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Patients who have undergone a splenectomy have been added to the COVID-19 shielding list, NHS England has confirmed, reversing its previous advice.
During a webinar on 24 April, NHS England director of primary care Dr Nikki Kanani said: 'I know there's been confusion over splenectomy. Splenectomy is in the shielded patient list, and 45,000 patients who have had a splenectomy have been sent their letters already, and that that will obviously be added to but that's the broad number at the moment.'
The statement appears to reverse previous advice on shielding - updated on 11 April and still available on the NHS England website at the time of writing - which says patients 'who have had your spleen removed' are 'not in the highest clinical risk registry (or shielding group)'.
Guidance on shielding vulnerable patients from COVID-19 on the RCGP website suggests the earlier advice was a 'mistake'.
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During a webinar on 24 April, NHS England director of primary care Dr Nikki Kanani said: 'I know there's been confusion over splenectomy. Splenectomy is in the shielded patient list, and 45,000 patients who have had a splenectomy have been sent their letters already, and that that will obviously be added to but that's the broad number at the moment.'
The statement appears to reverse previous advice on shielding - updated on 11 April and still available on the NHS England website at the time of writing - which says patients 'who have had your spleen removed' are 'not in the highest clinical risk registry (or shielding group)'.
Guidance on shielding vulnerable patients from COVID-19 on the RCGP website suggests the earlier advice was a 'mistake'.
U-turn as splenectomy patients added to COVID-19 shielding list
Patients who have undergone a splenectomy have been added to the COVID-19 shielding list, NHS England has confirmed, reversing its previous advice.
www.gponline.com
(free registration)