Hi, I'm wondering if anybody else has just received a letter informing them that they are classed as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable within the last couple of days?
I didn't receive a letter in March at the beginning of lockdown, but have now received one and nothing has changed, so as you can imagine I'm a bit baffled and to be honest.
I was the same I didn't receive a letter in March. I looked at the algorithms and felt I should be. Also received a letter from Rheumatology saying no face to face contact only for medical reasons. I contacted GP who sent a letter end of May saying there was no medical reason for me to shield. In mid May received a call of the blue from GP saying I should be shielding. I asked about the letter I received they didn't know anything about it.
It was at this point I received a text and letters over the last few months keeping me updated.
I heard at the beginning that letters were sent to people who didn't need to shield and no letter to those that did.
Initially I didn't get one but discovered GP had incorrect record of my RA meds. Once that was corrected to show I'm on Rituximab and prednisolone I got the shielding letter. Recently when I was speaking to the GP about something else she confirmed I'm on the CEV list so have received all the latest official advice letters from Matt Hancock.Check your GP has a correct record of what RA meds you take. I don't know if a recent steroid injection(s) would also tip you over into the CEV category as well.
Got my letter 2nd week into second lockdown had to get cover letter from Rheumy nurse to shield
I have the opposite .. I’ve been allowed to slip through a very holey net concerning this. 😖
Me too- both times, as far as any letter is concerned
I’ve slipped through two holey nets with both Rheumy and GP despite every efficient effort by myself and a private respiratory consultant’s letter to rheumy and GP to get me added. I know they received it as my own biologics nurse passed it to my rheumy. My respiratory consultant was fuming I have been ignored and so was my GP practice nurse and she texted me to say she’d asked the practice manager for me to be added after she saw me for my bloods three weeks ago. She told me the same day I would get a letter from the GP. Nothing yet. I appreciate her help. I know things are hard but I’ve been trying since April. I’ll have to chase it .. again. Rheumatology have been unhelpful .. not my own nurse. It was a general rheumy nurse who phoned me as a result of my call re postponing my Rtx in May, refusing to add me despite me having Rtx, Mtx and chronic bronchitis, which needs abx every other month.
That general rheumy nurse has caused me so many problems by refusing to acknowledge my meds and comorbidity. I asked him in April and still I’m not added. I’d have had a second government letter but haven’t had either of course! I need to take this further/higher if no one will add me at rheumatology. I wrote to both GP and rheumy to ask why I haven’t been included and asked for written confirmation I’mincluded, but nothing. I politely stated why I should be included, but no reply and I don’t expect one now but this isn’t right. I definitely quality for the CEV register and my rheumy biologics nurse has told me I do. Wish she was the person doing the register. I do understand how difficult it is presently, but so many others have got letters and been added, so why should I give up. I won’t. Nine months is a long time to be chasing this. 😠
I got 2 in March - one from gp and one from rheum and then one at the start of the November lockdown.
You’ve done well .. I’ve had zilch!
It's like the old buses isn't it- you wait ages for one.....😊🐰
I’m not holding any hope to get any acknowledgement.
I was saying to my husband earlier I wonder if I'll get another this time round😁🐰
I’ve fallen through their very holey nets and I’m disgusted .. I did everything efficient and right to ensure I was included.
They're incompetent.
Me too, just received a text to shield again and advised a letter to follow. X
Just received txt telling me to shield I'm in Tier 4
Snap!! Will just be me and my partner for Christmas. We normally have a wonderful family Christmas and we had had scaled it down this year, according to the rules. A few tears but, it is what it is. Hopefully the vaccine will help us when it’s our turn. We hope Easter could be our next get together. X
I’ve had a few. Seems to be a bit random on timing and I’ve had duplicates. Doesn’t mean much to me to be honest. I’m retired so don’t have to prove anything to an employer. I registered myself on the government website. My husband is a star and does all shopping. I have good neighbours and could get supermarket deliveries (except now of course). I wonder if, in March, the database wasn’t up to date. Sounds like a few areas lacking.
