Hope everyone had as good Easter weekend as possible considering the situation we are in at the moment.
Before I ask my question I would like to say that when ever I have needed the NHS it has been there for my family and I, if its here in Wales where we live or when we are on holiday in England the service, compassion and professionalism we have has always been second to none and I have no reason to believe that we would not be treated any differently if we needed the NHS in any other corner of the home nations. Well done all of you beautiful people.
That being said it seems as soon as political parties become involved is where the issues arise. I have had R/A for around 10 years now and regularly take a biological.I can honestly say it has been a complete game changer and for me at least the best medical thing I ever did it has given me a new lease on life.
The question I have is this who do we get our sheilding letters from I have spoken to my GP's receptionist who says it's the consultant, but when I phoned rheumatology was told that he was not available ( understandable as wages and services are usually a second thought by politicians until voting time) so I tried looking on line and I think it is the GP's to send them out. I ask this as I explained to my work today about waiting on a letter and they did not understand what sheilding was and I continued to work for the rest of the day after catching public transport to work and then again home. How come is it so hard outside of England to get some information.
Why with all the money that the BBC get and all the media forms and channels it has is it focused solely on Public health England do the other parts of the United Kingdom not exist? Could you not accommodate the rest of the UK on oh let's say BBC 2 maybe?!? And What's the deal with being first in line to ask questions at the daily briefing (watch tomorrow and see its always the BBC that gets given the opportunity to go first with the questions?!?) Welsh news normally follows the main news and that is on for half an hour including the weather, which is hysterical because apart from a few bone heads still thinking this is bbq time nobody can properly enjoy the weather?!? Being part of a devolved government here in Wales there seems to be a lack of information coming from the powers that be to our health professionals and to the wider public. So questions after all that hot air ( long day in work I think sorry) does anyone have any idea who is supposed to be sending us our letter to us? How to tell my work I am sheilding in a way they will understand and when will one parliamentary party or another give our wonderful NHS the money including wages equipment and whatever they need and deliver on it rather than just blowing smoke to the voting public to get to power and then do nothing to help and watch our national treasure go down the plug hole whilst they use private care....We are not America we don't not want to be privatised and we love our NHS stop taking the
Thanks in advance ps the answers don't have to be as long as this post but if the mood takes you....
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pat66
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For better or worse, I live in Wales and recieved my shielding letter about 2 weeks ago from my rheumatology dept under the Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
Why the BBC is called the British Broadcasting Coperation is beyond me. It should be called the EBC, English Broadcasting Coperation! The coverage Wales get, not only regarding this crisis, but for a number of other things is pathetic. As for the Welsh Assembly....the less said the better.
I have now received two letters one directly from my rheumatologist dept and one from the NHS itself . I received the one from my rheumatologist this morning
I got a shielding letter from my consultant and then a couple of days later I got one from the GP. Then a week later I got another one saying I shouldn’t never have received one in the first place. But my point is, I think it should be your consultant in the first instance
I totally agree with everything you said ,I live in wales and have been self isolating for the past four weeks but no one has sent me any letters to say to self isolate.
If it’s any consolation many of us treated by NHS England are not much better informed on who sends which letter to which patient....many English people on this forum have received no detailed personal information at all...me included.
As a devolved nation, NHS Wales is presumably completely responsible for informing Welsh patients about who should be sending out these letters ......if it’s anything like England seems to be a case of Investigating until you find the right department.
I think confusion is widespread - Better in some areas than others. perhaps after all this it will be a stimulus to have a better info and communication system for the next time.. But then some people will complain about information sharing and privacy.
Staff from specialist areas like rheum are being redeployed to COVID wards leaving their own depts low staffed. And a very high percentage are off sick anyway.
I agree about BBC England only news though - applies to other news channels too though
Perhaps this is not the place to discuss it, but I do think the BBC news being England biased has become apparent to many more Welsh people due to constant Covid coverage by the BBC. It is true of other news channels too, the difference being that they don't call themselves the 'British' Broadcasting Coperation.
I live in England. I had a text from the NHS Coronavirus Service saying I was at high risk and to shield for a minimum of 12 weeks. A couple of days later an official looking letter came from my gp repeating the stay at home for at least 12 weeks! Going completely against this my doctor has insisted I go into the surgery for a blood test today before they’ll issue my next prescription!
I am in exactly the same situation ! 20mg methotrexate and 200mg hydroxy. I had the nhs shielding letter 2 weeks ago. But from the rheumatology dept and my GP they are insisting I go to the hospital for 4weekly blood tests before they issue my repeat prescriptions which I also have to go to the hospital pharmacy to collect. The hospital is a large covid hub hospital, so ok to visit here twice a month but from the letter apparently not ok to leave the house .
I've just been for my blood test a d got told off by the chief nurse because she would have come to my house to do it.i think theres a lack of communication!
I received one from my consultant but this will not assist with online home deliveries from supermarkets as they require your name to be on the CMO list. GP surgeries in Wales only received the CMO list the week of the 5th April to check and update for those patients who should have been on it but weren't. This new list then goes to the local health board and then should go to the CMO for updating. I am in contact with my local MP regarding this matter and Mark Drakefords office as this whole process has been handled very badly from the beginning.
I am awaiting notification as to when the additional list will be sent to the supermarkets as I have been trying since the 26th March to secure a delivery slot but to no avail.
I live in England and I recieved my NHS sheilding letter only 5 days ago, I'd already taken it upon myself to self isolate and stay at home as I have RA and COPD and I'm on immunosuppressants. In the letter it gives you a web page to log into and register with gov.uk/coronavirus-extremeley-vulnerable
I live in Wales. I had my letter very early on (in the first week) and it came from the Chief Medical Officer Wales. Who sends out the letter does seem to vary with area.
I think that both GPs and Rheumatology departments were asked for lists of patients who should be 'shielded'. It depends, unfortunately, on the efficiency of the people who put together the information from their lists of patients. It should be easy with a computerised system to ask the programme to select all the patients who have certain conditions. But human beings are human and make mistakes.
I didn’t receive a letter either but I spoke to immunology dept and a letter hit the floor from them the next day ‘extremely vulnerable ‘ shield !! This I knew but GP surgery were shirty when I asked them but they did ring yesterday to ask for my next of kin perhaps checking I’m still here lol. I do happen to know that they received the immuno letter electronically so perhaps they’ve got around to reading it ? I think we are all in the same boat my letter did allow my husband to stay off work to care for me though so it does make a big difference. I’m on jak inhibitors, steroids and have a non functioning immune system too.
well i got a verbal instruction over the phone from the consultant today paper comes later , i was medium to high . but since i am having flareups plus doses of steroids ( all she can do in the current climate ) she told me i should shield. basically i think what it boils down to is the GP is concerned with your overall health and the rhum consultant with RA so you can get different opinions as well
I live in Northern Ireland and received a letter from rheumatology almost 2 weeks ago. However my employer is not accepting it as it doesn't specify to shield for 12 weeks! It says (in bold)'shield until further notice ' they say it is only a general information letter and not a specific shielding letter!!does anyone elses not specify 12.weeks?
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Shielding letters
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