UK: REGISTER AS A VULNERABLE PERSON TO GET CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT

[Simbindi]

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'.

Sainsbury's took down their link to the site very quickly. I suspect the government suddenly started seeing the list increase dramatically, as many (yes, actual) vulnerable people quickly signed up.

The website given was provided on the letter the NHS sent to my daughter (as my carer), with the suggestion of signing up to the list if help was going to be needed.

 

[boolybooly]

Call me paranoid but be careful of emails as there are scammers around, best advice is don't click on any links in emails.

 

[JaneL]

I had a reply to from my GP regarding the government’s extremely vulnerable list:

Dear Jane,

I ran this past our practice manager to see if there was anything we could do - this was her response:

“We have no control over this list. My understanding is that it is for patients who have medical conditions which make them vulnerable so that they need to self-isolate. I have an example of one of my letters on my desk as they are starting to come in. It is not for very frail, carers etc. The list of conditions is below. There is an advice line patients can ring. It’s 0208 235 4155” [the letter then goes on to list the medical conditions]

One of my partners says that apparently that they are about to run some additional searches for vulnerable patients. I have marked on your notes that you are a vulnerable patient so that if they trawl our data your name will come up. I can’t promise anything I’m afraid.

I would try to call the advice line as well as per my practice manager’s email.

Best wishes,
[My GP’s name]

So I think my GP has done as much as he can which I’m very grateful for. I will write back to thank him for his support on this. I’ll wait to see if it results in me getting on the list (I don’t think I want to put myself through the stress of phoning the advice line right now - has anyone else tried that?).

Having said that, I’m actually now having second thoughts about whether I even want to be on this list. Given the conversation that has just started about prioritising access to critical care, I’m wondering whether trying to get on the list might in fact be a really bad idea!

 

[Simbindi]

I found this information from one GP practice's website:

Coronavirus Update 31/03/2020
Shielding
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has identified a number of patients who are vulnerable and as a result are considered ‘shielding patients’. These patients have been given guidance regarding limiting their movements and contact with others in order to prevent contracting coronavirus. Further information and advice regarding shielding patients can be found here.

At the practice, we very much appreciate the importance of the shielding letters and we are expecting updated guidance for general practice in the next 5-7 days.

Although the GOV.UK site and TV/media are now directing patients to their GP if they have not received correspondence, as it stands today, we are not able to add patients to the shielded list. All patients included in the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) defined cohort that could be identified through centrally available data are now flagged on GP systems and have received a letter; however centrally available data was limited and NHS Digital are now updating the original cohort to identify additional patients based on GP extracted data.

Whilst there may still be other patients, that GPs consider to be in the highest risk category and who should be advised to shield, they have asked that we do not run searches to identify these cohorts at this stage. We are advised that NHS Digital will be in touch this week to confirm how this process can be streamlined for GPs and we stand by to action as swiftly as we can.

With regard to grocery deliveries etc, vulnerable members of the public have been asked to register on the GOV.UK website. You can register as a shielded patient by clicking here.

 

[ladycatlover]

I tried to register as a shielded patient and was refused. I gave feedback.

I am totally housebound due to ME/CFS and my husband is age 74 (I'm 71). He is too vulnerable to go to shops according to earlier advice, I am incapable of going. Our neighbours can't help as 2 of them have leukaemia being treated. Others old too. How about helping the houseband - it's not our choice to be housebound. Stop allowing supermarkets to deliver to the fit and healthy and make them concentrate on the sick and bedbound and housebound. I have a neurological disease as stated by WHO and I expect my government to help me. Where is my help?

 

[Simbindi]

They have also changed the official name of this group from the 'extremely vulnerable' to the 'shielded' group! So much for looking after society's most vulnerable members, which my MP has previously told me in relation to PIP, the government are very concerned to do!

 

[meg22]

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 had an email from Gov.uk yesterday which says the same. I signed up before the questions changed and the list of conditions was worded more ambiguously. I ticked Yes to having one of the conditions on the basis that I have asthma albeit mildly and get every bug that's going and No to having help getting food and supplies so I'm hoping this means I will be on the list that goes to supermarkets.

 

[Sly Saint]

They have also changed the official name of this group from the 'extremely vulnerable' to the 'shielded' group!

ah, new task force on its way(?)

 

[Simbindi]

Here is the letter that has been sent to patients and/or carers of patients on this government list:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavi...2020/03/at-risk-patient-letter-march-2020.pdf

 

[Wonko]

Just a thought but how are the really quite well off dealing with the whole not being able to get a delivery slot situation?

Does it even apply to those whose fridges use the IoT to order food for them?

Some of those fridges are big enough so that they could be delivered and installed without anyone involved breaking current social distancing rules. Not here, but to a lot of places.

I can't see people with £10 million houses having to enter the supermarket scrum (or their staff), or having any difficulty obtaining food.

So what are they doing, and can we do that as well.

