Good morning to you lovely people on this beautiful sunny Saturday morning. Has anyone else had their employer ask for a letter from you GP or consultant to prove you are still in the clinically extremely vulnerable group.
We received an email from HR this week stating their new policy regarding covid. Mainly that it will now be added to someone’s sickness record and triggers if you have covid and need to be off work.
They also mentioned that anyone who returns to work after having covid will need to stay away from people in the high risk group for 10 days.
I emailed HR back to ask if they have a list of employees that are in this group and asked if I am on it still.
I got an email back from HR saying that they don’t have a list of employees in this group and if I am still in this group they want a recent letter from my GP and consultant stating I am still in this group as HR believe that most people have been taken out of this group.
They advised me that they know all of the service users in this group but not their employees. I was quite shocked by this as surely HR have a duty to look after their employees too? 🙈.
I’m not even clear how they will look after their employees either apart from telling people to stay away from me for 10 days after they have had covid. It has blown my mind and makes me have more questions rather than getting the answers.
I am employed by a local sight loss charity but work full time in an eye hospital and I despair at the lack of care from my employer at times. They know all my medical issues as I have been seen by occupational health at least three times in the last three years as requested by my employers and yet they never follow any of the recommendations given to them and no discussions with me either even when I ask for them.
The hospital I work in has just stopped mask wearing this week for all patients and staff. It has really tested my anxiety this week. I know that we need to get back to normality but being told at work the new strain of covid that is going around at the moment is particularly nasty.
I have my spring booster booked in for next week now so am doing all I can to look after myself.
I am on a high dose of steroids at the moment to settle down the tendonitis I have at the moment and now 5 weeks on my new biologic and so far so good with it which is so good. My rheumatologist increased my steroids when she saw me on the 20th April as she said my biologic won’t necessarily help the tendonitis. I am on the waiting list for a steroid injection into my thumb, wrist and my ankle but she has warned me the list is very long so will have a long wait. I completely understand this and am grateful she is doing what she can to settle things down for me generally whilst we wait for my biologic to work it’s magic.
Lots of love to you all and hope you have some lovely plans for the weekend. 😘. x
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Summerrain14
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Exactly. The main TU’s are helpful for all even if you’re not members, on equality and fairness Worth asking how to proceed and then you can say you’ve taken professional advice etc. Surely the fact SR goes for her boosters regularly and as a priority should tell the employer she is high/higher risk. However, they may need the written proof in order to help her and I hope this is the case.
Great that the biologic is suiting you but it seems that your employer really isn't behaving well - again! Maybe it's time to consider looking for another job - if you need to work - or taking a break and considering other, hopefully better, ways to spend your time. 🤔
Can’t help with your questions but I’d do what Sylvi has said and stick with wearing a mask even if no one else does. I don’t wear one now but I often see people wearing them when I am out and about and figure they must be CEV. I’m sure you will be able to get a letter from your doctor or consultant though. Such a drag that they can’t just believe you. Good luck with it all.
I’m sorry to hear this. I do know the Gov are no longer referring to people as CEV as from last year or maybe earlier than that but the term was replaced by .. those at higher risk of Covid. I read this on the Gov.uk website ages ago. So I don’t think anyone officially would use CEV medically as such but doesn’t change the vulnerability of a patient which is what I’ve said to my medical people. Are you able to work alone in your office. I mean when you don’t have to see the patients? Seem to recall there was someone else who shared it. Do you have a union? Surely the OC people you saw before would support you on this?
🤞🏻Re Abatacept. Has been working fine for me so far. 🙏🏻
The clinically vulnerable list is no longer in situ
This is the latest explanation from nhs.England
“If you are at higher risk from COVID-19 or have been previously identified as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ or ‘vulnerable’ it's important to continue to follow the recommended public health guidance which applies to the general population”.
So I doubt your GP will be able to offer the letter you want.
Have a look at “ guidance” in nhs groups for your area …but working in a hospital setting I would think your employer’s HR department should be up to speed. Have another word with them .
Nothing would surprise me about the NHS these days! My hospital is still churning out letters saying all patients must wear a mask when attending for an MRI.
