NHS shielding letter

[Hadrian135]

Hi. New to site with type 2. Received letter 26th of March from NHS asking me to stay home for 12 weeks. Now see diabetes as moderate risk on NHs site and as such it advises will not get a letter. Am I moderate or High risk as this impacts on going outside etc. My letter says not to go out even to exercise or get food etc.

I am taking medication for high blood pressure but cannot see this on the list provided.

Any help appreciated.

 

[Becka]

What other medical conditions do you have?

Diabetes was not classed as a very high risk condition for covid-19, i.e. it does not make someone "clinically extremely vulnerable" who needs to shield. So you should not have received the letter simply for being diabetic.

However, the decision on who needs to shield is ultimately made by a G.P., or possibly another clinic treating you, using their own clinical judgment based on their better understanding of your health rather than someone simply checking your diagnoses against a list. They are also the ones who send the shielding letter, so it should be signed by whoever was decided you needed to shield.

If you do not have any of the conditions listed at the end of the letter then the best thing to do is contact your G.P., or whoever else signed the letter, to ask why they made that decision.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Mistakes with these letters (in both directions) have happened. You probably need to give your GP surgery a ring and see what they think.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Well so far I have received 3 stay at home letters and one not. Can anyone beat that?

 

[Hadrian135]

What other medical conditions do you have?

Diabetes was not classed as a very high risk condition for covid-19, i.e. it does not make someone "clinically extremely vulnerable" who needs to shield. So you should not have received the letter simply for being diabetic.

However, the decision on who needs to shield is ultimately made by a G.P., or possibly another clinic treating you, using their own clinical judgment based on their better understanding of your health rather than someone simply checking your diagnoses against a list. They are also the ones who send the shielding letter, so it should be signed by whoever was decided you needed to shield.

If you do not have any of the conditions listed at the end of the letter then the best thing to do is contact your G.P., or whoever else signed the letter, to ask why they made that decision.

E

 

[Hadrian135]

Thank you. Tried drs and all I got was the surgery has over 2000 people who received letter and cannot discuss with individuals. Still no clearer but thankyou again.

 

[Robin]

Thank you. Tried drs and all I got was the surgery has over 2000 people who received letter and cannot discuss with individuals. Still no clearer but thankyou again.

This article from the guardian was quoted in another thread on this site, I think.

A GP's verdict on the shielding list: 'It's been really complicated'

A GP explains why it has taken time to build up the list from the initial 1.5 million people

www.theguardian.com

From the tone of it, it sounds as if most GPs have had quite a lot of input into the tailoring of the 'shielded' list to fit all their patients. So for yours to say that they can’t discuss individual cases sounds like a bit of a cop-out.

 

[Becka]

If you G.P. believes you have a serious health condition and is unwilling to discuss it with you then I would make an official complaint to the surgery.

The N.H.S. gives you the right to see your medical records and be told how they are used. You also have the right to a second opinion, and so could ask that another doctor to consider whether you need to shield.

Ultimately, though, shielding is only a recommendation so if you do not think it is appropriate and want to carry on going out then you are free to ignore it.

These are the details of patient rights within England, the ones for the other countries will be similar:

The NHS Constitution for England

www.gov.uk

 

[tangchen]

Hi, i am Type 2 and also received a shielding letter. I didn't expect one but i think it's because i'm also very overweight that my GP has made the decision.

 

[Whitevanman1441]

I never got a letter yet have been told by Barts Hosp to stay in for 12 weeks because of my cancer I also have type 2.
It may be my cancer will get me before this virus as have no treatment for 10 weeks.

 

[grovesy]

I never got a letter yet have been told by Barts Hosp to stay in for 12 weeks because of my cancer I also have type 2.
It may be my cancer will get me before this virus as have no treatment for 10 weeks.

It will be the cancer.

 

[Vicsetter]

if you get a shielding letter, then look on the good side, you should get priority supermarket deliveries, Asda deliver to me for free.

 

[Becka]

That is a sombre reply from grovesy!

However, the treatment required may have put you are a greater risk of serious infection from the virus. So on balance, isolating at home without treatment would be safer for you than travelling to a hospital with a compromised immune system.

 

[Robin]

It will be the cancer.

That is a sombre reply from grovesy!

Did Grovesy mean, 'it’ll be the cancer that puts you on the shielding list, not the diabetes' not 'it’ll be the cancer that gets you, not the virus'?

 

[grovesy]

Did Grovesy mean, 'it’ll be the cancer that puts you on the shielding list, not the diabetes' not 'it’ll be the cancer that gets you, not the virus'?

Yes.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Did Grovesy mean, 'it’ll be the cancer that puts you on the shielding list, not the diabetes' not 'it’ll be the cancer that gets you, not the virus'?

That was how I read it. But I did have to read it twice! 😛

 

[Becka]

Sorry, as Whitevanman had said they were shielding because of cancer I did not see that connection. (I still do not to be honest!)

 

[GonnaMissPizza]

Hi sorry to hijack your post Hadrian135. I too received the shielding letter in March. When we contacted the GP about it we were told it was because of the combination of newly being diagnosef with diabetes, high blood pressure and being overweight which am gradually loosing thankfully.

My issue is now my employer contacted me yesterday and is telling me to come back to work from Monday even though i sent him the shielding letter. His comment was the virus is fake and nothings gonna happen which shocked me. I feel he has spat in the faces of family and friends who have lost loved ones due to this virus.

I have proof that they dont follow social disantancing or regularly clean up and go visit friends who seem to be just as narrow minded as them who also come and hang out like nothings happening at their workplace btw.

I want to tell him i quit but will work for another month from home untill they can find and train a replacement to help them out.

Do you guys think am wrong in doing that? I wont face any legal actions if i go down this route right?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Your employer sounds like they are acting very irresponsibly @GonnaMissPizza

As far as I am aware, you are free to resign a post at any stage for any (or no) reason. Your employment contract may have a period of notice, ut I’m not sure how that applies in the current circumstances. Citizens Advice may be able to help?

 

[Carlos]

Hi sorry to hijack your post Hadrian135. I too received the shielding letter in March. When we contacted the GP about it we were told it was because of the combination of newly being diagnosef with diabetes, high blood pressure and being overweight which am gradually loosing thankfully.

My issue is now my employer contacted me yesterday and is telling me to come back to work from Monday even though i sent him the shielding letter. His comment was the virus is fake and nothings gonna happen which shocked me. I feel he has spat in the faces of family and friends who have lost loved ones due to this virus.

I have proof that they dont follow social disantancing or regularly clean up and go visit friends who seem to be just as narrow minded as them who also come and hang out like nothings happening at their workplace btw.

I want to tell him i quit but will work for another month from home untill they can find and train a replacement to help them out.

Do you guys think am wrong in doing that? I wont face any legal actions if i go down this route right?

I would feel no need to be helpful to such an employer. If you resign you will likely have to work a notice period, depending on what you contract of employment says, but given their attitude, if it were me resigning I would just do the bare minimum required.