Being 'vulnerable' does not make you part of the 'Shielded' group - if you're confused, see below

[Clymene]

At the start of the outbreak, many people were told they were in the vulnerable category. This includes people with asthma, pregnant women, the morbidly obese and people with MS and diabetes.

The full list is here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

These people should be very careful with social distancing, ideally for 12 weeks.

The shielded group are people who are extremely vulnerable. They have been identified by the NHS and should not leave the house. These are people with cancer, organ transplants, cystic fibrosis and other serious conditions. This is why they have been issued with food parcels by the government. A full list of these people is here:

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

You cannot self-define as shielded. If you are vulnerable, take precautions. Use your local resources. But remember there are people who are much more vulnerable than you.

If you do not fall into either of these groups, please leave the resources to keep the vulnerable safe and well. Not only to protect them, but to protect all of us. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the vulnerable clog up all the beds, there won't be any space for the outliers who randomly get very ill.

i’m shielded but didn’t get my letter til wednesday this week.

looking at a document someone posted, the criteria is narrowed down from the ‘vulnerable’ group (ie those offered NHS flu jab each year) and then has more criteria applied depending on certain actions. so someone with asthma who has had 4 courses of steroids prescribed in the last 12 months might not be shielded, but someone with only 3 steroid scripts but more emergency hospital visits may be.

the immuno-suppression seems to be fairly straightforward, based on medication.

i can’t for the life of me remember where i saw this document but someone may have a link to it.

i am on methotrexate, my thyroid is laughably fucked and i am fat. therefore i win 3 months indoors. i haven’t registered on the government website yet but will be doing so next week, and will also be chasing my PIP review which has been in hand since January.

@Elleseeki - I'm sorry, I don't know. I just know that my loved ones who have suddenly got slots are definitely shielded because they have very clear markers (if that makes sense - there's no doubt that they fall into the shielded category if that makes sense).

@LangClegsInSpace - thank you for explaining what I've been trying to do, but much more elegantly!

People who are deemed vulnerable have been told they are and then left to their own devices. It's an absolute scandal. They've just frightened people and put no scaffolding in place up support them.

Thank you clymene. When the news first came out about certain people being vulnerable I thought may be one of them, but I didn't hear anything from my GP so assumed I was ok to carry on working and didn't need to be extra careful. Today I got the email from Tesco about being entitled to a priority slot. I don't know if that's a mistake or how to find out.

@Clymene I was told I was shielded and left to it. I live alone and no food delivery
I'm working on it, I have a TV interview on Monday so I'm going to bring up a lot of the points mentioned

I logged on to tesco there and had the choice of several slots which I didnt have last week so I'm guessing it's because I'm shielded but who knows. Very curious about the GDPR implications of all this though!

I cant remember if I said on this thread but I requested my GP surgery stick a stamp on an envelope and send my prescriptions to my registered address so my parents could get them for me. No, they cant post angthing. I had to drop in with stamps. My parents did a 40 mile round trip to get them and one was missing because I'd phoned a day too early so they were to come back the next day. It was an absolute farce.

The council phoned me to check what I needed and said that the practice has a legal duty to ensure i get them because I'm on this list apparently.

I think the GDPR rules have been relaxed during the crisis.

I tried to book one of Tesco’s shielding delivery slots this afternoon but they had all gone. Haven’t had an email from Waitrose or Sainsbury’s yet.

Getting medications seems to be a nightmare if you are shielding and don’t have local friends/family. I’m buying most of my meds from online pharmacies as at least they will deliver but I can’t get everything this way.

I'm in Scotland so sainsburys isnt up to date with it all yet.

Is it ok to use a slot if you're shielding but someone you live with isn't? I've declined the box from the government but have taken a slot with tesco because with that my mum doesnt have to go out at all and it minimises the risk almost completely.

I’m buying most of my meds from online pharmacies as at least they will deliver but I can’t get everything this way.

Apparently if you are shielding they can post them but I know nothing about it. The council told me some people are getting prescription number sent to them? It all feels quite all over the place.

We are really rural so superdrug etc dont deliver here and we dont ahve the English scheme that things are done electronically. I'm very reliant on my parents which I feel bad about as they're both in their 60s. My dad is vulnerable but not shielding.