I knew I had a box of masks somewhere…so despite knowing I had read masks were not necessary….I thought maybe ther had been a case of covid or some other reason & it was a one off….so muggins here turned up fully masked…& was the only one wearing one!
It’s so annoying when you get outdated info… I bet if you asked why you’d get some outrageous excuse.
Yes, exactly! I turned up for my Rituxumab infusions in March masked as requested, I wondered why no one had them on and was told that they weren't needed any more, but they STILL have not updated their letters or guidance, it's just such a basic amendment that's needed too!
I turned up for my Rtx infusion …at a new location, none of the staff knew what they were doing. They got me all cannulated up then came in and said they couldn’t do the infusion because the bag containing the Rtx had split. I reckon they just didn’t know what to do with it so I had to go home and go back the next week.!
I did tell them I had been on rituximab for six years and it had never split before …..they had no answer.
Consultants and GPs can still issue a letter saying a patient is at higher risk, etc as so many of those patients haven’t suddenly become less risk. I have had these done for me for reasons other than work.
By now, I think we all know what we should be doing to keep ourselves safe. We really can’t keep bothering our very busy doctors to write letters.
As a lot of us have found, many employers, including various nhs departments, are still following outdated regulations. As we all know where to find the correct info, why not just politely pass it on, or I’m sure a call to NRAS would help if anyone is unsure how to check.
I didn’t check…& turned up wearing a mask……having searched high & low for one…….unnecessarily.
No, I am not disputing that we don’t/do know what we need to do to keep safe. I am also not bothering anyone medical/wasn’t bothering them at all to write a letter back in 2021. My consultants quickly offered my letter re higher risk themselves/told me it would be a good idea, so I could get my Covid and pneumonia vaccines repeated in 2021.
(The advice always was and still is on the NHS and Gov websites re walk in Covid vaccine patients to take a letter detailing your condition/meds/situation. (An existing consultant/proof of patient status letter was said on both websites ideal if you had one. ) I wasn’t able to use the booking system due to me being out of sync with the NHS vaccine pathway, so taking a letter worked for me and no doubt many others. As my consultants follow up my appointments with letters anyhow they added a couple of sentences on my status. They offered. Proof was needed for me.)
Anyhow, dear Summerrain, good luck to you and do what you need to to keep yourself protected at work.
I wore a mask on a plane last week and was the only one I think 😷. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I still wear them at health appts and on the bus/ train.
Exactly, I wore one when I used a bus last week. I hardly ever use the bus - i was the only person wearing one but it was a busy bus, I didn’t care what anyone else thought.
I still wear one too. So does hubby. It's still out there. I've not had it and I don't want it. 2 of my family had it a couple of weeks ago and felt really rough. I'll do what feels right for me. I don't care if im the only one wherever I go. Flying in a couple of weeks and I'll wear one then too.
My hospital stopped mask wearing at the end of Feb, NOONE was wearing masks when I had my Rituxumab Infusions.
Covid, snuck in through the back door and finally got me after 3 years..🥊 it has been pretty grim and I developed a complication too, probably as Rituxumab had decided to kick in at the same time, I NEVER want this again!
Think the majority of the country are now very blasé about Covid as they've probably had it once or more times now, recovered and good for them! My life was completely back to normal before I got this but i had never caught it, I think it gets us all eventually.. either very lucky or a hermit if you don't!, For some of us Covid still does remains a risk factor though...no longer CEV but part of a small group that can be affected quite badly by Covid, there is advice about this on GOV.UK. If you would be entitled to the anti viral meds if you did get it or you've had them previously , then that would include you as part of that group now? I will be using this as my defence when I go to back but it's a battle 🙄
Could you get a letter from your Consultant or GP maybe stating you are Immune Compromised and would be entitled to the anti viral meds maybe ?
Oh and Abatacept is a very powerful biologic (even if you haven’t got any noticeable side effects) which affects your T (and B cells to a certain extent) as it inhibits the full stimulation/activation of CD4 T cells (helper T cells) which assist B cells to make antibodies to fight off infections.