I was told this weekend I’d be on that list - but only after I reached out and asked. I’ve never been classified that before. Let’s not tell anyone and go with it!! 
I don’t want “them” to cancel us off it. frankly, I’ll believe it when I see it - and get a letter. I only got on the list because I emailed Friday complaining as the two years I’ve lived in the UK I had to pay for my flu shot even though I told them I had RA. It’s cheap, but annoying. So I reached out to the NHS rheumie team and basically asked them to make sure my record was up to date with COVID. Ps. I was told in March and this summer I was NOT on the list also - even though I’m on 2 immunosuppressants. But then I started getting shielding letters and have saved them as proof. Again - I’ll believe it when I see a letter about it. It seems fairly disorganized which is a shame. It’s not hard to update a record!
Hi - I received a letter as well as email from my council. Take care. 🙂
Thanks for all of your replies. Just pot luck I guess! Happy Christmas to you all.
I had a letter saying I should shield near to the beginning of both of the Lockdowns. In the first one we had a box of food supplied to us every week, but there has been nothing this time. I have found that everything seems rather a mess and at our doctors they seem to be making so many mistakes where they used to be so good and never made mistakes.
I am suffering with cellulitis and having a nurse come out twice a week to change my dressings now. Last Tuesday, the nurse said it was important for me to have a Doppler scan done asap. She tried ringing the surgery and she is not even allowed a hotline to get through to them now. It took her ages to speak to someone who then told her that they have no appointments until about two weeks time. She then managed to book a nurse to come and do one tomorrow. Just after she had gone, I got a text from the surgery, telling me I had an appointment in less than an hour's time. We rushed around getting ready and managed it just in time. When we got there a receptionist said she didn't know anything about me having an appointment. After a lot of discussion with the other receptionists, one of them said that it was a mistake and shouldn't have been sent at all. What is annoying is that no one ever apologises when a mistake is made.
I’ve had to chase around too. I eventually got a letter to shield in April from immunology after a long and tedious conversation with the nurse who then had to speak to the doc and I’m severely immune suppressed. Rheumatology did nothing and as I’m not on R.A. meds at present my GP ignored it too. It’s mostly a case of A not talking to B and although I’m on the register as ECV I still have to point out to GP that I cannot attend the surgery for blood tests etc and they need to look at my records before giving me a hard time about it. I usually don’t have too many problems but it’s a constant chase around for these things and there’s no continuity it seems.
Can I ask, apart from an employment aspect, is there any other reason or benefit to having a shielding letter? I lived in fear of getting one as regular walks are essential to strengthening my mobility and keeping me sane.
You can still go out for socially distance walks in tier 4 and shielding. Just need to be extra careful. Getting confirmation means priority slots at a supermarket, getting your meds delivered. Help from the community if needed. Hopefully earlier vaccine slots. But I would say, as you have noted help if you go to work normally, but need a reason not too. X
As Leics says, earlier vaccine slots .. which was was my reason to want. However, on Rituximab that’s not going to be quite so easy to plan. Also being able to get a slot more easily/as priority for supermarket delivery. Didn’t want my husband to go to the supermarket. For many they’ve needed the proof for their work. I’m not working for anyone as such so that’s not my reason.
I managed to finally be told by my GP practice manager that my records have been updated and I’ll get a letter of proof of being higher risk/CEV in early January. It’s taken three months for them to do that and I’m grateful for the GP nurse who organised that. Not so much luck .. nothing really from rheumatology since I asked them in April, June, September, when attending infusion and writing, although my biologics nurse was trying to help but isn’t allowed to action the RA patient register and there is a reluctance from other staff to do anything. Always an uphill struggle with them.
Taking a biologic Hyrimoz (adalimumab), but not on the government's extremely vulnerable list
Just been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis
I'm just one pain in the butt!
Just like that I'm being referred!!
What a relief!! Now, can I go somewhere?
