Should I say I’m a carer and CEV for the vaccine?!

[rosegoldsaber]

I’m group 6 (underlying health conditions)

This is on my medical records, I spoke to the Dr yesterday who confirmed but couldn’t give me a timescale for when Id get my vaccine.

I’m due back to work in 3 weeks (on mat leave) and I work in a school.
I’m anxious about going back without the vaccine.

To date, 3 people I know have now has their vaccines but don’t qualify!
Two are 30 and 36 and the other 43!

I’ve tried to book online and it won’t allow me.
The only way it lets me get as far as booking an appointment is if I say I’m a carer and CEV!

I’m not trying to jump the que, I am eligible but it just seems that group 6 is a big mess and I’m totally fed up that people who aren’t even eligible have had theirs.

I really don’t want to go back to work without a vaccine.

What will happen if I book online and show up.
Will they turn me away?

Please don't phone your doctor to demand a group six jab.

Last week our local surgery had 50% of same day appointments unbooked because nobody could get through on the phone. They had to move an extra member of staff to answering phones rather than sorting out group 6 jabs.

They are working on it but the NHS computer systems are not generally very modern. It will unfortunately take time.

Well OP, I’m not sure how you’d just “say” you’re a carer... I’m in an FB group with some carers (for their children) and only those who have proof of their carer’s allowance or their child’s DLA if they’re an unpaid carer. And that only covers one parent, so if there are two, the other needs to write to their GP surgery to be placed on the list.

Not sure how anyone can just rock up and lie.

I can see why they have prioritised how they have - all makes complete sense to me. But where things fall down is the Comms. People just don’t understand hence the constant GP calling. They don’t realise that if they are group 5 and above, if they can go to a local hub then it frees up space at the GP

I do understand your fears. It's horrible having to wait, and for school to be back putting you at risk.

However please also bare in mind there are carers in group 6 patiently waiting their turn, even though the person they love and care for is CEV & not just CV and higher risk of death. If more people chose that sneaky route, mass numbers of these rule breakers will essentially be skipping ahead of people that could result in many deaths.

Not to mention the people taking advantage are the reason some GP's are making it near impossible to even let people have it flagged up on their record that they are a carer, despite them. being very genuine cases and deserving of their own spot. It's all really sad.

Hang in there. I hope your invite comes soon. I know plenty of CV people getting or have had theirs. It is sooner than you may think.

Completely understand why you want it but seriously you just need to be patient. I'm group 6 and work in school I had my vaccine today thankfully but have worked whole way through lockdowns with 5 year olds who don't grasp social distancing. Every one of my colleagues would love the vaccine and I feel guilty being the first to get it.
To lie about being a carer would be completely unfair!

Hi, Can anyone help answer a question for me?

Fil is mid 70's, physically disabled and also suffering with chronic illness and pain, he moved in with us just before the first lockdown as he couldn't cope alone and need's help with general day to day activities, his mobility is poor and he can't get around well, although he does still drive.

Dh does most things for him, we had an en-suite wet room and raised height toilet installed as he can't climb stairs etc. He can't put his own socks on, or open a door with a key for example, most of his needs are met by Dh, although he can make a drink and snack.

We have never officially registered Dh as his carer, and wouldn't be eligible for carers allowance, Fil has been vaccinated but due to his numerous health conditions he is vulnerable to COVID. Would Dh count as a carer for Fil? If so how would we register this if we don't need to claim the allowance?

I am group 6, checked with GP in case had been left off the list. They told me they would contact me. Tried last night (because am impatient by nature) to go on the booking site. I still came up as not being eligible yet!

Am gonna just wait for G P now. Group 6 has started here but it has been slow and many who qualify as group 6 haven't been flagged up and have had to remind their doctors.

If you are on the CEV list, you will have had numerous texts and letters telling that you are, to shield, etc. If you haven't received anything like that, you're not on it,
Given that they are getting through near on half a million people a day - lets say 3 million a week, it won't be long until your turn arrives.
If too many people waste time and resources by lying on the online application, it will slow things up for everyone.

@CamdenLurker

Hi, Can anyone help answer a question for me?

