Has anyone who has children who were previously shielding been given accurate advice re school return?

[HappyTuesdays]

As stated above. I was told to shield my son back in march due to asthma and an immune disorder. On the supermarket list for deliveries etc. Not heard anything from anyone since the text so got in touch with GP for advice about going back to school given that it's secondary so no distancing etc and was told most children will benefit from being in school and that there is no further advice as shielding is now paused.

Are there any guidelines at all or are we genuinely just supposed to make up our own minds?

Really has no one else been given advice?

Do you have any consultant appointments coming up? We didn’t hear anything but at my dds latest rheumatology appointment her consultant told me she no longer needed to shield and then gave me details about why they’d decided this. A week later we received a letter from Alder Hey explaining that she was now classed as moderate risk and no longer needed to shield. The letter still recommends social distancing but doesn’t really give any further advice.

We haven’t had any advice, we had the shielding letter for my son in March and then a letter to say shielding was paused from 1 August. He should have had an appointment this week with the consultant, but that has been postponed with no idea of when it will be rearranged for. I eventually spoke to a GP who just said what the letter said about shielding being paused and that children were advised to go back to school. Feel like we have just been forgotten about.

My son who was shielding is going back after talk with school and Dr but only small school as an

After talk with my daughter's Dr and collage she is not going back to risky as over 6509 students

We received a shielding letter for dd in May, and the letter to tell us shielding was paused from 1st August. Nothing else about school but our gp recently wrote saying they are reviewing the shielding list and we should either speak to dd's consultant or make a gp appointment to discuss. I have a telephone appt with her consultant on Thursday (the day she goes back to school) so I guess will talk it through then, although I think we are assuming she'll be taken off the list as most children are? It does seem odd that we all stayed home from late March to protect her, but now all 4 of my children will be back at school in bubbles ranging from 30 to 300.

I don’t understand why up until a month ago we were advised that children who were shielding couldn’t leave the house and now a month later they are fine to be in a classroom with 30 other teenagers and no masks or social distancing.

Shielding was a general catch all term which served a purpose at the time.
You need to now get specific advice from your child’s consultant.
My DD (a transplant patient) received a shielding letter early on but from around July onwards her doctors put together new guidance specific to her condition and we were told we didn’t need to shield any longer. This was specific advice just for under 16s with her particular organ transplant.
HTH x

Childs consultant has a message on machine advising washing hands, social distansing and avoiding large groups and that they can not advise on school as this is up to parents to weigh up risks and decide for themselves.
GP told us no risk days before we recieved shielding letter. Peditrician says child wont be on shielding list next time but that we should only do what we are happy with.

We have decided not to return to school until we know what the outcome of schools opening is.

The presumption is that most recently shielded DC will go back to school as they will be considered permanently de-shielded

But you need to get individual advice from the consultant

Some DC may need to be transferred to the councils home tutoring service for the duration. Most will just stay at school, being now considered vulnerable rather than exceptionally vulnerable.

What is less clear is whether there is a middling group emerging, based in consultants advice - might some be advised to stay at home (not fully shielded - lockdown type rules) if there are increased restrictions locally? And if so, what does that mean for their education? I suppose it's a similar sort of gap as a DC who has to self-isolate for being a contact of a confirmed case. Off-site learning always seems to be a bit of an after thought.

Shielding no longer exists. Unless a DC has been given specific advise by a medical consultant otherwise, they should be back in school and indeed schools will take enforcement action if necessary to make sure this happens.

@BostonCalling

Shielding no longer exists. Unless a DC has been given specific advise by a medical consultant otherwise, they should be back in school and indeed schools will take enforcement action if necessary to make sure this happens.

Shielding may not currently exist but that doesnt make childrennwho were shielding from march suddenly immune. Id rather face 'enforcement action' than face my childs funeral or have them very ill.

@Trackandtrace

With all due respect, unless you are a qualified medical professional, your DC’s consultant is the person qualified to decide whether it is safe for them to return to school.

In the vast majority it cases, any small risk is vastly outweighed by the present mental health risk of being out of school and the future impact on educational attainment and therefore health outcomes and life expectancy.

[quote BostonCalling]@Trackandtrace

With all due respect, unless you are a qualified medical professional, your DC’s consultant is the person qualified to decide whether it is safe for them to return to school.

In the vast majority it cases, any small risk is vastly outweighed by the present mental health risk of being out of school and the future impact on educational attainment and therefore health outcomes and life expectancy.[/quote]
Feels like with absolutely no respect.

The consultants and GPs, with the exception of the odd brave example, seem to be spouting out blanket advice. Sometimes from zoom surgeries.

The government is pausing shielding as there is room in the hospitals. I would like to know how the risk to an individual over the two months of the first peak, compares to the planned risks to individuals for the next six months.

It feels like they’ve just slowed things down and that there is significant individual risk planned.

I think people just need to follow their gut. Since March if something hasn’t felt right with the government it has ended badly and as predicted.

Don’t let people make you feel over anxious; your concerns are rooted in common sense.

There should be more caution with people’s lives; they are just desperate to get the economy moving. There will be collateral damage.

People need to follow their instincts and look out for their families. Don’t let anybody make you doubt yourself - you are best placed to work out what is best for your family.

@sunseekin

The economy is not some totally separate, abstract thing- it has a very real effect on people’s lives and their health. Over 800,000 health conditions were caused by the 2008 recession.

The government absolutely has to take a balanced approach to this. Shielding is no longer necessary for the vast majority of DC, who are better off returning to school.

Of course you’re right. There needs to be a balance. There also needs to be transparency and honesty. The advice given to previous shielding people isn’t based solely on their best interests. Which is why people need to follow their gut and look after their families. Nobody is better placed to do that than the mums and dads. Blanket policies don’t look after individuals, they just seek to find the least bad option for the country as a whole.

The lack of transparency and honesty and the mistrust surrounding herd immunity is ironically the cause of a lot of the economic damage. People haven’t known what to believe or trust.

[quote BostonCalling]@Trackandtrace

With all due respect, unless you are a qualified medical professional, your DC’s consultant is the person qualified to decide whether it is safe for them to return to school.

In the vast majority it cases, any small risk is vastly outweighed by the present mental health risk of being out of school and the future impact on educational attainment and therefore health outcomes and life expectancy.[/quote]
Well the consultant has said its up to us as parents to make that call. As we are best place to know how possible it will be to maintain social distancing, wear masks, how many in class and reduce risks in schools. We are also the people who will have to live with this decision.

Do you really think the only place to get an education is in school? Id prefer them to be in school but they learn everywhere and learning doesnt end when you finish school you learn throughout life.

Many many children suffer mental health issues due to school but this has never been a concern to the general public or the government so please with all due respect open your mind to other peoples perspective and maybe you will learn and develop some knowledge and empathy