Add in your other dmards (as even if low level the fact you have combo therapy is something they look at too when assessing you for higher risk) and also your comorbidities of major kidney issues, I’d say you’d be classed as higher risk. Also you are thought to be so according to the JCVI website if you have been on a new med less than 6 months and if your RD is quite active. I’d mention all of this as to why you are still high risk. I did similar for myself but it wasn’t for work. Good luck and sending love to you. x
As se real others have said, the government dropped the term CEV from their guidance last year. This was due to the vaccines reducing the risk for most. Although they accept a small part of that group remain at high risk due to being immunosuppressed due to their illness or meds. Employers are still required to keep you safe, and instigate a plan to keep you safe. Your GP may charge for such a letter, in which case the hospital should reimburse you. I worked for the nhs fir 34yrs, and although we’re good at caring for others, management are not good at caring for their staff. Here’s a link to the current guidance for those of us still at high risk. I would also approach your union for support.
My employer stopped treating covid as not counting on your sickness record about a year ago. Very annoyingly I got covid a couple of weeks later! Fortunately because I can’t work from home, my manager classed me as self isolating so I didn’t infect others and it didn’t count as sickness. If I could have worked from home but was too ill to do so it would have counted as sickness.
I am on a biologic which drops my neutrophils quite low; I am on a list somewhere which triggers my eligibility for covid boosters (had last one a couple of weeks ago). But I know of no way of being on any sort of a list of vulnerable as far as my employer is concerned! I work on the reception desk of a university building so mixing with people daily.
Even though CEV has been dropped, you still have a weakened immune system, so why are your employers asking if you are still in a group that no longer exists? Strange, but I suppose they want to cover themselves.
I would be tempted to say to them my disease has not changed and is not going away, the CEV has been dropped, but I am still immunocompromised.
Do you have the letter that says you may be eligible for antivirals if you get covid? It's not quite the same as you're being asked for, but it might help?
I received an email in January which suggested that I could have access to medication if I was to get Covid. I needed to use a specic Covid test which would trigger this process. It included a number of links.
just another worry for you 😭. I don’t work so can’t help you, but from what you said we are definitely ‘the forgotten £500,000+’ where Covid/immunity is concerned. I had to visit the hospital last week. Must have stuck out like a sore thumb with my mask on. We just have to do what we feel comfortable with whilst trying to have some sort of a life. I am sure your Dr/RA team will write u a letter….hopefully free!! Take care
My adult son and myself still wear our FFP3 maskes and only meet people outside if possible, full ventilation if they come into our house.
People do look at us but I think it is more about my son having very long hair in a plait down his back, a full beard, a dark greeny brown velvet skirt, an orange and blue wool hat with a tassel on the top. And if it is cold either a big grey sweeping cloak or a long leather trench coat.
Wearing a mask is the least of my worries when I am out with him!
Stick to your guns. Covid is not benign, even mild cases can result in Long Covid.
did you not get a letter or email from the Nhs saying you in vulnerable group so should you get covid you can get the pill to help you etc sorry i can’t remember what it’s called you could just screenshot that. Or you could do same with your covid jab as only vulnerable people are getting that now and surely they would know that. Sorry not much help
I recently received a text from the NHS telling me that I am at high risk and advising me to test whenever I have symptoms. The tests arrive very speedilyI have also had my 6th vaccine
I was really surprised to read this. I certainly wear a mask when I go to the surgery or hospital and so does my husband, who is my carer. I don’t have much of a social life. 😂 Covid hasn’t gone. The latest strain (my son tested positive for 2 weeks) affects your eyes with conjunctivitis type symptoms as well. I would certainly be wearing a mask at work, especially in an eye hospital. Surely this would be common sense and if you do belong to a Union, I would be onto them like a shot. Just because the government has decided that we’re not not classed as vulnerable any more doesn’t mean we’re not. Take care. xx
Good morning. If you would like support, information or just someone to talk to, our NRAS helpline is open every weekday from 9.30am to 4.30pm nras.org.uk/helpline/ 0800 298 7650. Or have a look at our website nras.org.uk. Kind regards.
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Hi all, I am still in remission from ra😀
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