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Original poster

Just received a shielding letter but no one knows why!!

602 replies

theviewfromhalfwaydown · 18/02/2021 11:01

I’m freaking out a bit that there’s something wrong with me I don’t know about. I received a shielding letter but have no idea why I have it. I’m slightly overweight but haven’t been weighed by a dr in 10years and that was just after I’d given birth to my youngest. I have no underlying health conditions I know about and I’m only 38. All I can think of is that I had gestational diabetes but that was years ago. I’ve already had the first jab as I work in healthcare but I’m worried they know something I don’t. I’m not going to shield as I don’t think I need to and I want to work but it’s still thrown me quite a bit.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
AngeloMysterioso · 18/02/2021 15:12

Do you live in a particularly deprived area/postcode?

Nope. Fairly affluent, mostly white, middle class town.

Also, given that they went to the effort of including my full name, address, NHS number and the name and phone number of my GP surgery, would it have been so hard to include a few sentences or bullet points detailing why I’m now classed as CEV?

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:14

I’ve got a letter too! Massive surprise.

I can only think it’s the GD I had 6 years ago - based purely on this thread, GD history seems to be flagging people up. I’ve a healthy BMI, age 40, white, female, no other risk factors I can think of.

I called the GP and they don’t know why, it’s “the algorithm” and they’ve had a few similar calls.

History of gestational diabetes doesn’t actually make someone high risk though does it?? Diabetes foundation seem to think only those with current quite serious diabetes are high risk.

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:14

@Thunderblunder

Genuine question not a snarky one.

How come women who have had GD years ago been sent emails to shield yet my DH who has type 2 diabetes now and is on medication for it hasn’t had an email?

Because it’s a balls up?
Oversize · 18/02/2021 15:17

It's all very odd.
A close relative had a letter offering the covid vaccination next week. Older relatives and people with higher risk factors in the family have heard nothing. When it was checked, apparently that relative is in a higher risk group but with no idea why!

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 15:18

@minipie Unless they have discovered some sort of link between those who develop gestational specific diabetes & those who suffer severe covid.

ReginaTheEvilQueen · 18/02/2021 15:19

Its certainly very confusing the way its being done, im 42, pre diabetic and have a bmi thats over 50, yet no shielding letter or email, yet people with a much lower bmi and who habe only ever had gestational diabetes years ago have got letters or emails 🤨

MummytoCSJH · 18/02/2021 15:21

Theres a similar thread with a few members who have received an email, they all had gestational diabetes too. Seems it must be that!

itsgettingwierd · 18/02/2021 15:29

Ask for medical records.

I was waiting for emergency surgery once and part of the notes printed the consultant suddenly asked me about my depression.

My what?! I'd never been depressed, or diagnosed as depressed. Or been medicated for depression. Yet a GP had written it on my notes that I had it after I'd been into surgery.

And guess what. This was about the same pain I'd been having in my stomach for a few months that got so bad at night it kept me up. They'd tried fluoxetine because the amatriptyline knocked me out. I was told both were prescribed to stop stomach cramps.

But no, the dr decided to decide I was depressed and not tell me that's what he thought and prescribe fluoxetine to treat it under the guise of treating the stomach cramps (which he decided was depression caused) which I was now having emergency surgery for because no one investigated.

It's probably not as dire as that and maybe it is to do with pre gestational diabetes but I've learnt to check everything!

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:31

On the other thread a GP has just posted to say it’s an error

It was only supposed to include those with current GD but has swept up everyone with past GD

JamieFrasersLover · 18/02/2021 15:31

I got my email. I'm type 2 and ironically have put on nearly 2 stone since last March when wfh and much less exercise so am also classed obese now too. 😭

painbrain · 18/02/2021 15:33

I've received an email this morning. BMI over 30 but below 40, and GD nearly 9 years ago. I was very surprised too, but I can see it's not just me.

StrangerHereMyself · 18/02/2021 15:35

From one POV it would be very useful to have a list at the bottom of the letter saying
“Reasons why you have been assessed as higher risk are:
Age 56
Sex Male
Type 1 diabetes diagnosed in July 2013
Kidney transplant September 2017”

That would help a lot. But including all that in an unencrypted email would be a huge data risk. Also there would be a lot of people receiving an email which could be interpreted as saying “You’re under house arrest because you’re poor and black”.

However there should have been more joined up communication with GPs, perhaps by giving them a code to enable them to look up the risk factors driving each of their patients’ outcomes. Time consuming but genuinely valuable in helping patients understand their own health and cleansing data errors.