Fil is mid 70's, physically disabled and also suffering with chronic illness and pain, he moved in with us just before the first lockdown as he couldn't cope alone and need's help with general day to day activities, his mobility is poor and he can't get around well, although he does still drive.

Dh does most things for him, we had an en-suite wet room and raised height toilet installed as he can't climb stairs etc. He can't put his own socks on, or open a door with a key for example, most of his needs are met by Dh, although he can make a drink and snack.

We have never officially registered Dh as his carer, and wouldn't be eligible for carers allowance, Fil has been vaccinated but due to his numerous health conditions he is vulnerable to COVID. Would Dh count as a carer for Fil? If so how would we register this if we don't need to claim the allowance?

You fill in a form at your Dr. It’s probably on the website. All Drs are obliged to keep a register of carers. It’s not just about Covid it’s about them being aware of your caring responsibilities and access to help and support if appropriate.

Ffs. Don't lie! My son is group 4 and still not had his. I'm trying to get it sorted but brick walls so far.
Just wait your turn like the rest of us, you're no more important than anyone else in your group.

@MrsPernicious

Please don't phone your doctor to demand a group six jab.

Last week our local surgery had 50% of same day appointments unbooked because nobody could get through on the phone. They had to move an extra member of staff to answering phones rather than sorting out group 6 jabs.

They are working on it but the NHS computer systems are not generally very modern. It will unfortunately take time.

I totally understand this, but our surgery has removed any option to contact other than to call. Emails (now down to one address) go unanswered, letters are ignored and messages option has been removed.

People are uncertain about G6, and whats happening - every call cant be just to demand a jab. Each query made elsewhere says contact your health care provider. It leaves worried people with no option other than to call.

If an extra member of staff could be made available to just answer other means it would help a lot. Its often forced to be the only way to try to get some answers

The vaccine for carers is not meant to be there so that people Don’t infect their relative it’s meant to be if someone depends on you for their care and if you were unwell there would be nobody else to care for them. Household contacts of the vulnerable are not being done in group 6. If there is somebody else who could care for the person or they could get by without you or the other parent has been vaccinated as a carer you shouldn’t be adding yourself. The deluge of new carers (some totally genuine, some mainly wanting an early vaccine) are slowing the system down for those who are vulnerable.

The current system isn’t very fair for those in group 5 who can’t travel to a large centre 25 miles away either. They could well wait until after group 6 (or forever?!) are done and somebody picks up on the fact they haven’t been vaccinated because GPs are not calling group 5! It was a silly decision imo. Let the people who can and are willing to travel get those appointments. Allowing people to book and then turning them away is such a waste of valuable time

@rosegoldsaber what is it that actually makes you group 6? I don't understand why if you're group 6 you'd have to lie about an underlying illness or caring duties when that's basically what group 6 is.

Are you saying you have no health issues or caring duties but you've been tagged as Geoup6 for unknown reasons?

@CamdenLurker

Hi, Can anyone help answer a question for me?

Fil is mid 70's, physically disabled and also suffering with chronic illness and pain, he moved in with us just before the first lockdown as he couldn't cope alone and need's help with general day to day activities, his mobility is poor and he can't get around well, although he does still drive.

Dh does most things for him, we had an en-suite wet room and raised height toilet installed as he can't climb stairs etc. He can't put his own socks on, or open a door with a key for example, most of his needs are met by Dh, although he can make a drink and snack.

We have never officially registered Dh as his carer, and wouldn't be eligible for carers allowance, Fil has been vaccinated but due to his numerous health conditions he is vulnerable to COVID. Would Dh count as a carer for Fil? If so how would we register this if we don't need to claim the allowance?

I'd class your DH as a carer, he needs to speak to the GP and let them know he's a carer and see if they ask for proof. Of your DH became poorly with covid who would do your FILs care? If you both had it, who would do it?

Don't lie. You need to show proof that you are a carer and will be refused vaccination if you have no proof.

