news.sky.com/story/covid-vu...
Hi all,
I just found this, I know it's nothing new but good to see some stats on it from a mainstream website.
The example of Ms. West was interesting to me as she has AS which I have and she lives in my neck of the woods too.
Excellent news! Do make sure your GP has recorded the correct SNOMED code for you to make sure you can get hold of the antivirals quickly. See Moomin8's post "Access to Covid treatment and vaccines" that she posted yesterday.
Hia,
I would make sure once I've worked out what the SNOMED is lol, or could you enlighten me Lola?
Take a look at Moomin8’s post and the link she attached to it which shows the codes.
Unless I have missed something (quite likely)…..All this information is very useful, but unfortunately the majority of. It seems to need action by GP/Rheumy Dept or Consultant before we would be able to get any action. In my neck of the woods…that seems very unlikely to materialise.
In my case I discovered it needs the GP to have read various letters sent over months/years from the Rheumatologist and record any hospital prescribed meds like biologics on the patients surgery record. Then the Covid lead at the surgery or whoever should have recorded SNOMED codes on the patient’s record to reflect all diseases and meds. This was not done at my surgery because information in consultant’s letters was not added to the health record, merely a photocopy of the letter put on to the online record.
I wonder how many people actually have a SNOMED code on their notes.I am with a new GP who recently wrote saying my Annual RA check up was due.
I have never had one of those from a GP in over 20 years.
When I phoned to ask what they were intending to check….& did they have any information on the treatment I was on…..there was a stunned silence.
The outcome was…..no check up…..so at my next appointment, I am taking the page that mentions this code….& will ask what my code is.
I have checked letters from my rheumy Dept……no code on those.
Might it have been a good idea if the NHS actually told the patient their own code?
Precisely AC.
Same here, going by my past experience. I'm totally prepared to make the call to Rheumy or GP if I catch covid. I know GP is well aware of my medical stats, and Rheumy said to call them if I get a poss result.
I have already been told by whoever answers on 119 that I am not eligible ….I don’t have the energy to explain that I qualify on age if nothing else…I’m just living in hopes I never need to find out what would happen if I caught the virus.I know my rheumy well enough..& if I succumbed out of hours & wasn’t too bad..I’d wait until I could get hold of him.
But bottom line it’s just downright inefficiency……like everything in the NHS…it needs a complete overhaul……& the fiction that throwing £zillions to the same people will ever produce a different result must be abandoned.
The reason you were told by 119 that you are not eligible is because your GP surgery has failed to put the correct SNOMED code on the system against your name/NHS number.
The surgery were sent a letter dated 9th March by NHS England telling them to do it and it should have been actioned. Moomin8 sent us all this information with a link attached which explained it all and a copy of the content of the letter. This is what I referred to earlier. In my surgery I was the "Covid lead" administrator had to enter the SNOMED codes on the relevant database.
If you are still having Rituximab infusions (or had been given one which was still working in your system and suppressing your immune system when you had your covid jabs) you should be eligible for antivirals as you probably did not make a good response to the jabs (or indeed flu jabs!). Plus I think your age qualifies you and you may have other health issues which also qualify you.
So it's up to you whether you decide to follow this up or not. In your case, as you have told us previously that you are going out and about and into shops and now we can't trust others to keep us safe, I think you are taking quite a risk if you don't as you probably won't get the antivirals that can minimise the effects of covid.
Yes Ido understand that.I had my last rituximab infusion in January …the expiry time is you must have had an infusion & still be uncontrolled within six months ….& of course January is only 3–4 months ago….& as my rheumatologist says - my age & Rtx are my main problems without other health considerations.I copied my GP that letter and a paragraph out of the December 2021 letter advising what GP practices were required to do.
I wasn’t demanding…just asking for confirmation my name had been added to “the list” as I was a new patient,
I had very acrimonious to and fro emails ending up with a reply from my surgery saying
“as I have said antivirals are nothing to do with us”
I have given up banging my head against a brick wall & should the need arise…I will rely on my rheumatology department and my consultant.
You can talk to a deaf ear for so long ……..then it’s a waste of time.
It's so frustrating isn't it? Hope you've got your Rheumy's phone number/bleep on speed dial, just in case!!
Don’t worry… all the time I am testing negative I shall be cool calm and collected ..but the minute ..if I ever get a positive result…..please God I don’t of course….,the red mist will come down….& whoever is the unfortunate person to give the wrong answer….,will honestly wish they hadn’t!
That is good news.
I think it depends on the nurse who rings you after you have tested positive.Insent the pcr away and was rang and told I did not qualify even thou I had my letter etc and pcr that was sent in case I became ill .I was very puzzled .The side effects described on here did sound awful so pleased I wasn’t very ill to receive the anti virals really
Access to antiviral infusion
Can't get a priority Pcr for Antivirals 
Tested positive for COVID now on antiviral.
