Why did DM get a vulnerable letter?

[FlamingoAndJohn]

She is 68 and in extremely good health. She runs 7 miles every day, is a very healthy weight, not on any medication, normal blood pressure, low cholesterol.

She’s intrigued to know. DF didn’t get one despite being 72 and on medication.
In fact out of all her friends, who are all of a similar vintage, the only other one who got a letter has cancer!

She is going to phone the surgery on Tuesday to find out!

Must be a mistake it's not to do with age, the shielding letters only go to those with severe health conditions. People over 70 are only advised to follow the advice for everyone very carefully and practise strict social distancing if they do go out.

Old diagnosis code on her records for something that is better now or was misdiagnosed?

Was she previously on any specialist medications? Seeing a specialists some time ago for something? Might be just a typo.

My surgery had on my notes that I chewed 1kg of chewing tobacco a day!!!! I had to convince them that I have never smoked, never tried chewing tobacco, and the surely 1kg a day is excessive even for someone that does chew it!!!

She stopped smoking about 40 years ago.
She had some mental health issues but not much, and that wouldn’t cause a problem.
No past medication other than for her osteoporosis.

"My surgery had on my notes that I chewed 1kg of chewing tobacco a day!!!!*
Wtf

I’ve just registered that. 1kg of chewing tobacco a day! Who would have the time to do that. Imagine the quantity you would have to buy for a week!

@Elouera are you in denial?

@MrsBobDylan- denial! I know. My little secret, of 7kg of tobacco a week- shhh!

I really had to convince GP that it just wasn't right! 'Are you sure you didn't use chewing tobacco back then?' 'Umm, YES, I'm very sure. Especially as I've NEVER even tried it!!!'.

TBH, I have no idea what people would normally use in a day anyways, but its surely not 1kg lol.

Point is, GP's are humans to and their systems aren't always the best, and errors can occur. Call them in the week and find out.

I got a letter in error yesterday. I'm 39 and no health conditions other than a muscular issue with my shoulder.

I would call GP to clarify next week but it could well be an error.

I agree it's likely an error and due to some enthusiastic coding. Last time I saw the GP, he asked how my battle with alcoholism was going. I am not and never have been an alcoholic - I very rarely drink! He swiftly removed it from my records...

My 5 year old got one too. He does have a physical disability, but not one that we can think would affect his chances should he get covid. We're now trying to get hold of his paediatrician as I'm a key worker and if we're wrong and he is high risk I need to stop working.

I’m a GP. The government have sent out shielding letters based on some sort of computer algorithm applied to NHS notes. It’s a very blunt instrument! We are now being asked to go through the notes to decide which patients need to be taken off the list, as they don’t meet the criteria for shielding .
There’s all sorts of weird mis-coding of diagnoses, most of which appear nowhere in the GP notes. I’ve spent much of last week going through notes thinking wtf! About 25% of my list of shielding patients are incorrect.