@Nekoness

Well OP, I’m not sure how you’d just “say” you’re a carer... I’m in an FB group with some carers (for their children) and only those who have proof of their carer’s allowance or their child’s DLA if they’re an unpaid carer. And that only covers one parent, so if there are two, the other needs to write to their GP surgery to be placed on the list.

Not sure how anyone can just rock up and lie.

This.

DH has been "added" as a carer recently for DS but doctors surgery know us v well (oops) and that DS is complex so we're happy to tick the box. Imagine if we were a less needy family I'd have had to prove it

I’m group 6 (confirmed by GP receptionist) and waiting too. Like you, I can’t book through the nhs booking site.

I’ll just have to wait like you!

(I’ve had Coronavirus though)

You would absolutely be jumping the queue by lying that you are a carer and CEV - how can you deny this ?

Unfortunately, there does seem to be a group of people desperate to jump the queue and get vaccinated. Reports such as some of the large vaccination hubs being currently run under capacity does seem to fuel this for them.

Bungle, those in Group 5 who genuinely cannot travel to the mass centres will get picked up by GPs and referred to the local hubs, as will those in group 7 and other groups too if they don’t/won’t go to the mass centres.

The reality, is that by the time you’re looking at under 70s who aren’t down as clinically vulnerable, the vast vast majority are perfectly able to travel some distance to get their jab. Group 6 with the vast array of conditions within it are more likely to not be able to travel. And the problem for Group 6 has been that those in Group 5 and also Group 7 which can book for the mass hubs too now, often just do t want to travel...they’d like the local hub because it’s easier. The fact they then take those places (they get picked up as they’ve not booked via the national booking system when invited) delays covering the massive group 6.

So I suppose it works both ways. You’ve got sooner priority but don’t want to travel. Lots of Group 6 would love to be able to use the national booking system and would happily travel 30 mins to get the jab now rather than in 3 weeks time. Ultimately, the system is helped by as many people as possible booking as soon as they are eligible and using the venues they are offered, rather than delaying and waiting for a more convenient venue. This is what enables the system to get more people through fast. The system has built in flexibility for those who really cannot travel, but now we are on under 70s, the vast vast majority of those who don’t have medical conditions, are able to travel 30 mins, especially when there is a big volunteer army out there to help people who have difficulties with the arrangements.

MrsPernicious, there is a big difference between people ringing the surgery to demand a sooner vaccination and those who ring, because they quite simply have hunted high and low for the information about if they are in group 6 or not, and have no other way of finding it out.

Loads of people are just not clear if they are in Group 6. And because there is no info on a website or anyway else about where their local area is up to with vaccines, they don’t know if they have been missed off the group 6 list and passed by or not. They wait a week or two and hear nothing and worry and keep looking on the internet and asking around...and nothing....and they think they should be group 6, but because no-one has ever been informed they are in that group, just don’t know. And if they are in their 20s, and have been missed off (lots of people have) you are looking at an extra 3-4 months until they get their vaccine if they don’t ring and check.

So, at this stage, it doesn’t make sense to say ‘DO NOT contact the NHS under any circumstance about the vaccine’ if there also isn’t any access to information for people. People wouldn’t need to ring their surgery if they had been told they were group 6 or if the information was out there about which group the surgery was working on....but the problem is that it isn’t. It is a Comms issue.

Everyone gets that the NHS need to get in and do the job and answering a zillion phone calls hinders that. Most people think long and hard before ringing. But they ring because the information which could be put out there isn’t there or is out of date.

• no info or up to date info on GP websites about current groups being covered

-people not knowing if they are in group 6 or not and fearing being missed and having to wait lots of extra months (and there are lots of cases of this...only rectified when people ring)

• people not being clear if their route is via the NHS booking system and viva the GP
• the NHS booking system saying in the front page that a certain age group can now book, but in fact, it lets those 4 years younger through

-fears about being queue jumpers and being turned away by those managing centres, after reports of over zealous car park attendants demanding letters or proof of booking, when none have been sent or asked for.

Clearly vaccinating the population is a mammoth task and it won’t go entirely smoothly and the reality is they are doing 2.5million a week so LOADS is going right. But there are little comms tweaks that could be made to make it better still.