I am classed as neither vulnerable nor shielded yet I am absolutely using my weekly Ocado slot. For one, I have bought my groceries online since 2002/2003 and I have no intention of changing my shopping habits now. I have been trying to convince my elderly mother to shop online for years but until this week has fallen off deaf ears. More importantly, I have not left the house for 3 weeks now and will not do so for many weeks to come - my husband and I have no siblings and our surviving parents are 70+. Regrettably, we both smoked for over a decade pre kids. If the worst were to happen our 3 primary aged kids would end up in care and our surviving parents would not have anyone to take care of them. As soon as I saw what was happening in Italy I knew I could not let this virus into our house and we will live off of basic rations if required rather than go out to a shop until this virus is contained.

DH is shielded, as is my mum. DH is fresh out of hospital from stem cell transplantation. If he catches it, that’s it, he’s a gonner.
I’m doing everything for both of them (and my DSs, 11 and 13). Fuck knows what will happen if I get ill.

And zero delivery slots for me or them.
Managed a click and collect about 40 mins drive away. And I’ve been using local wholesalers who deliver.

My husband and I both fit I to the vulnerable group and my son in law is in the shielded group. I'm going out when my cough allows( 2 different coughs in a month) . My son in law is going crazy being cooped up in a small for with my daughter and 3 year old. We were talking about them coming up to stay with us a couple of days before lockdown. We are having deliveries for most but one of us does a perishables run once or twice a week , we've also managed to get slots for my 89 year old in-laws but FiL still insist going to the supermarket twice a week for some stuff. I really wish everyone who wanted one could get either a box of online delivery.

DH is fresh out of hospital from stem cell transplantation.

I hope hes doing ok, I'm 10 years post mine and really feel for anyone going through all that right now. It's bad enough in normal times, but I can imagine its terrifying right now for all of you

Apparently if you are shielding they can post them but I know nothing about it

Neither does my pharmacy.

I think its centrally done not pharmacy by pharmacy egghead but who knows.

I havent seen the english letter but the scottish one sent me to nhs inform website where there is a list of numbers according to council area. If you call yours theyll know more than your pharmacy or gp most likely.

Im a bit concerned I haven't had this email from Tesco today many of you have. I've had the letter, I've registered with the government but nothing. I just looked and no slots available still. Have I slipped through the gap somehow? Did everyone get this email?

I didnt get an email, just miraculous slots so could be a coincidence.

They can post medication because I get all my anti-rejection meds posted out from my transplant centre. My local CCG won’t pay. There can’t be a rule against it. It arrives by DHL and not royal mail.

I cannot get a shopping slot for love nor money and I'm finding the situation really frustrating. The online supermarkets keep crowing on how they're prioritising online slots for the extremely high risk, but as one of those people, I am not been seen for some reason. I received the letter and texts from the NHS, I am also registered on the Gov website as extremely high risk. But still nothing.

Me too, no deliveries available anywhere.

It's doubly awful, being told by text and letter repeatedly how important it is to stay in whilst receiving no support to get food.

And seeing them lie about it on the news.

A 'food parcel' will not feed us, we are shielding as a family of six.

Not that we have got one.

Every time I check email for a priority slot I feel like a tit.

So thanks to those who gave me advice. I got the Tesco's e mail today. They have me on the government list. For those familiar with Tesco online they have changed the 8 hour slots to slots for the most vulnerable.
I suspect you had to have an account with them already to get the emails.
I didn't get an e mail from sainsbury's but when I looked this morning I was miraculously allowed straight through to book a slot and there were plenty in the next week so I'm guessing they also had "the list".
So the benefit of being on the list might be priority shopping.
The disadvantage- they probably wouldn't even admit us to hospital if we catch it.
FWIW I'm on herceptin for breast cancer, I have autoimmune disease and a lung disorder. All of these well managed with drugs and I lead a normal life, you would not think me frail or ill if you met me.

*Quirrels
*
I'm a sainsburys, ASDA and tesco customer and still no joy.

I wonder how they are working it out.

More importantly, I have not left the house for 3 weeks now

No, this is not more important than the fact that you are not classed as either vulnerable or shielded. If you can still get slots then ask what your parents need and get it delivered to them, not you. If this isn't possible then the decent thing would be to cancel your slots altogether so that they are available for people who really cannot go out. Nobody will make you do the decent thing, that's up to you.

We are all afraid of dying.
We are all afraid of our children being left alone.
We are all afraid of being unable to support our parents.

What makes you special?

LangClegsInSpace I just had to ignore that poster - being a regular customer should count for absolutely fuck all right now. The difference between non vulnerable/shielding groups and not is the former probably wont get a bed and a chance to recover. The latter more likely will.