Surprise delivery of priority PCR kit this mor... - CLL Support

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Surprise delivery of priority PCR kit this morning

IWVC profile image
IWVC
37 Replies

Like many, I'd given up hope of receiving a priority PCR kit, but this morning's post produced a grey plastic bag which contained one! It is clearly a priority kit - inside the bag a flat pack red box with 24hr Tracked Royal Mail delivery label for return of sample - and an instruction booklet that says that "you have received this home PCR test because your medical records show that you may be suitable for new treatments if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) using a PCR test." Given the time it has taken, maybe the NHS has decided to update its CEV list? I hope so for all the others who should be due one.

Ian C

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IWVC profile image
IWVC
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37 Replies
bennevisplace profile image
bennevisplace

So that's what the priority kit looks like. I have a bog standard one. Now looking for a red marker pen.

devonrr profile image
devonrr

Me too this morning. Like you so pleased I’m finally being recognised and Cllers post treatment in remission are considered for new COVID19 treatments.

I’d given up the fight for recognition .😂

CguLLer profile image
CguLLer

Thanks for posting. We can only live in hope. Does seem strange that this has happened unless there has been some update to the list.

Is there anything you aware of that suggests that your records with GP or Hospital team have been changed that would have triggered this?

IWVC profile image
IWVC in reply to CguLLer

To be honest, I'm not sure. I haven't contacted 119 to ask for a kit but I did have long conversations with both 119 and my GP about getting 4th jab early in January. That may have triggered a change but nothing has been said to me.

CguLLer profile image
CguLLer

Breaking News. Guess what Postie has just been and delivered me a priority PCR test as well. I wrote last week that my GP had updated me on their system but I was not expecting anything based on reports that NHS were not going to do another trawl through the system. Three of us now reporting getting these today (and hopefully more) so something has changed. Maybe the continued pressure from the various charities and the media reporting has prompted a rethink.

David

RosettaClapp profile image
RosettaClapp

Im very pleased for you that you have received this kit ...but it says front Line kit not Priority kit on the return label ....as some people had that got their kit in the first place ..and also the CEV list was wiped in September last year the list we need to be included on for consideration for antibody treatment is a database generated on the basis of the coding on our gp records in Dec 21 ...I have one of these but I understood from 119 I would still need to be referred to a CDMU and that I would not get an automatic phone call ..Please don't count on being phoned up and if you do get a positive result ring someone for referral

mrsjsmith profile image
mrsjsmith in reply to RosettaClapp

The red box says frontline but the booklet inside says Priority Test.

Colette

RosettaClapp profile image
RosettaClapp in reply to mrsjsmith

mybox says front line but the booklet doesnt mention priority

mrsjsmith profile image
mrsjsmith in reply to RosettaClapp

Nic has posted a picture of her booklet showing priority that is the same as mine and others. But I thought you hadn’t received a priority PCR just the regular one after you called 119.

Colette

Annie1920 profile image
Annie1920 in reply to mrsjsmith

I did get one standard one when I rang 119 but have had two more without asking.. One today which is a standard one so I don't know why that is.. As as far as the criteria goes I should be eligible 😓 I am just so worried about it all and thoroughly fed up with being confined to the house

CguLLer profile image
CguLLer in reply to RosettaClapp

As Colette has said it is definitely a Priority Test. It says “you have received this home PCR test kit because your medical records show you may be suitable for new treatments if you test positive for coronavirus using a PCR test”. I am not sure why you are trying to say it is not?

5 people on here now reporting receiving one today, it is more than a coincidence, something has changed.

Annie1920 profile image
Annie1920 in reply to CguLLer

I only said it might not be as there seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what is truly a priority test.. 119 don't seem to know what's going on.. And don't seem to be able to send out true priority tests unless we have had the letter and a lot of gps and consultants have no idea how to be added to the NHSE database.. I was warning not to take any but the official letter as gospel and trust that an automatic phonecall from CMDU will follow that's all not questioning the voracity of what the poster had said

CguLLer profile image
CguLLer in reply to Annie1920

Sorry for any confusion. My reply was to Rosettaclap saying it was a frontline test not a priority one. I hope that you (and everyone else who haven’t received one yet) do get on the list. It would be good if the NHS would clarify what has changed and what they have done so that we all know where we stand.

RosettaClapp profile image
RosettaClapp in reply to CguLLer

We are one and the same :)

Susanbarratt profile image
Susanbarratt

My husband's priority kit arrived this morning as well. We think it was because of his telephone consultation with the GP two weeks ago. Just relieved he's got one.

Wifey21 profile image
Wifey21

Really pleased for you too!

AnnHow profile image
AnnHow

Same here for my brother! 🎊🍾🥳 So pleased!

BellaBee10 profile image
BellaBee10

Mine arrived too!

Photo of my kit
mrsjsmith profile image
mrsjsmith in reply to BellaBee10

Hurrah ! Sounds like the letterboxes around the U.K. are rattling.

Colette 🙂

Motorman profile image
Motorman

Mine has just arrived, looks like someone has done a new search and pulled us off the database.

fieldmeadow profile image
fieldmeadow

Yes, mine arrived this morning too.

