NHS Scotland guidelines for self isolation

[Froggie70]

Hi

Found the undernoted on NHS Inform showing Scottish guidelines for self isolation. The illnesses detailed do not appear to show any autoimmune illnesses. Does anyone know if Scotland is taking a different stance from England on this?

Thanks

nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an...

[suzannah16]

you up here too froggie? i'm near arbroath. frustrated by the lack of info from holyrood. boris mentions something then you find out it only applies to england and wales. total lack of communications up here.

[CarolMcl in reply to suzannah16]

Hi, I'm Cumbernauld and I feel the exact same way you do. I don't feel we're getting information from any source up here, my work included. I'm an agency nurse but apparently I don't fit the criteria for assistance if I self isolate??

[suzannah16 in reply to CarolMcl]

why can't something like this all be arranged from one place? devolution is one thing but a pandemic needs us to all have the same rules.

[CarolMcl in reply to suzannah16]

It certainly does, but its clearly not!!

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Hi both. I wrote to the Catherine Calderwood via the bbc yesterday about exactly this matter because all the Scottish very high risk information relates only to those with cancer and cystic Fibrosis as far as I can see? I also wrote to my north Fife MP and she’s just got in touch to say how concerned she is for me. She is going to phone me tomorrow morning at 11.30am!

I’m happy to ask about this on all our behalves but she is a new Lib Dem MP so I’m not sure how feisty and how much impact she will have here in Scotland or down in Westminster.

I also just had a message from my GP practice authorising that I pick up and start Mycophenolate tomorrow with 2 weekly blood tests to be arranged. So it’s all go for me but I’m definitely self isolating.

Maybe you could both email your MPs about this too?

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thanks for doing that for everyone concerned. Now just need Holyrood to do something for agency nurses too!!

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

My son’s long term girlfriend is a NHS renal nurse in Glasgow - redeployed to the critical care front line. She’s off just now as they are both dry coughing but, shockingly, she can’t get tested to rule CV in or out even as a front line nurse. Similarly my son’s brother in law who is a junior dr just back from french alps where 25 doctors all got sick with suspect CV - no tests and he’s now back working as a junior dr after a week’s quarantine.

However I do agree agency health and care workers have it worse because in my husband’s main social care setting they were told that if CV broke out in any of these settings he would be laid off with no redundancy or sick pay and meanwhile the place he was working didn’t have any masks or even hand sanitiser and staff were still being sent to do the weekly shopping in Morrison’s rather than ordering it online.

No point in me self isolating if he’s working in these conditions.

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

We were told if it breaks out we've to nurse like we would an infectious disease. Very good, how do we do that with no ppe apart from gloves?

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Exactly - same for care workers!

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

Beyond a disgrace!!

[suzannah16 in reply to Hidden]

Hi TT, Dr B wanted me to start mycophenolate a couple of weeks back but after discussing with my GP we decided it wasn't safe at this time. Dr B had only "suggested" rather than insist. I've got a GP appointment for tomorrow for a pneumonia jab as i've never had one. worried about going in to town but can't get through to GP on the phone just a recorded message about CV. anything you can do regarding MP's would be great, thanks. stay safe and hug your pooches from me.

[Hidden in reply to suzannah16]

My GP had same concerns about me restarting MMF but frankly I feel that after 2 years off DMARDs my inflammatory markers are high and I feel really unwell. I can self isolate with my husband but I can’t cope with this much pain and swollen oesophageal spasms and vascular rubbish. So dr Tan (the only rheumy currently not redeployed I gather) phoned and agreed to authorise on my new rheumy’s behalf. It’s scary but at least it means I know I have to self isolate properly xx

[suzannah16 in reply to Hidden]

Dr B wanted me on it because she says I have lupus related kidney disease yet my renal consultant says any damage to my kidneys was caused by the stones I got as a result of colitis.

[Hidden in reply to suzannah16]

From my own experience I think I’d trust your renal consultant. X

[suzannah16 in reply to Hidden]

me too, renal doc seems to know more about lupus than Dr B. He's the one who figured out my APS

[Hidden in reply to suzannah16]

Similarly my dermatology prof was the one who identified my LCSSc/ CREST. Then the vascular staff grade sclero guy dismissed as I don’t have the right blood work - only it turns out I do but it progresses slowly. So he and Dr B just assumed I only had neuro Sjögren’s and missed their own speciality sitting right under their noses! X

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Ps my husband is an agency social care worker and this is why I took it up with my MP and the CMO - he’s taken 3 months unpaid leave for me and we can’t afford to pay the bills from now. People find it so hard to understand how badly hit agency/ minimum hours contract healthcare workers have it. X

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

It's absolutely shocking, I'm totally disgusted. You are expected to work with the sick/vulnerable but when we need help due to our own illness its tough. Either work, put yourself at risk and pay your bills or protect yourself and get into debt.

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

I know. It’s all very well when politicians say we are all in this together and ask employers to be kind and show consideration to their staff - but the reality is that even agencies like my husband’s are owned by billionaires who don’t give a stuff. They should be paying for this nightmare not us!

Nuff said contact your MP as I’ve done.

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

I’m speaking to Wendy Chamberlain MP for north Fife about this on the phone tomorrow. Suggest you email your MP and MSP as well? Xx

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

I think you're correct, I will do. Need to find out who it is first 😕

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Easy just put in your postcode or area in google and ask - that’s what I did.

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the information, a great help

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Best of luck. Will post tomorrow after I’ve spoken to her about this matter. X

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

Followed your guidance and that's the email sent, will let you know how I get on 🤞🤞

[Hidden in reply to CarolMcl]

Brilliant - all power to we Scottish rheumy autoimnuners!! Xx

[CarolMcl in reply to Hidden]

😁😁😁😁

[Froggie70 in reply to suzannah16]

Hi Suzannah, yep north of the border, near Glasgow. I was just a bit surprised at the NHS Inform page listing the illnesses covered by shielding. Absolutely the ones on the list should be there, they are extremely serious, what surprised me was that the NHS England list is comprehensive ours is just 7 categories.

[Froggie70]

I would e-mail my MP but I’m still waiting on any kind of response from my e-mail of last Wednesday asking why Lupus and RA weren’t on the Scot Gov website of higher risk illnesses. Maybe if she had dealt with that last week we might be included now.

[CarolMcl in reply to Froggie70]

Well maybe fingers crossed that more people are going to contact them, we may get an answer

[Hidden in reply to Froggie70]

I had to resend my email before I got a response. I know they get sieved through by PAs etc so it might be worth resending it - although with full lock down starting today I guess it may become even less of a priority politically?

[Froggie70]

🤞🙂

[Froggie70]

Very true.