Is anyone else still waiting on a shielding letter? I'm on benralizumab injections, daily steriods which Ive taken for over 10 years, 4 inhalers, other tablets and a nasal spray. I spoke with my specalist team 10 days ago and they said letters were still coming out. I contacted my gp surgery last week and got told the same. I've still not heard anything so today I contacted the surgery again to be told they aren't sending letters and have no control over them. I cant get past reception to speak to a doctor and frankly I'm fed up. I registered on the Gov website and received a text telling me if I hadnt had a letter to speak to my gp. I work for the nhs and I know how busy my colleagues are. I feel like I'm letting everyone down and that I'm some sort of fraud. I was hospitalised twice in the last 12 months once with flu, but now I feel like I should just go back to work and hope for the best. I cant get in touch with my specialist team either... it just goes to answer machine...I imagine they are extremely busy though. Is anyone else in the same position or has everyone had their letter now?
Still Not Received Shielding Letter - Asthma Community ...
Still Not Received Shielding Letter
I got my letter today from the Royal Brompton
Its good to hear that they are still going out. Did you get a text too?
No email, I believe that a number of people have not been picked up by the first sweep.
I’m Xolair and about 15 other drugs but no longer take prednisolone was on high doses which caused adrenal failure, now on daily hydrocortisone -
I was told that individual hosps are now picking our those that missed the first sweep - I would suggest that you call your asthma team and ask them if you should receive a letter
Thanks Mike. I have rung but the phone goes straight to answer machine. They told me a couple of weeks ago that I should be definitely be shielding but I need official confirmation for work. I am working from home for now but still need a shielding letter as evidence for OH.
Hi I called the asthma nurse today at the royal Brompton who said she would arrange the letter - same situation as you !
Call whichever hospital sorts your injections , they will sort you out
Have you registered online at gov.uk. Council, supermarkets etc will contact you. First thing council do is ask if you've received your letter
Thank you, yes I have. I received a test from them telling me to contact me GP is I hadnt received a letter.
NHS England have completed all letter sending out.
From 3rd April if you registered on Gov site it eventually goes to your GP.
I only found this out 2 days ago when I applied so have sent a letter to my doctor to say I have done this.
NHS England would like everything completed by Monday 13th but understands it might not be.
This is probably why my Surgery is open today.
So I am wondering it is possible the Gov uk site self referral will shortly end, so it’s best to register now if you haven’t done so.
Do you know how to register on the GOV.UK website?
Thanks
Don't go anywhere! My medication regime is not as heavy as yours but I know , deep down, that if I caught the virus that I would have a massive battle on my hands.
I have had 2 letters and you will probably get yours soon . You don't really need one as you know you are critically vulnerable from how severe your asthma is ( as measured by daily oral steroids and biological treatment.)
It has taken me a while to realise how vital it is that I am shielding. I have to accept I can't offer my services as a social worker or care worker at the moment. I have just got details to set me up volunteering to do phone chats to isolated people. I have to stay well for my family.
Have just read that you need shielding letter for work. I am sure it will come soon and if you work for the NHS they will know from your medication regime how severe your asthma is.
I only need the letter for work. My managers know about my illness but dont really understand my medication. I just hope I get something soon. I think Im feeling guilty that my colleagues are under so much pressure and Im at home. The best thing we can do right now is stay at home and stay safe.
It's really tough when you have always been a person who pitches in,rolls up their sleeves and does what needs to be done. I have struggled with that but just have to accept that it is way too risky to do any face to face work.
My GPs are being good. You could try and get a phone consultation and ask them to provide a letter or email about your health status or your managers will just have to be patient! ( No pun intended!)
It would be helpful to me if sometime you could let me know your experiences with continuous oral steroids and biological treatment. I have spoken to my asthma nurse who has put me on list to discuss biological treatments with the consultant. I have brought together blood test results from GP and 2 hospitals to show that my asthma is related to the severe, rare eosinophilic type which explains why mine has been hard to treat.
As people keep saying to me "take care."
Best wishes
Sarah
I haven't got letter either. Was told at xolair injection this week to shield. They sorting letter.
Hopefully we will both get one soon.
Hopefully. Will ring end of next week if not as under consultants and have been missed. Ha e left message for GP and told them I was told to shield so have given them enough time. Maybe if money and resources put in this rather than a letter from no10 people wouldn't be missed and put under unnecessary risks. My nurses stated I shouldn't go out what so ever and couldn't believe I had nothing.
Still no letter from NHS England. But I have had 2 from hospital. One from specialist hospital respiratory nurse stating I am diagnosed severe and on a biological therapy so I should be shielding and one from medic I saw a few weeks ago stating I should work from home, I should shield and also take extra precautions. I have read on asthma uk updated info too.
Contact GP hospital after 20th if no letter. Good Luck.
I had the same problem the GP said that they’re not sending it out if I really was considered extreme vulnerable the hospital would send out, this hasn’t been the case. So I contacted my consultant’s secretary explained the situation and she contacted my respiratory consultant. The secretary sent me a letter from the consultant to say that I have a severe asthmatic and I need to follow the isolation guidelines from the government and said that the best they can do. Apparently the letter come from NHS England. I felt extremely bad calling up my consultant secretary and bothering him when they are at the forefront of fighting this virus. But without the letter I won’t be able to get any money or help as I’m am an agency nurse.
I feel bad ringing people when they are all under so much pressure too. I have left a message for my team, so hopefully they will get back to me.
Have you spoken with HR at your work? When I spoke with mine they advised me to shield and I’m on much less medication than you.
They deal with thousands of staff and have said that they need the letter as evidence. We are so short staffed because of the virus they are trying to get all those that can work back in work. I think the confusion over who should and shouldn't be shielding has just left everyone confused.
