Most patients requiring a shielding letter (instructions from the government for extremely clinically vulnerable people) should have received one directly from the government already. Some patients may have received a text instead and a letter should follow shortly.
This page if for patients who feel that they qualify for such a letter but haven’t yet received one.
The Government has sent us this list of patients who are highly vulnerable and need to shield.
This group includes people who:
- have had solid organ transplants
- have cancer and are receiving active chemotherapy
- have lung cancer and are either receiving or previously received radical radiotherapy
- have cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
- are receiving immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
- are receiving other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
- have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
- have severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma and severe COPD
- have rare diseases, including all forms of interstitial lung disease/sarcoidosis, and inborn errors of metabolism (such as SCID and homozygous sickle cell) that significantly increase the risk of infections
- are receiving immunosuppression therapies that significantly increase risk of infection
- are pregnant with significant heart disease (congenital or acquired)
- Anyone on any of these medications:
- Prednisolone (long term)
- Methotrexate 25mg weekly and over
- Azathioprine
- Mycophenolate
- Cyclosporin
- Sirolimus
- Tacrolimus
- Having in the last 6 months received IV cyclophosphamide, Rituximab or infliximab.
(a) If you belong to any of the groups above and have not yet received a text or letter from the government:
please click here to use e-consult to let us know.
Wilmslow Health Centre doctors will review your notes to see if you have been missed by the government and will arrange a letter, if clinically appropriate, to be issued within three working days.
(b) If you do not have any of these conditions but feel you should be shielding and require a letter:
please click here to use e-consult and let us know the details of your condition and why you think you qualify for shielding.
Wilmslow Health Centre doctors will review your notes and get back to you within seven working days. Please shield yourself if you feel this is necessary until you hear back from us.
Please note that shielding letters can only be issued if you meet the very strict criteria specified by the government. We would appreciate that if people don’t qualify for such letters, they try option (C) below rather than pressurising our staff into writing such letters for them inappropriately. This takes up a lot of valuable time that could be spent dealing with very sick patients.
(c) If you don’t qualify for a shielding letter but still require assistance:
for instance, with your shopping or medication deliveries, etc. please use e-consult to let us know. We can try and arrange for some local voluntary groups to assist you, (please click here and give us details via e-consult) otherwise use the links below to contact Cheshire East Council for assistance:
- Click here to fill Cheshire East Council’s form for requesting help during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- Call Cheshire East Council on the phone by dialling 0300 123 5034
