UK: REGISTER AS A VULNERABLE PERSON TO GET CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT

[Simbindi]

Thats really thoughtful of them, they sound a lot better than mine.

I managed to get more personal 'allowances/reasonable adjustments' from my GP because at the time I had an independent professional advocate, my Rethink support worker or my daughter with me for all my appointments. Additionally, the Clinical Psychologist who did my autism assessment ran some autism awareness training for them (though I'm not sure if they really took on board what he told them in a generic sense). I learned later (when he left my area) that his partner had been a salaried GP at my practice at the time.

So, all these 'reasonable adjustments' weren't due to me having severe M.E. I do however, keep reiterating to her how M.E. patients have many of the same issues as autistic patients.

 

[MeSci]

My GP will accept emails and letters by email attachments but insists on sending her responses by hard copy letter (the reasoning is about the 'lack of security' of emailing).

I'd like to know how the sending of my notes in a package that was falling apart was secure!

 

[MeSci]

Just for info, the place I order prescriptions is here:

https://app.patientaccess.com/login

The application presumably goes through to my GP, who completes it in about 3 days. Unfortunately I then have to phone the chemist to make sure it's in!

 

[Simbindi]

Just for info, the place I order prescriptions is here:

https://app.patientaccess.com/login

The application presumably goes through to my GP, who completes it in about 3 days. Unfortunately I then have to phone the chemist to make sure it's in!

That's the application I use. The practice has to sign up with it as far as I'm aware (that is, they issued me my original login password linked to the email address I provided, which I was then able to change). It is a very good system, but I expect individual practices have to pay for a subscription to provide their patients with this service.

 

[adambeyoncelowe]

I just got next day delivery with Iceland. I had to confirm I was extremely vulnerable (I believe I am, at least according to that Asthma UK advice). That was it.

Everything came bar three items. Pretty good. But they had no eggs.

 

[Simbindi]

I just got next day delivery with Iceland. I had to confirm I was extremely vulnerable (I believe I am, at least according to that Asthma UK advice). That was it.

Everything came bar three items. Pretty good. But they had no eggs.

Unfortunately I am outside of the area my nearest Iceland delivers to (they only deliver within 5 miles of their store). If I pay in store for items in my shopping trolley, they will deliver them later in the day, because I'm within 10 miles. That's not much use if you're housebound!

 

[Hell..hath..no..fury...]

I just got next day delivery with Iceland. I had to confirm I was extremely vulnerable (I believe I am, at least according to that Asthma UK advice). That was it.

Everything came bar three items. Pretty good. But they had no eggs.

was it difficult to get? @adambeyoncelowe I’ve noticed they’re as busy as everywhere. I also noticed that they’ve been nice enough to include the disabled in their vulnerable group. Not that it seems to help getting a slot.

 

[Wonko]

odd.

I've just had a text from someone

GOV.UK coronavirus support: You registered as clinically extremely vulnerable, but had not received a letter from the NHS to confirm this. We'll share your details with the NHS.

If the NHS defines you as clinically extremely vulnerable, the NHS will contact you. Your GP will be informed.

If you told us you need help getting food and supplies, but you are not on the clinically extremely vulnerable list, we'll share your details with supermarkets. They may be able to help.

If you need support urgently, please contact your local authority.

For the latest information, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus

so, given I had decided that my application was probably inappropriate it looks like it may not have been and this is how it was supposed to work.

Dunno

I also don't know what, if anything, happens now.

(as an information text it's somewhat lacking in...)

ETA - but I'm choosing to view it as a potentially positive sign, for me, not for the poor overstretched people dealing with this, checking records, etc.

It looks like the process is - medical records check by NHS - if found extremely vulnerable by NHS then they contact GP, inform supermarkets etc, if not then contact supermarkets only.

Maybe.

 

[JaneL]

Great letter letter Trish, I hope your MP listens and takes action! As I mentioned on the other thread my MP has been quite supportive in response to my email to him and has said he will pass on the suggestion to the Secretary of State on extending the list of vulnerable people. However, he has since sent me another quick message with a contact list of all the local support groups so I have written to him again to further explain the problems with this:

Dear [name of my MP]

Thank you for letting me know about the contact list, there does look to be an excellent network of community support. However, many vulnerable people that have been excluded from the government list also suffer with significant cognitive difficulties and/or mental health problems. For them, liaising with support groups can be extremely distressing to the extent that it can cause a significant deterioration in their health condition. It’s even impossible for some. A further problem is that many housebound people have become reliant on paying for things online and don’t keep cash in their home, so they are unable to pay volunteers for bringing them their grocery shopping.

There is therefore still an urgent need to get this very vulnerable group of people recognised on the government list and I hope you will continue to pursue this. At the very least, the list needs to be extended to those who are on the enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and/or in the support group for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Thanks again for you support on this.

[My name]

 

[Trish]

@Wonko, that sounds promising. Did you fill in the government extremely vulnerable thing? I didn't because I don't have any of the listed conditions..

 

[Wonko]

@Wonko, that sounds promising. Did you fill in the government extremely vulnerable thing? I didn't because I don't have any of the listed conditions..

I did, mainly because there seemed no other options available to me, and it did say at the start to fill it in regardless if I needed help, and virtually every other source of info at the time said to if help was needed, or likely to be.

It emerged later that I probably shouldn't have done, that that list was, although not written as such, being interpreted literally, and exclusively - simply via those assessing using a yes/no type flowchart - under which I definitely don't qualify.

I mentioned at the time that the only 2 options were medically 'extremely vulnerable', and not vulnerable in any way - I chose the one that was closest to reality, as I see it (which wasn't not vulnerable at all).

So, as I said above, I dunno - I'll just lie here and wait and see what happens.

 

[Simbindi]

odd.