Hi, I have had the same problems, I’ve had very unstable asthma since October, 15 in patient admissions, constant steroids since then and Benralizumab injections. I wasn’t on the highly vulnerable list and every time I spoke to the specialist team they told me to speak to HR or my Occupational Health team. They suggested that maybe I could take up
a non clinical role - I’m a nurse in A&E - there’s not much non clinical/admin that I can do that won’t put me at risk! I’ve been told that I would be at significant risk if I was to catch COVID. I went to my team yesterday and was given a 4 line letter to say that I should follow national guidelines regarding shielding. I’m not sure they will accept this at work but I’ve sent it in. It’s a tough call - I really want to be there on the frontline with my colleagues, this is what I trained and qualified for. It’s so hard to sit on the sidelines and watch from a distance.
I totally agree with you it's a very tough call. I'm surprised at how many people have been missed. Lets hope that lessons will be learnt for the future.
I haven't received any text or letter yet either. I had my normal asthma review on phone and she said i will receive one, but I'm still waiting. I really don't want to ring my consultant because she will be so busy with everything going on. I have a follow up appointment on the 24th so I'm going to wait and discuss it further with her. I have family for extra support so I'm pleased with that. I also know that there are people like ourselves that can't get the support they need because they don't have letters. I've even seen GPs arent doing their job properly. Even though they are responsible for the missed patients.
I really hope you get your letter soon and get the support you deserve. ❤
If you are in England (Wales & Scotland are doing it differently) and you are under a specialist respiratory team at a hospital, then they are responsible for all their patients who were missed by the first digital sweep identifying patients who should shield.
Give the team a ring and ask for your shielding letter so that you can register for help on the gov.uk website.
All the best.
It is my understanding U.K. have got all letters x
Yes i got text and letter from NHS. If you get steroid injections you should get one.
I didn't receive mine until last Saturday and completely understand your anxiety as you wait for one. Please stand your ground with work and STAY HOME! I was feeling just like you but then it arrived, and I'm so relieved I didn't risk it. I work for the NHS also and was so worried about being judged etc that I was going to return.
It sounds like you should definitely be on their list, so it's just a case of waiting, maybe call ur resp team rather than GP (my GP were just as helpful as yours!).
Don't risk your health for the sake of this letter - just do it! You can worry about work later.
This virus is killing way too many healthy people, please don't risk it with your asthma too xx
Please don't worry about work they cannot make you be there! (Although they will try!) I had my boss send me an email, highlighting asthma is just a risk - I had to be firm and say no, actually, I fall into the 'very high risk' and even sent her a list of medication I take - I still feel like I shouldn't have done that but at the time I didn't have the letter and it was enough for her to go and research her end etc and it was accepted! They were also apologetic x
I am on a lot less medication than you but have been told by my asthma nurse to shield I have not yet got a letter but my asthma nurse advised me to register myself on the government website whilst I wait for my letter as the gp’s are waiting for a computer program to be set up that will screen patient medication!
Hope this helps!
I haven’t had a letter, I do not even have an asthma diagnosis (they didn’t bother doing any tests or referrals and just threw inhalers at me and told me to sort myself out), but my manager is really worried and urged me to request Prednisolone in adavance. Because no one had made a fuss about my asthma before (I am used to having chest infections with any sort of cold let alone flu that lasts for weeks, my throat instantly closing up when I got into an inadequately heated swimming pool, drinking cold drinks or exercising, having an attack/coughing fit until I vomit several times a day, coughing up bloody mucus and being unable to speak at all-,not even gasp out one word at a time) that I just leaned to get on with it because like OP I felt like a fraud despite all the signs saying otherswise, because a medical professional didn’t officially validate that I am vulnerable. I am still at work as normal and in close contact with up to 7 other people at a time but my work is essential (with animals, that I’m unfortunately allergic to along with the dust and hay). But I took this job because I was homeless (after my DLA was stopped/PIP denied, partner left me because my illnesses and inability to work at the time were too much of a burden) and it is a live in position. I don’t know what else I could do because social services have been worse than useless. This past week I have been up until 4 am and barely being able to eat my dinner because my nose is blocked and I can’t stop wheezing. I’m gasping between mouthfuls of food, then I worry I will choke and get aspiration pneumonia again.
On paper, according to my medical records, I am perfectly young and fit (I’m in my 20s) however looking back I’ve probably been close to death too many times including when I ended up in hospital with swine flu, but people fall through the cracks all the time. I felt really uncomfortable with self referring but since I’ve been explicitly banned from leaving the premises to go shopping and don’t want to rely on my employer to do my groceries (don’t like feeling beholden like that) I registered.
In my heart of hearts I think this could potentially kill me, given that just hayfever alone means I am wheezing and barking all day and gasping all night. If you truly believe you could be in trouble, take advantage of the resources. If you are afraid of taking them up, think about in the sense that if you ended up on a ventilator and it could have been prevented that would be burdening the NHS more.
Hi Clanmacbeath I haven’t had any correspondence at all either - letters or texts. However as I have Severe Asthma and am on biological therapy have been shielding for three weeks now. I spoke to my Asthma Nurse and she told me to stay at home for twelve weeks. She stated that the hospital does not send the letters but they come from your GP. However when I spoke to my GP they stated that they did not send the letters either! There is obviously some confusion about who does what 🤦🏽♀️ This is not surprising as we are in unprecedented times. My only advice for those with severe asthma is to stay at home 🏠 We are all in it together for the long haul. My house is spotless, garden looks great, am practicing Yoga every day and my Inbox is empty 😂. I am so grateful that I am still here that nothing is going to jeopardise this. Stay safe and keep well 🤗 #supportoneanother #stayathome
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