Are they sending out ' the letter ' in batches ?

[VictoriaBun]

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 ?

I have had a load of texts yesterday and today saying I need to shield etc until end of June-except there’s nothing wrong with me- I don’t have any if the conditions listed - I had cancer but my treatment finished years ago
I have two dodgy knees and that’s it!
Does the letter say why you are High risk?
I think there’s been a mistake!

Phone your GP, even if they didnt flag you, a quick look at your medical records should either rule you out or give you an explanation.

You didnt have any chemo that can cause lung damage did you? (I'm thinking of bleomycin).

@Littlemiss74 It was the NHS shielding team apparently. I took their helpline number which is 033 305 0466 which doesn't even look like enough digits but that was it.

I think it would help hugely if the letter's stated why you're being advised to shield, but they don't, @Mollymalone123.

@Tonemeth, I mean she didn't get a text informing her she should be shielding. Apparently you should receive both a text and a letter.

@Wingedharpy not sure if you need the whole how to so I'll post the lot (don't be offended, I'm used to explaining to my dad and I have to use very very small words)

So how to copy and paste a link
https://www.androidcentral.com/how-use-copy-and-paste-android

Then to make it so you can click it (I'm using the MN app so it may be different on the website) you put square brackets around it

So it would look like
(I have to type it on separate lines or it turns it into a link!)

[[
Long website URL
]]

Staying at home and shielding
You’re strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact if you’re clinically extremely vulnerable to protect yourself.

This is called ‘shielding’.

Shielding means:

Do not leave your house.
Do not attend any gatherings. This includes gatherings of friends and families in private spaces, for example, family homes, weddings and religious services.
Strictly avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough.
The Government is currently advising people to shield until the end of June and is regularly monitoring this position.

Well, it's not perfect but, the above is a copy and paste attempt by moi from the Guidance on shielding document, produced by Government and updated on 17th April.
Last sentence is the significant one.

Or, go to www.gov.uk and search.

Thanks @ClientQ.
I'm away to practice😊

No problem! I taught my dad as he was wanting to delete a massive wall of text and sitting pressing the back button. There was a lot more shouting to explain that though

Thanks wingedharpy! I didn't know it had been updated although I was sure it would be. I just want to see my boyfriend 😔

@macaronigonzalez I didnt get a text just a letter. Hardly the end of the world to be honest. It seems to depend where the letter came from and if they held your number.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

Try this!

[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19]

Blame @ClientQ!
S/he told me to.

Thank you! I've just checked the Scottish guidance, its undated and says "at least the next 12 weeks".....

@Tonemeth, no it's not that she needs a text - I can see reading back that my shambolic comment looked like it was about the text specifically, but it was about the overall situation. She's receiving so much conflicting info - GP said it didn't come from them, hospital said it wasn't them so must be the GP, GP when queried again insisted it wasn't them it was "the NHS" and said if she'd received a letter she should also have received a text, and then when told the letter was signed by the GP practice, said she'd get the practice manager to contact her. It's very confusing and anxiety inducing for my mum.

Oh I see, sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick!

I hope shes ok and gets some answers on it soon we dont know who has flagged me up, but content that it's the right decision and can see why it would be. Not knowing is infuriating and worrying when I first asked I just got the party line on howntheyd come up with the list.

whataballbag
Thanks. I think he should probably have got one. It’s ok as he is shielding anyway for now. I just worry as he hasn’t officially been told to that we might struggle to keep him in as time goes on. It would have helped.

I’ve only had a text ( sent by my GP) saying I was extremely vulnerably and linking to a generic letter to shield for 12 weeks. I was being careful before that as I knew I was vulnerable. I have not yet had a letter through the post or anything with my name on.

We got a letter from the GP for ds. Ds is healthy so we didn't know why but it turned out it was because he has learning disability. From other people some GP's are sending them out for that reason and some are not.
We are not shielding him because the benefits of doing that for him are vastly outweighed by the disadvantages but we are not taking him to places where he is likely to come into contact with members of the public. He is still going to special school.

Hi- no I had fec-t so heart issues a possibility
Long term.i didn’t have any issues with taxpayers with cough or breathing at the time- although I had all the others 😂
I will ring gp thank you

My post was to reply to @Tonemeth 😂😂 and was supposed to say taxotere not taxpayers 😂😂

I got my first text on March 23rd and first letter the day after. I've been assuming all along that it would probably be longer than 12 weeks. It does seem a mess though in how the letters have been sent and when.

I'm shielding at home but my family are not isolating, dh has to work, so I'm shielding within the home too which sucks, no hugs, dh in spare room etc. Try to avoid being face to face much but making a lot of use of the garden for chats. It's hard and I don't know realistically how long I can keep it up like this and when I have to weigh the risks a bit. I have severe lung disease so in the highest risk category but I still have a good chance of survival I hope.

Mollymalone123 interesting- i had taxol too but not fec t. I cant see it being that though, surely every breast cancer patient in the UK would have to shield? Let us know if you're not meant to be shielding, I'm nosy

It's weird, bleomycin can cause pulmonary fibrosis long term, especially if hi flow oxygen given so I obv dont want covid at all. But I dont think it's being used as a basis for shielding (that was why I asked on the off chance!).

As soon as I get the letter I will ring gp and let you know! @Tonemeth 👍🏻

Interested in one or two posters who haveor their relative has, a lung condition and they question the need to shield. I have asthma which I don't see as a problem but also mild bronchiectasis which does worry me.
Covidis essentially a lung disease and i presume that's why asthma sufferers are on the list. (I am also on a cancer treatment )