Group 6 and morbid obesity?

[Ermwhatwhatwhat]

Does anyone know how this works with being called for vaccination when your doctors don’t actually know you are morbidly obese?

I’ve rang my doctors today to ask and have been told to wait to be called and that I am not listed as group 6 so will have to wait. I explained that I know I won’t be listed as in group 6 as the doctor won’t know I’m morbidly obese as they haven’t weighed me for years and I need to find out how to make sure the doctor knows I’m morbidly obese so I do get listed as group 6. I was then told they can’t tell how long I’ll wait and to wait to be called (ie they completely ignored my question about how the doctor will know). I asked if they could please clarify how the doctor will know to call me due to morbid obesity if they don’t know I’m morbidly obese? They said again to wait to be called in for the vaccination and that I’m not down as group 6. This went on about four or five times before they put me into the practise manager who repeated it to me twice before I asked if I needed to make an appointment to be weighed so that the surgery will know I am morbidly obese and therefore group 6. She then asked me to ring back and make an appointment with the nurse so the nurse can apparently explain to me about having to wait til I’m called and that I’m not currently in group 6. I gave up at that point.

I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. I’m eligible for the vaccine due to morbid obesity but I have to wait to be called in for the vaccine. I won’t be called as part of group six because the doctors don’t know I’m morbidly obese. I try to arrange to let the doctor know and I’m told to wait to be called in. Which I won’t be. Because they don’t know I’m morbidly obese.

Can anyone clarify what I’m supposed to do here? How do I get the doctors surgery aware that while they don’t have me down as group six, if they had my updated weight info they would do, but they won’t take my updated weight info?

I would make the appointment to go to be weighed, as I reckon that's the only way to make it official, and as soon as it is you'll go into group 6 and be called after that.

Frustrating but if you are in England then they are racing through the vaccinations so you won’t have long to wait.

You are absolutely right to be concern! I have seen too many lives loss in my hometown and they were obese.

I just read that you will be getting the Johnson & Johnson soon so more people can be vaccinated. I already had the johnson&johnson vaccines in my states. So far so good. No side effects

My surgery must be very lax...

I emailed them my height and weight and they emailed back to say I was in group 6.

I was vaccinated a week ago.

Make an appointment with the nurse to discuss your weight and insist you are weighed and your records amended.

I don't think they can refuse to record a medical vital sign about you - this includes your weight.

You need to insist on getting weighed at the surgery if they don't believe you.

I am so fed up of everything being based on the assumption that we are all liars and cheats these days. This is the basic principle underlying everything at the DC's school and the GP now. So bloody depressing.

The answer to your question about how will they know......is they won’t unless you go into be weighed.

Therefore the only answer is to make an appointment to go in. You could have asked for an appointment with Dr or Nurse and at that point explained you want to be weighed. They won’t refuse to do it.

When you book, there is no need to explain why you want an appointment. Just say it’s personal and you’d rather talk to a medical professional about it.

So, dont bother engaging in the discussion about how will they know, because actually you know they can only know if they weigh you. You telling them won’t generally be good enough....because anyone could say this or think they are....who actually isn’t.

Just phone up or go online and make the appointment. Online will mean no discussion required at all. If you phone, just ask for appointment.

How old are you?

It you’re 40s, it could be that the national booking system opens to you sooner than you get called via Group 6. Group 6 has been open for about a month now and most practices are done or nearly done with it. So actually, if you get weighed this week or early next week, you might find it’s pretty speedy...just depends on practice.

Surgeries have had loads of queries about Group 6. On one level, I understand why they don’t want people, calling all the time....clearly it stops them getting in and doing their job. However, lots of people haven’t been recorded as Group 6 and unless they ring cannot clarify or get this rectified (assuming they are right) and actually, I think rectifying these errors IS part of the job, and simply refusing to speak to people when there is a genuine issue is a real problem. The trouble is that in order to distinguish between those just ringing for info or trying to move up queue, and those who genuinely have been missed off the Group 6 flag, conversation needs to happen.

There will end up being people who should have been done before 15 April in Group 6, who actually won’t get done until much later because they aren’t correctly flagged, especially if in 20s. Some of that could be avoided if people could actually have a conversation about it. I know the deaths in those categories will be very low, but if there are deaths that could be avoided by vulnerable people having the vaccine, a refusal to engage with someone who believes they are wrongly categorised is an issue, in my view.

Lots of reports mention the big distinguisher between those who get seriously ill and die, and those who have the illness more moderately is weight.

Obesity raises the risk of getting, or getting more severely so many diseases. It needs to be said more often, rather than skirted around.

That sounds hugely frustrating and twilight zoney, no wonder you have up! It’s nonsensical.

I’d call back and just ask for an appointment without mentioning your weight or the vaccine, though here you have to go through a phone call then a video consultation before you see anyone face to face and from the sounds of things they might cut you off there anyway.

What a hassle, I’m so sorry.

Ring the complaints manager and ask if your weight has been coded. Our surgery just let us ring through our weight.

Make an appointment with your doc. Tell the receptionist it’s personal & you’d rather not tell her why. Or lie & say you are struggling with migraine or something. Whatever minor illness will get you an appointment. Then tell the doctor what you weigh. Should do the trick.

Could you be proactive rather than waiting on them, and lose some weight in the meantime? Every lb will reduce your risk.

@nonstopchanging

I don't think they can refuse to record a medical vital sign about you - this includes your weight.

You need to insist on getting weighed at the surgery if they don't believe you.

