Hi all, I’ve spoken to my GP this afternoon as I don’t fall into the severe asthma group but I’m using my blue inhaler everyday at moment .
He’s upped my qvar to 4 puffs 4 times a day for a week and then revert to 2 puffs 2 times a day if asthma goes back to normal . If it doesn’t then I’m to contact him again.
I mentioned that my work are trying to redeploy me to office work away from frontline patient contact, but that is unlikely to mean I’m kept 2m away from everyone else . He said I had to be extra stringent and ensure I was or I need to self isolate.
I’ve looked , following his advice, at NHS111 online for the self isolation form . The only one I can find asks as Q2 do you have Coronavirus or are you living with someone with Coronavirus? I would be neither( if I needed to ) as would be self isolating on professional advice . Anyone know if there’s another form for vulnerable groups self isolating ?
Thanks
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Meredith62
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Hoping someone could shed light on this for me too please! My boss has sent all staff with children home but still expecting me to work as my asthma isn’t classed as severe enough! I work in a nursery so no protection or social distancing! Tried to contact my GP today but couldn’t get though x
Send an email to the reception. It may or may not be seen - depending on how many they are getting. Your doctor would be able to email a letter to you for your work.
I've looked but can only find the one type of form. Your GP may not be aware that there aren't further options on the form. I would talk to HR & explain what your GP advised and ask them to make the 'reasonable adjustments' at work so you're properly distanced from colleagues. In the meantime explain GP says you have to isolate till they've arranged the adjustments.
If they baul say you will talk to GP in order to be signed off after the first week of self certification. And talk to GP for Fit Note to explain your absence.
Morning , a colleague and friend at work, also with asthma has talked to work saying she wanted to self isolate . Work told her she was not in the very high risk group and therefore they would not support her. Following further discussions and her saying she wasn’t happy as she is still in a high risk group and it was her health therefore her decision HR became involved The outcome is she’s taken 12 weeks unpaid leave to self isolate .
This has helped me consider my position clearly and I think she’s right . Only we can assess our own risk knowing how our asthma affects us and what our triggers are. I am going to contact my GP again and ask for a fit note for the 12 week period as there is no form for vulnerable people to self isolate . If I can’t get one then I will have to take the 12 weeks as unpaid leave .
If you fall through the cracks, in that the GP can't sign you off for 12 weeks, and you have to take unpaid leave due to the employer not making reasonable adjustments per current guidance on social distancing, you could contact Access to Work on the gov.uk website. They are occupational health experts who recommend reasonable admissions to employers (but they have to be accessed by the employee). Employers are legally bound to make the adjustments as you are covered by the Equality Act 2010.
Out of courtesy I would tell your employer that you're going to Access to Work to seek reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. That may just change their minds about their actions.
I did receive notification to self isolate from the NHS yesterday. However as you say it is proving very difficult to find out whether/how you can get a fit note for your employer.
I e-mailed my GP but their reply was just to go to the fit note website and sign myself off.
There are a few problems with this in that you can only sign off for a max of 2weeks ( I think) and also as you say only if you are or have had someone in your family infected.
So basically it’s not relevant at all!
I don’t think GPs have any better idea of what’s going on than we do right now!
Anyway I am hoping that there will be more guidance to follow from the NHS for people who need to shield and need time off work to do so.. fingers x
In the meantime I have sent copies of all my contacts (txt message and GP message) to our HR and have arranged a call today.
Hopefully we can sort something out but it’s a bit frustrating when no one seems to know the official guidelines.
I would contact your HR dept and discuss with them. Make sure you have some written evidence though from your docs/NHS to back your claim.
Under section 6 of the letter that the NHS sends it says the letter is evidence for your employer, to show that you cannot work outside your home and that you don’t need a fit note.
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