RosettaClapp profile image
RosettaClapp

I got an ordinary one ...today but last week I got one that said it was a frontline one but neither had a booklet to say it was priority sadly neither of which I ordered

prbs2707 profile image
prbs2707

Ditto!!! Could have knocked me down with a feather. Postman delivered the same priority kit this morning. No letter but clearly a priority kit. Thank heavens for small mercies! After weeks of trying and endless calls to 119, CNS, GP and consultant I had given up. Had blood test this am and mentioned it to the haematology nurses. She said she thinks the NHS are currently doing another sweep of the database to pick up on anyone who has slipped through the net. If so I sincerely hope all you lovely folk who have not had one do get one ASAP. Patrick

Pinkdark2018 profile image
Pinkdark2018

Mine too! Didn’t know which of my very many communications worked but the latest was GP after 119 told me they should organise it.

Stickybud profile image
Stickybud

Great news. Mine's just arrived too, out of the blue :-)

Indoorbowlers profile image
Indoorbowlers

And another priority kit came through our letterbox as well! My husband was only just back from getting his booster jab when the postman delivered a few boxes - more Amazon orders I thought. What a wonderful surprise when he opened it and saw what it!

It’s been about 10 days since our surgery confirmed they’d now corrected his coding. I initially thought we had our MP’s office to thank for today’s delivery - because last week she said she was chasing the HSA - but so many people are reporting getting them now it clearly had nothing to do with her. But I’m sincerely grateful for all the people who’ve helped with this😊

Fran57 profile image
Fran57

Hello.Yes, Paul received one today too… can’t possibly be a coincidence…. we were both astonished!

Hopefully, everyone will get theirs too, in the next day or so.

I’ve never been so pleased to see something I don’t ever want to be used 😉

Stay safe,

Fran 😷

claree_ford profile image
claree_ford

I got mine today too - I must say my nasty suspicious mind had this related to my e-mailing my doctor about a week ago. They responded very quickly saying that I was correctly coded. It dawned on me today that there could be a subtext if “and you always have been” or “since we corrected it five minutes ago”. But - it now looks like loads of us have suddenly received our kits so I think this is more likely to be as a result of lobbying by our fine blood cancer society. Thank you to them - reassuring.

bennevisplace profile image
bennevisplace

I received the priority kit in today's post!Nice red box like yours.

CguLLer profile image
CguLLer in reply to bennevisplace

Great, no need for that red marker pen now!

bennevisplace profile image
bennevisplace in reply to CguLLer

😆

Ghounds profile image
Ghounds

My GP surgery (useless) keeps repeating that coding me correctly is not their job. They do not believe me to be immune compromised and have just taken over a week to issue much needed medication.

IWVC profile image
IWVC in reply to Ghounds

When I had the conversation with my GP early in January, it started with "you have CLL but you are not taking medication (I'm W&W since 2015) and your condition is stable". Despite being on the original CEV list in 2020, I took this as meaning you aren't ill enough to warrant special care now. However my GP is sympathetic to my predicament and said that if i failed a lateral flow test that had been registered with NHS (it was when lack of PCR tests / test lab capacity was hitting news headlines) and I hadn't heard anything from the NHS in 24 hours to ring surgery and they would be able to do something to get me to a CMDU unit. Now i don't know if this conversation resulted in a change to my NHS coding or "status" in the system. But it is possible that GP surgeries have some system of flagging cases that match the latest CEV criteria.

bennevisplace profile image
bennevisplace in reply to Ghounds

Oh really?

Re coding:

The data being shared with NHS Digital will include information about patients who are currently registered with a GP practice or who have a date of death on or after 1 November 2019 whose record contains coded information relevant to coronavirus planning and research. The data contains NHS Number, postcode, address, surname, forename, sex, ethnicity, date of birth and date of death for those patients. It will also include coded health data which is held in your GP record such as details of:

diagnoses and findings

medications and other prescribed items

investigations, tests and results

treatments and outcomes

vaccinations and immunisations

The above is from guidance for GPs in relation to patient data shared with NHS Digital in the Covid pandemic digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/... specifically from a template notice for GPs to inform patients. Note wording in bold above (my emphasis).

Re immune compromised: for the purpose of access to new treatments, your eligibility is not decided by your GP, it's already been decided by NHS England, see commissioning policy

england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/... Appendix 1: all CLL.

Vakraas profile image
Vakraas

I came home today to find a mystery priority PCR test as well. At first I was scratching my head until I read the bit about 'You have received this home PCR test kit because your medical records show you may be suitable for new treatments if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) using a PCR test.'

So clearly a whole bunch of us have received our home testing kits on the same day, and without much in the way of warning. This suggests that they've all been sent out from a central distribution point rather than separately by our GPs. But why now?

Poodle2 profile image
Poodle2

Another test received here...together with my son testing positive with covid today in the morning...well, guess I should look at the bright side that at least I have it now as I will probably need it very soon...glad we are getting these blooming tests!

RZ8983DV profile image
RZ8983DV

I was in touch with my GP last week about the 4th jab. The nurse said as I was on W and W with relatively low WBC and Lymphs I wasn't eligible I called Haematology and the consultant said I was. Received the priority PCR kit yesterdayDave

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