09 Apr 2020

Information for people who have received a 'vulnerable patient' text or letter about shielding.

The NHS in England has been directly contacting people by text and letter who fall into the 'extremely vulnerable' group and asking them to rigirously follow the 'shielding' guidance for the next 12 weeks.

The full guidance on shielding can be found here

A website and helpline has been set up for people to register for help getting food and basic care: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable.  If you cannot sign up on the website, please call 0800 028 8327.

Please do not contact your GP surgery about this unless you believe you/family member should be in this group.

 

People in the exteremely vulnerable category include:

  1. Solid organ transplant recipients.

  2. People with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
    • people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

  3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

  4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

  5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection

  6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.