Vaccine - unpaid carers

[Florelei]

Is anyone else having significant problems with their GPs? I am registered as a carer with them and asked them yesterday if I was included within group 6.

They said they wouldn’t be putting anyone forward as a carer in group 6 without either evidence of carer’s allowance or a carer’s passport from the council. I can’t claim carer’s allowance as my earnings are just over the threshold even though I only work part time.

I rang the council who didn’t know what I was talking about.

Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have any tips?

Many thanks in advance.

@WetWeekends

I’ve just had mine this afternoon, as an unpaid carer for my DC, who has only recently been diagnosed, so I haven’t got round to applying for the DLA for them yet. My GP knows DC has been diagnosed obviously so happily coded me as an unpaid carer. I thought I wouldn’t get it though in Group 6, after the guidance to GP’s saying the DC had to be CV as my DC isn’t. I was texted on Wednesday to invite me to book an app for today. I’m extremely grateful and relieved, partly because I have a health condition myself that would probably mean Covid would cause my condition to flare up. DC wouldn’t cope if I was too unwell to care for them for any more than a day or two. I hope you all get yours very soon!

It's such a shame that different GPs in different areas seem to have taken different views and not followed the proper guidance of who is and isn't in group 6. I get a carers element and my son gets high rate DLA, my sons GP actually pushed for his diagnosis but I got those things a while before he was diagnosed because of the amount of care he needs from me. Presumably at your GP Someone like me would definitely have been offered it already. No luck with mine so far though, have definitely been coded as a carer (can see this on my online records) and still unable to book and being fobbed off.

I agree @MummytoCSJH I think it’s a real shame it’s been handled so badly in some areas. My partner was given his last week due to Asthma, but when I read the guidance I didn’t think he was going to be in Group 6. I presume the GP has added him due to him having had 2 courses of steroids last year, when his asthma was very bad. He was very grateful as he works in Education coming into contact with lots of young people every week.

@WetWeekends really glad you've both managed to get yours at least some GPs are using common sense!

@MummytoCSJH, have you asked your GP directly about being in group 6, or why you haven't been contacted? My GP phoned me last week because I had emailed on Monday to query if I had been registered as a carer, just to make sure I had been. He confirmed I had and asked if I wanted the vaccine, so I managed to get it last Friday instead of over a weeks time away which I had booked through 119 (I've cancelled that one now). The nhs page now says they are doing people who care for people who are at high risk from Coronavirus. I think anyone with a learning disability is considered high risk.

Crap!! I have reported my own post @mnhq my screenshot has identifying info please delete it

Thank you so much for removing that. Will try again with a cropped screenshot this time!

@Staffy1 I need to contact the gp again I think, it's just another stress on top of everything else I just tried to book through the service again (even though I know I can't, just to check again) and once I put my details in it showed this - wtf?! I clicked continue and it asked about being a healthcare or social worker again and then said not eligible. I hope that's a mistake, I definitely haven't had an appointment booked and missed it!

@MummytoCSJH - I got that message because I’d mistakenly put that I was a health and social care worker. Could also be a glitch in the system.

@MummytoCSJH, I know what you mean about the stress of contacting them again, I hate having to get through the receptionists at ours, which is why I decided to email, rather than talk to them. Such a pain that you even have to do this, but if you do, mention that you know of several carers in your situation that have all been booked by their GPs. I see they are now doing over 56. The age groups seem to be being done quite quickly now, so that's something, but still, you shouldn't have to wait for that.