I am so fed up of everything being based on the assumption that we are all liars and cheats these days. This is the basic principle underlying everything at the DC's school and the GP now. So bloody depressing.

I know!

Even with something like saying "I have anxiety " in a post on mumsnet arouses this kind of suspicion!I

Even though mental health issues are pretty well stigmatized still. Why would people fake it with nothing to gain by it?

I had the same problem - I just told them my weight and they updated my records

I guess they figure no one is going to admit to being a fat munter if they don’t have to or just for shots and giggles

@TransplantedScouser

I guess they figure no one is going to admit to being a fat munter if they don’t have to or just for shots and giggles

Exactly! Weight has a stigma too. Nobody fakes it for lols! Especially as it can be no not always the result of disordered eating, which is actually underdiagnosed in the obese and feels hard to talk about!

My G P has a system called Ask My Gp an online app and website where you can ask a GP . I am in group 6 for multiple issues including BMI and hadn't been flagged so I contac red them and they updated me and I just got my text to book vaccine.

I nearly missed my flu jab last autumn in spite of letters from consultants , I had just slipped through the cracks regarding being Flagged as CV. Its.worth contacting doctor so they update your record.

I happened to get some blood tests etc in early summer, which is before anyone was aware of the JCVI priority list (although it probably existed then, but not in public minds) and had to give the GP surgery my weight. I had put on several stone since registering with them many many years ago when we first joined the practice. They were trying to get me to come into the surgery and use their scales. No way. Not worth any virus exposure just to use a different set of scales with a witness. I think they eventually recorded my new fat weight as reported by my (cheating, lying, dishonest, untrustworthy) home scales though

And all that stress for nothing as it only made my BMI normally obese (changed from overweight) and not morbidly obese, so the GP surgery didn't need to waste one of their precious only-for-the-most-vulnerable vaccines on me [again]

So pissed off with all the new culture of distrust within these establishments that are supposed to be places that help people, support people (schools, GPs, etc) not places that operate on the principles of the a tax collector.

If you are put off seeking help from the GP, school, etc, due to this new culture of distrust it is detrimental to individuals and to the whole of society.

Contact the surgery through the eConsult facility (do not select any of the administrative query options or you will be dealt with by a receptionist) and the GP has to deal with you. If you have a BMI that puts you in group 6, you shouldn't wait for your age group. The age groups are huge and it could be weeks/months.

TBH I don't think you'll have to wait long if you're in England, I'm group 8 and got a letter this week, first vaccine being done in 10 days time!

Have you asked for a telephone appointment with your GP?

@Tempusfudgeit

Could you be proactive rather than waiting on them, and lose some weight in the meantime? Every lb will reduce your risk.

Genius! I bet the OP had never considered that herself...

I rang my GP surgery just to check they definitely had me down as BMI over 40 and was told I'd just have to wait until I was called. I asked twice if they had a flag for obesity on my file as that would put me in group 6 and also asked them to log me as providing personal care to a disabled child and was told no, I would have to wait.

Three weeks and one positive covid test later, I'm still waiting to be invited. Thankfully, the whole fat people who get covid will die thing appears not to have come true for me.

When people have genuine reasons to be registered as Group 6 and have called and been told they are not being out in Group 6, have you just been accepting it or asking to speak to a GP or practice manager about it?

Or is it a case that you are essentially being told you are Group 6 and will have to wait for your invite?

I understand some people call thinking they are group 6, who have no idea about it and really are. It group 6. People do try it on and lie about all kinds of things and receptionists get sick of it. BUT there are also genuine cases out there and those people MUST be listened to and not just told to go away and wait their turn.

If anyone has an unsatisfactory conversation with reception where they have asked a clear question or identified something which is clearly listed in the Green Book as putting them in Group 6, or meets a criteria currently listed on the national booking site, then please call again a no ask to book an appointment with the GP. If asked why, simply say it is personal.

Group 6 are identified as vulnerable and entitled to be vaccinated in the current cohort. If you believe you definitely meet the criteria, but for some reason have been excluded, you need the opportunity to put forward the information or to have a chance to be told why you are wrong. If the only way to do this is to speak directly with the GP, then book for a phone/video consultation. At the start, say you had to book it because the person you spoke to on reception would not engage with you and you feel you are a vulnerable person in Group 6 at risk, so should be vaccinated with the current cohort.

GPs need to know that some staff are blocking and denying some patients the chance to access care they are entitled to.

But first, be very sure that you do meet the criteria.....don’t be that time waster.

The last time I was weighed at the Drs was during pregnancy in 2019.
My BMI was 30.
Last year I gained a lot of weight and my BMI has gone up to 40.

I didn’t know I would qualify for the vaccine until I went to the Drs. I actually called about my weight because it was really concerning me how much I’d gained.

I had to go in for blood tests, they did my weight and blood pressure.

The Dr told me then that I would be in a priority group for the vaccine because of my BMI.

I was also referred to a weight loss management team.
My blood tests also showed I have an under active thyroid.

I think it would be worth booking an appointment as a general health check (which is what I did after expressing concern about my weight)

Might be worth checking your Hospital Trust’s Facebook page as my one put a post out asking people who think they are in Group 6 who haven’t been called to email them directly - so presumably people could bypass their GP if necessary in our area.

If your GP has econsult/email then send them your current height and weight and BMI and ask for your medical records to be updated. Say you are happy to go in to be weighed if required. Add that you believe your BMI puts you in group 6 and ask for this to be confirmed.