High risk letters but is this correct?

[Serial45]

Hi all,

So we have two people in the household with asthma.

Our son Harvey has really bad food allergies and Asthma we took him private to a london and at the time his astma levels were really bad,

The doctor changed him onto a aloflute inhaler, and since then he's been great and it's so well controlled. My son didn't get a 12 week letter.

My partner Helen realised at the time that she was using her blue inhaler a fair amount through the day and her brown inhaler wasn't working. She spoke to the doctor and explained about how well his asthma was with this new inhaler. The surgery changed helen to a seretide inhaler, and since then it's been brilliant her asthma is almost non existent.

At the time she went in she did some breathing tests and the doctors said her lung capacity was that of an 80 year olds.

Helen got a 12 week shielding letter.

Looking at the astma website it says all 3 conditions must be met to be considered high risk

1) have astma

2) use preventive inhaler and one extra controller e.g. aloflute, foster.

3)be taking continual or frequent oral steroid medication

Now in regards to number 3 this isn't the case for any of our family they've never been prescribed oral steroids for astma as it had never been that bad.

My question is this right that she is on the high risk list? As she's now scared to leave the house for shopping etc, I said I would try and find out, as we both don't consider her asthma to be all that bad now, she is quite active at home and doesn't use her blue inhaler anymore.

Thanks in advance

[Singinglouder]

If you've only just had a letter, it's probably your GP that's added your wife to the list, so that's the first person to ask. Does she have any other health conditions, as well as asthma? I've just had my letter, and I don't qualify on asthma alone, but I have multiple health conditions, and it's the combination that gets me on the list.

[Serial45 in reply to Singinglouder]

No other health conditions aside from asthma.

Thanks Adam

[Readingwheezer]

They changed the qualifying criteria a few weeks ago (basically to add the third criteria) but a lot of people had the letter initially as I did. Maybe it was issued based on previous criteria. The struct advice is to still shield if you've got a letter. I'm a bit more relaxed now as my asthma is well controlled and no steroids for a couple of years. I've chosen to go out for walks but not to go to shops (as I'm on the priority list I get deliveries). Good luck and stay well!

[akosime]

I think they have updated it again (as of May 1st) i saw an earlier post regarding vulnerable group, now termed as high risk (clinically vulnerable group) which now includes any lung condition that is not severe, so meaning whether mild to moderate asthma. And the guidance is still to stay at home. I just don’t know how to post the link.

[Blue-Breeze in reply to akosime]

I have posted it below

[Blue-Breeze]

Here is the updated link. Look at number 6.

gov.uk/government/publicati...

[Karen2020]

I have chronic asthma on uniphylin ventolin use steroids a lot relvar been in hospital over the yrs. I still haven't had my letter. Rang Dr's they said I have to wait. So no idea why I haven't