 

[Simbindi]

I was thinking about Sainsburys being the supermarket that is at least trying to lead in helping all their vulnerable customers within their own limitations. For those of you who haven't visited a large Sainsburys store, something my out of town one offers (but not the smaller in town one) is free use of power chair shopping (i.e. a power chair with a large basket attached to the front of it). I've never asked to use one myself because if you don't have a carer with you then you would constantly need to ask the help of someone to reach higher up items (which requires cognitive and social energy). I've not seen any other supermarkets offering this service to their disabled customers (Tesco, Asda or Morrisons etc.).

If being on the government list doesn't trigger opening up my online account to delivery slots, I might email the CEO and thank him for what his store is doing, including what they did prior to this current health crisis.

 

[Wonko]

Morrisons, sainsburys and tescos all offer this in my town, Other stores may do but my only experience with it is when I occasionally used to either go out with a friend who needed to use them, or heard her tales about it.

I would not be competent to drive one these days, my reactions are too slow, and sometimes the opposite of what's required. The same thing as stopped me driving 25 years ago.

 

[Sly Saint]

So what are they doing

probably all have accounts with fortnum and masons and similar establishments
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/t/categories/food-hall

 

[boolybooly]

My commiserations with everyone having problems which included me until about 5 mins ago.

Here FYI is how I got through to Waitrose. It took a few days for them to read it but I sent a polite email to Waitrose customer service explaining that I was a long standing customer who was reliant on deliveries and gave them my Waitrose card number and my last order number so they could check and see that I have had a lot of deliveries from them in the past.

I explained about ME CFIDS and having PIP for mobility and care and how I was trying to avoid the virus because of my immune illness and also have mobility problems and they have now given me access to the delivery slots. Hooray! Now I can get the stuff I need without having to wear my 3M full face mask in the shop, which makes me look a bit like a post apocalyptic survivalist (I like to think!)

Also sounds like Sainsbury's are being helpful by including elderly people if they know their age from a store account or Nectar account, according to my Mum and Dad.

 

[Simbindi]

My Sainsburys account is now allowing me to book a delivery slot, which must be due to them having cross-referenced me from the government list. The next 4 days have no available slots but the following 4 days have almost all of the slots available. It seems that Sainsburys are now only opening slots for the 8-10 days immediately ahead. Obviously once they add more vulnerable people it might get harder to book a slot again.

I'm so glad for this forum because despite the reference to the government list in the letter my daughter received, I wouldn't have had the cognition to understand the significance and need to sign myself up to it!

Thank you everyone who has been sharing their experiences and suggestions. The stress I've been suffering from is gradually subsiding now that I know I should be able to get home delivery services again (although not from Tesco...).

 

[Wonko]

Submitting the ' extremely vulnerable' application has worked for me.

I did not meet the criteria for 'extremely vulnerable' according to the currently listed conditions.

But I have just received an email from Sainsburys which suggests that that, rather than my letter to their CEO (to which I have not had a reply yet), is the reason why they have now added me to their 'vulnerable customers' list

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been adapting to meet increased demand for food and other essential items.

As part of this, we’ve recognised the need to prioritise our most vulnerable customers for home delivery slots. The government has identified you as someone who is extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, which is why we’re contacting you.

You’ll now be given priority access to home delivery slots.

well......I say it's worked, but I just tried to see if I could book a slot, as I suspect anyone would, and I'm still getting 'not venerable or vulnerable enough - go away'

ETA - I can now see slots, not a lot of slots, (but only in IE, my phone says not vulnerable, and chrome gets a 400 error from their server when I try and log in)but slots this week, a few on sunday and next week friday and saturday only - but I can relax now and stop desperately trying to buy stuff on any occasion I find the system open.

 

[Simbindi]

Submitting the ' extremely vulnerable' application has worked for me.

I did not meet the criteria for 'extremely vulnerable' according to the currently listed conditions.

But I have just received an email from Sainsburys which suggests that that, rather than my letter to their CEO (to which I have not had a reply yet), is the reason why they have now added me to their 'vulnerable customers' list



well......I say it's worked, but I just tried to see if I could book as slot, as I suspect anyone would, and I'm still getting 'not vulnerable or vulnerable enough - go away'

Yes, I've just received the same email. It says they will delete this personal information from my record at the appropriate time in the future, but after all this stress I'm going to get them to flag me as a vulnerable customer permanently.

 

[adambeyoncelowe]

Yes, I've just received the same email. It says they will delete this personal information from my record at the appropriate time in the future, but after all this stress I'm going to get them to flag me as a vulnerable customer permanently.

Me too! So it's worked.

My advice, then, is if you need it, fill in the form anyway. It is getting passed to supermarkets.

I guess we can be extremely vulnerable enough to get food deliveries without being extremely clinically vulnerable. I'm happy with that.

 

[Trish]

My advice, then, is if you need it, fill in the form anyway. It is getting passed to supermarkets.

But I can't fill it in. I don't have any of the conditions on the list, and when you say no it gives no more options, just says you're not eligible.

 

[meg22]

Not sure what to suggest @Trish But given that here https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults it suggests people with chronic neurological conditions are at increased risk from severe illness I think I'd tick Yes - particularly if you're struggling with shopping.