Itsap · 18/02/2021 15:37

I haven't received a letter (yet) but have had GD twice, but both times diet controlled, most recent was just over 5 years ago. Healthy-ish weight (BMI 24-25 in recent checks) and no other conditions that I know of, certainly none on the list. Don't live in a deprived area, white. I don't feel like I should be treated as vulnerable. I have a couple of relatives and friends who have been shielding since last March. If that list linked to shows conditions in order of weighting, I'm suddenly much higher on the list. Bizarre.

I certainly won't be ringing my GP to question not having had a letter or email, but now I know it's on the list, should I email them to check? I work out of the home in a workplace which has had numerous outbreaks over the last year, my kids go to school as keyworker children, DH works in a job which also puts him at risk. I would have totally lived my life differently over the past year had I known that this could cause problems.

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:41

@minipie

On the other thread a GP has just posted to say it’s an error

It was only supposed to include those with current GD but has swept up everyone with past GD

See above
StarrIntheSky · 18/02/2021 15:42

I’m just so happy I’ve now got priority delivery for groceries it’s the first time I’ve managed to book one in ages

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:43

Personally I will be assuming mine is an error and will not be shielding

Not that I’m going anywhere at the moment anyway!

minipie · 18/02/2021 15:43

@StarrIntheSky

I’m just so happy I’ve now got priority delivery for groceries it’s the first time I’ve managed to book one in ages
Grin
Monsterpage · 18/02/2021 15:54

Can someone tell me how I get priority for home delivery? I am the only adult who can go the shopping and I drive there as I have been unable to get a slot that is not either 6am or 10pm?

JollyMom · 18/02/2021 15:56

Hi all, I have got the letter today as well. I had gestational diabetes many years back.

Seeing the posts in this group makes me think that the new covid screening algorithm is picking up GD as well.
I spoke to the GP and he has asked me to take a decision on whether I want to be in the high risk category or be removed from the list as he himself is confused and unsure as to why I got the letter.

I want to go to work and don’t know what to do. What do you guys think?

JollyMom

StarrIntheSky · 18/02/2021 15:57

@Monsterpage

Can someone tell me how I get priority for home delivery? I am the only adult who can go the shopping and I drive there as I have been unable to get a slot that is not either 6am or 10pm?
If you are registered they might call you or you can phone customer services and explain you are now on the shielding list
user1471530109 · 18/02/2021 15:57

There was a link in the letter for priory delivery. Tbh, I've managed to get deliveries every week anyway (I've always been clinically vulnerable-but there are lots of slots here).

Got my vaccine booked for next week! TBF, I was due to have it now anyway.

Covidcorvid · 18/02/2021 15:59

I know someone with pre diabetes who has also had the letter. But he doesn't have diabetes. He also got the vaccine earlier this week when he has no condition which makes him in group 6, not a carer either. He was totally gobsmacked to get the vaccine invite.

Iliketeaagain · 18/02/2021 15:59

I emailed my surgery and asked them why and told them I was planning to ignore it. They couldn't tell me why I was high risk, but asked me to please shield as per the letter guidance unless I heard otherwise in the future. The only change is that now I'm banned from going into an office (nhs) when I need to because I'm officially shielding and I won't be redeployed to a patient facing activity even if there are staffing issues (although I gladly would and previously offered).

I reckon it's coding gone wrong. I was "diagnosed" with gestational diabetes, but never had high blood sugar except for my GTT which was 0.1 over the limit on the first one they did. Obese, but BMI below 35.

My main issue is that the risk is reducing, but now I'm expected to shield when I haven't for the last 11 months and no one can tell me exactly why!

CeibaTree · 18/02/2021 16:06

@user1471530109

I REALLY don't think it's GD or pre-diabetes. They'd be asking all type 1 and 2 to shield. And trust me, despite it being spoken about since last March, they haven't. The odd person has but according to what I can gather from reading online, only with another condition and)or if they have a higher hba1c.

If you read the news reports, this new shielding group isn't always down to medical conditions. But also postcode etc. If your GP has had lots of patients calling asking the same question, could it be down to that?

I thought the postcode thing was people from deprived areas being more vulnerable. I am in a very affluent area (although I'm not particularly affluent myself haha). And the NHS have no idea of my weight, so it can't be weight based either - and if it was I'm only just into 'overweight BMI. If it's not GD then the only other possible risk factor I can think of that I've read about is my ethnicity - 1/4 asian 3/4 white. But surely everyone of a background that isn't 100% white isn't been asked to shield.

If the NHS had to send out these letters, they could have at least let people know why they have been sent them instead of asking them to call their GP who hasn't been informed of the reason anyway.