I've just had a text from someone
so, given I had decided that my application was probably inappropriate it looks like it may not have been and this is how it was supposed to work.

Dunno

I also don't know what, if anything, happens now.

(as an information text it's somewhat lacking in...)

ETA - but I'm choosing to view it as a potentially positive sign, for me, not for the poor overstretched people dealing with this, checking records, etc.

It looks like the process is - medical records check by NHS - if found extremely vulnerable by NHS then they contact GP, inform supermarkets etc, if not then contact supermarkets only.

Maybe.

I'm wondering if this means that they are going to share the complete list of everyone who signed up (who clicked they needed help) with the supermarkets this week, without any editing. This would be good news for everyone who doesn't meet the clinical criteria set out by the NHS.

I hope so because my NHS coronavirus letter was sent to my daughter from her GP practice, as my 'named carer' and doesn't have my name and address on it for supermarkets to link to! It can't be a mistake as my daughter has absolutely no 'underlying health conditions'. She has assured me that the reason she has a letter but I still don't is down to how efficient her GP practice is and how poor mine is. This is true as they write to her to offer her the annual flu vaccine because she is entitled to one as my named carer, but my own GP practice never writes to me about this, even though I am the one who needs the vaccination for clinical reasons!

The first time I signed up to the government site I ticked I had received a letter, then realised this might mean I get missed, so signed up a second time and clicked that I had not received a letter.

 

[Simbindi]

I did, mainly because there seemed no other options available to me, and it did say at the start to fill it in regardless if I needed help, and virtually every other source of info at the time said to if help was needed, or likely to be.

It emerged later that I probably shouldn't have done, that that list was, although not written as such, being interpreted literally, and exclusively - simply via those assessing using a yes/no type flowchart - under which I definitely don't qualify.

I mentioned at the time that the only 2 options were medically 'extremely vulnerable', and not vulnerable in any way - I chose the one that was closest to reality, as I see it (which wasn't not vulnerable at all).

So, as I said above, I dunno - I'll just lie here and wait and see what happens.

I think they changed the questions after @Wonko asked about them on the forum. I noticed that the 2nd time I did it they listed the specific clinical conditions in the question about whether you were extremely vulnerable, and also emphasised the 'clinically vulnerable' point.

 

[Hell..hath..no..fury...]

I still haven't filled it in yet, my main concern is that I am flagged as extremely vulnerable. I have no way of knowing if this would happen or not when I just want to be 'supermarketised' and once it's declared, I'm guessing there's no going back. It would be typical after decades of being dismissed, the one time I want to be trivialised to receive just shopping privilege, it doesn't happen lol.

 

[JaneL]

I think they changed the questions after @Wonko asked about them on the forum. I noticed that the 2nd time I did it they listed the specific clinical conditions in the question about whether you were extremely vulnerable, and also emphasised the 'clinically vulnerable' point.

I think they changed the form so that it was no longer possible to submit it unless you agreed that you had one of the listed heath conditions. I know this because the first time time I tried to fill it in I said I didn’t have any of the listed conditions but was able to continue with the form. Unfortunately however after getting right through to the end of the form the system crashed so I didn’t manage to submit it . When I tried again the next day, I wasn’t able to continue past the first question, they just said “sorry, bugger off” or something along those lines. So I gave up at that point and wasn’t able to register.

 

[adambeyoncelowe]

I've not received any notification yet. Either they're being thorough with it, or I'm not meeting their criteria.

But I have ordered and received my food anyway (the roast in the bag chicken with sage and onion stuffing was to die for).

 

[Simbindi]

I think they changed the form so that it was no longer possible to submit it unless you agreed that you had one of the listed heath conditions. I know this because the first time time I tried to fill it in I said I didn’t have any of the listed conditions but was able to continue with the form. Unfortunately however after getting right through to the end of the form the system crashed so I didn’t manage to submit it . When I tried again the next day, I wasn’t able to continue past the first question, they just said “sorry, bugger off” or something along those lines. So I gave up at that point and wasn’t able to register.

Yes, I was only able to proceed the 2nd time because the advice (now removed) on the Asthma UK website had shown that my asthma should be considered as severe according to my current medication. (The Asthma UK site now says to ask your own GP whether your asthma is 'severe'.)

 

[Hell..hath..no..fury...]

I've not received any notification yet. Either they're being thorough with it, or I'm not meeting their criteria.

But I have ordered and received my food anyway (the roast in the bag chicken with sage and onion stuffing was to die for).

They are usually delicious!

 

[JaneL]

My MP has already responded to my second email that I posted above (the one where I explained the problems for many in using local volunteer groups and urged him to keep pursing the government in getting the list of vulnerable people extended to include those on higher rate PIP and/or in the support group for ESA):

Dear Jane

Thank you. A good point. I will keep on pursuing.

[My MP’s name]

So only brief, but good result I think!

(apologies for not mentioning the name of my MP but I’d prefer to keep my location anonymous on here, at least for the time being)

 

[Wonko]

I think they changed the questions after @Wonko asked about them on the forum. I noticed that the 2nd time I did it they listed the specific clinical conditions in the question about whether you were extremely vulnerable, and also emphasised the 'clinically vulnerable' point.

A lot of the text and tone has changed since I submitted it, the whole first page appears to have been re-written, parts which mentioned applying anyway if in doubt have been removed, and now they are talking about 'clinical' rather than the more general 'medical' etc.

The one I filled in suggested that people should register and they (the authorities) would make a decision - i.e. if people didn't register then they couldn't be helped - and as I say both the linking page to the form, and other places, said to apply if you weren't sure, even if all you'd need was assistance with shopping etc.

Later reading suggested that my application was inappropriate, but the text received suggest that it was not.

It is 'confusing'.