends of mine last week and I know some of the organisers personally

Here in Wales local authorities are deploying staff to support the vulnerable so do search for her local area

Not sure Methotrexate puts her at risk but steroids do. I only got a text from my hospital a couple of days ago and saying to notify them if I didn't get a letter by April 7th.

Here are the recommendations of who to shield and who to self-isolate only by The Rheumatology Society. This was sent to me by my hospital. I would advise her to call her GP and ask her to put her on the list. I had to do this for my father.

www.rheumatology.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Rheumatology_advice_coronavirus_immunosuppressed_patients_220320.pdf?ver=2020-03-24-171132-407

rheumatoidwarrior my apologies I must have missed the OP mentioning her mum was on a biologic. Where I am the dose of steroid and length of course of treatment is relevant too.

Fairybatman Please don’t panic. At forty you’re not going to be at top of ‘not for critical care cohort’ phases. There is still reasonable capacity in intensive care and that is growing.

Even with the virus the odds remain very much in your favour and you are unlikely to need critical care at all.

Best delivery services around here are by local convenience stores. Speak to her about what local shops she has around her then find them in Facebook, or local churches. We have a convenience store doing same day deliveries for older vulnerable people and a church offering shopping deliveries too. Both in Facebook happy to help anyone who needs it.