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Covid

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Original poster

Are they sending out ' the letter ' in batches ?

73 replies

VictoriaBun · 25/04/2020 17:41

So my friend's husband had his extremely vulnerable shield for 12 weeks, don't even go for a walk letter over 3 weeks ago. He has severe respiratory problems.
My dh and myself have been sticking to the rules but
put ourselves into avoiding people, busy places etc at least 2 weeks or so before the official lockdown happened due to his medical condition . Yesterday he received the letter telling him he had been identified as extremely vulnerable and to shield for 12 weeks from receipt of letter.
Do you think the government are batching sending these letters so the vulnerable are spaced out and therefore not all able to be more mobile at the same time ?

OP posts:

FakeFraudSquad · 25/04/2020 22:19

Btw we’ve been able to get supermarket priority slots since Sainsbury’s first released them (so about a month ago) and all the other supermarkets have emailed to grant priority too. The shielding team has called home several times.

It seems that they were made aware officially before me!

Littlemiss74 · 25/04/2020 22:24

@MessInABottle who even is the shielding team? Surely if there’s a team calling individual’s those people would have been on the original list for the NHS letters? I know how you feel as the guidance I have read about my condition is very contradictory and I can’t get it all out of my head.

GiantPinesAhem · 25/04/2020 22:26

I've had no letters, text messages, or phone calls… But at least three supermarkets have me on the priority list!

MyFriendFlicker · 25/04/2020 22:34

It's naive to believe the shielding will end after 12 weeks, or after the end of June. It will last until there is a vaccine so more like 12 months than 12 weeks.

Appuskidu · 25/04/2020 22:37

It's naive to believe the shielding will end after 12 weeks, or after the end of June. It will last until there is a vaccine so more like 12 months than 12 weeks.

How will that work with jobs though? Will employers pay people full pay for 12+ months to stay at home? We have a number of teachers in my school with a shielding letter.

Imboredinthehouse · 25/04/2020 22:38

but the letter is signed by a GP at our practice

GP’s are now going through records and coding people who may previously have been missed in the first wave now that new criteria have been added. More letters will be being sent out centrally soon but some practices are also contacting patients.
DH had a text, letter sent centrally and one from the GP.

Bbq1 · 25/04/2020 22:38

A slightly different question but does anyone think they or a loved one received a shielding letter but maybe shouldn't have done? I heard there has been a lot of letters incorrectly sent to people who didn't require one.

BetsyJameson · 25/04/2020 23:07

Can I ask the people who are shielding if you live with anyone, are they all shielding too? It is our child who is shielding but both of us are still working out of the home.

Stealthtoast · 25/04/2020 23:17

I got texts yesterday, as did my mother, neither of us should be on the list. Then my 6yo DD got a letter today, also shouldn't have one! And given its my number on my dds records I have no idea whether I got texts because of her. Pretty worrying for my mother who believed it was correct until I read ot the list of conditions. I suppose we'll need to call our GP and check..

Appuskidu · 25/04/2020 23:18

Is receiving a text the same as a shielding letter?

Lasvegas · 25/04/2020 23:26

I had a GP letter yesterday. Says to shield for 12 weeks from date of the letter is 23 April.

macaronigonzalez · 25/04/2020 23:27

@Bbq1, my mum received a letter this week and we think she shouldn't have. She is later 70s and has a lung condition, but we really don't think it would be considered severe (according the criteria for shielding on the British Lung Foundation website). The frustrating thing is she called her GP to get clarification and they said they didn't flag her. So she then got in touch with the chest clinic she was seen at and they said they didn't flag her either. The letter doesn't have a letterhead, but is signed off as being from her GP practice. Called GP back and she has now arranged for the practice manager to call my mum on Monday. This letter didn't spontaneously generate - someone must have initiated it! We need to find out who as she needs to make an informed decision about whether to shield, but can't do that until she knows whether she's been advised in error.

Oh and her letter is just dated April 2020 and says shield "for up to 12 weeks in the first instance, subject to government review."

macaronigonzalez · 25/04/2020 23:28

And my mum hasn't received any texts. Shambolic. She's a nervous wreck about the situation.

whataballbag · 25/04/2020 23:37

D Dad's letter is dated 21st March and says 12 weeks from the date of this letter.

@nicky2512 not sure if this will help but he has advanced heart failure, severe asthma, COPD and a few other things. From knowing my dads conditions I would say that your dad should be shielding too

ClientQ · 25/04/2020 23:51

It is a mess with the letters. It took me 4 phone calls to my GP, and then two calls from my consultant to my GP to actually get one which was then sent by email on Thursday
My work need a copy of the letter, but there was a disagreement regarding me shielding despite my condition being listed

Thewheelsarefallingoff · 25/04/2020 23:51

My friend has been redeployed to make phone calls to people on the shielding list. Checking they have all of the information about the virus, have food, have someone they call if they need anything.

Tonemeth · 25/04/2020 23:51

And my mum hasn't received any texts.

Did she sign up for them? I had to prompt for the shopping slots as the first wave of letters in scotland didnt get texts about it.

Wingedharpy · 25/04/2020 23:53

Sorry but just noticed someone asked me for the link to the shielding document I mentioned up thread.

I'm an old luddite but would be grateful if someone could tell me how to do this as I would like to learn.
Thanks.

ClientQ · 25/04/2020 23:54

@Wingedharpy are you on a iPhone/tablet/laptop?

Tonemeth · 25/04/2020 23:56

My work need a copy of the letter, but there was a disagreement regarding me shielding hmm despite my condition being listed

It's weird how they've done it regarding certain conditions. For example I ahve asthma and that alone wouldn't mean I have to shield but because of an unlisted condition I do. And COPD in itself doesnt seem to trigger unless you're on certain medication. But some conditions (I assume you have one of these) are so bloody obvious i dont understand why people are having bother getting the letter but lots of people are.

I dont think it helps people who should be shielding that there seem to be a lot of people who have decided that they will without being told to. (Not you PP, I mean on various sites I've been on). Also the high risk group who are not shielding are confused, understandably, because they're hearing high risk and that list was released first. It's a mess.

ClientQ · 25/04/2020 23:58

@Tonemeth there is a LOT of people with my condition who haven't received one possibly because it is quite rare. My consultant was furious as he had to ring twice and send emails
But if you open my doctors notes, it's on there as he sends a letter to them every 12 weeks!

Wingedharpy · 25/04/2020 23:59

@ClientQ:
Android tablet

Tonemeth · 26/04/2020 00:01

Can I ask the people who are shielding if you live with anyone, are they all shielding too?

I'm living with my parents who are not shielding but who are limiting contact with others. So going out for walks (I am too, its quiet here and I dont come close to anyone. I'm fat and have some lung issues so no exercise is a terrible idea) and occasional shopping trips to very quiet shops. No visiting friends or relatives obviously even to provide care.

I'm not staying in a different room all the time but we are not hugging, sharing bathrooms or anything. It might be terrible logic but I had stem cell (like bone marrow) transplants a few years ago and their philosophy was to not keep you in a bubble as it was too harmful for mental health. So we are being careful but not extreme. I'm content with the small risk.

doodleygirl · 26/04/2020 00:02

I received a shielding letter a few days ago, it was dated 17th April. Came as a bit of a shock as I didn’t realise I was on the shielding list as my issue (no spleen) was not on the Govt list.

Tonemeth · 26/04/2020 00:03

@ClientQ it's bizarre how theyve done this isnt it. And there will be people who need to shield not doing it because they havent got a letter so dont think they need to.

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