Has anybody managed to get themselves taken OFF the Shielded List?

That's how it's supposed to work in England, too, although I'm not sure that it always does.

The idea is that you can get friends, family or local groups to do your shopping and doing errands, etc. The phone call is to check that you do have somebody to help you. If not, the local authorities have a list of volunteers. To be fair to the government, they are trying to make sure that no vulnerable people are left on their own without help.

I guess you can stop being sent food parcels, but you can't change the medical advice, which is that the person should be shielded. The person can't change his/her medical condition and the medics aren't going to change their advice that the best course of action is to stay at home all the time.

Hellsbelles, it's the local authorities in Scotland who send out the food parcels. Each council has a dedicated phone number you can phone for assistance, if you are sheilding.
I got a call because I hadn't asked for a food box and they wanted to check I was OK.

Is there a similiar system in the other UK countries? Perhaps you could try contacting them.

What do I really dislike about it? It's yet another case of 'I'm special - so the advice and/or rules don't apply to me!'

Employees don't have to give any details about their health, but if they have, the employer has a duty to act on the information. It's usually to the employee's advantage because he/she is covered by the Equality Act.

There's quite a bit on Google about this. If the employer does know about the employee's health status and knows that he/she has been advised to be shielded, there should be a written statement, so that everybody knows where they stand should the employee become infected. Professional HR/legal advice is needed.

From what Franbern has posted, this person is the decision maker for the firm, has put in place for his or her staff a very strict distancing policy and can travel to and from work in own car.

Surely such a person should be able to use his or her own judgement?
The only problem I can envisage is the possibility of a breakdown or an accident on the way to or from work, which could result in close contact with other people.

I wonder what issues that would raise regarding the workers right to privacy?

If their health issue doesn't pose a risk to anyone else, then they have a right to work, I would think?

Employers have a duty of care. They wouldn't be happy to have somebody working who's in the shielded group.

That's my understanding too Callistemon. It's advice not an edict. The only real barrier I can see is if the employer doesn't want the responsibility of having to ensure that it provides a safe workplace. Employers are within their rights to stop people from working, if they think that employees would be in any danger and the employer couldn't ensure any adjustments. How is the person travelling to and from work?

We don't live local to family ( + 150 miles )
My dh has received a shielding letter due to his various conditions advising not to leave house etc.
My condition was on the list in the vulnerable group and advised to self isolate as much as possible .
We logged my dh on the government website , hoping we'd be helped food wise with the parcel allegedly being sent out. Up to now no parcels , despite trying a few times by registering .
We can get a click and collect from Sainsbury's , however we live rurally and it's 30 miles away so a 60 mile round trip for me by myself which I have done twice.
We have friends who live in a town who's husband is also on the shielding group, they are receiving the parcel and last week also had orders from Morrison's and Asda !

The letter contains Important Advice
The best way to avoid getting coronavirus ismto stay at home for the next 12 weeks.

It is not a Government order.

If a person is not currently receiving treatment and their condition is stable surely they can exercise a degree of common sense, especially someone in an extremely important job which is very much needed in the present circumstances.

Someone in such an important job should be able to exercise common sense or their own discretion and follow necessary safeguarding procedures, which everyone should be following anyway.

X posts

The person involved had their spleen removed thirty years ago due to an illness. Never taken any medication for this (not daily anti-biotics). Is extremely fit and healthy and has a long record of excellent health.
At their work they had control of their own environment, mainly in an office, which they would go to each morning just as the cleaners left. Had already put in place for all staff a very strict distancing policy. Went to and from work in own car. Feels very safe there, and although can do much of work from home, there are areas which cannot be carried out that way.
Has an extremely important job which is very much needed in the present circumstances.
Feels that they should be able to take their own decisions

I still don't understand the OP.

Surely receiving the letter stating someone is on the shielded list means that person would be able to access extra help with groceries or delivery of medicines and is advised to stay at home.

It's not an order, it is advice.
No-one is going to come around and lock that person in if they are in an essential job and wish to go to work if they feel well?

What type of job are they doing, Franbern? If in a medical profession ie working in a hospital, a paramedic, why would they want to put themselves at risk if advised to stay at home due to their condition?
If not a medic, can they carry out their work taking sensible precautions?

Why would anyone waste a doctor's time trying to get themselves taken off the shielded list if they feel so indignant about it and wish to go to work?
They could just use some common sense.

My parent's neighbour brought a letter round yesterday from the council addressed to my dad. It said as he was on the shielded list they were just checking up to make sure he had everything he needed. He died 10 years ago and would've been 99 now!

This is the second time I've heard this happen - my neighbour's mother had one last week about her son - he also passed away 10 years ago. It obviously caused her great distress.

I rang the council to ask them to take my dad's name off the records and also check my mum's wasn't on it - she died 8 years ago and would've been 100 this year! They said that it was actually the NHS who prompt these letters. I'm not knocking the NHS as they're amazing but you'd think their records would be updated on a more regular basis as there must be a lot of people affected and in years to come even more so.

My friend’s 19 year old daughter had her spleen removed a year ago after an RTC and she isn’t on the shielded list. She only takes a daily antibiotic. Another friend who had liver cancer successfully removed 5 years ago with no follow up chemotherapy needed is on the list. As an asthmatic I’m on the list, but I have never had a hospital admission because of it, never needed oxygen and haven’t had any exacerbations for several years. I queried my inclusion and GP couldn’t understand why I was shielded as my asthma is so well controlled and there are many people a lot worse than me. . She did a bit of digging and apparently because I take a particular inhaler it means automatic inclusion regardless of how well you are. Today, however, our health board has announced that 3300 people in our area have been wrongly included on the list as the search parameters were too wide. They’re writing to those affected ..... wonder if I might get a letter?? Not holding my breath though - no pun intended!

Wise words Nannarose.

You're right Luckygirl. My brain wasn't in gear and I wasn't thinking. I was trying to work out how people without a spleen would fit into the latest list of conditions which make people highly vulnerable. I don't know anything about it, but it does seem obvious that people without spleens would be more susceptible to infections.

I must say that I don't think these "lists" have been at all clear. I know they've had to work really quickly, but the constant changes have confused people.

There are still three groups of people and the distinctions need to be made crystal clear. Somebody need to think this through really clearly, especially as there is now talk of phased lifting of lockdown for various groups of people, which I can see causing all sorts of resentment.

Someone without a spleen has a weakened immune system, so definitely does not want immuno-suppressant drugs! They are included in the shielded group for good reason.

Growstuff - no, someone without a spleen would not normally take immunosuppressants.
Unless they have other issues, they are normally as fit and healthy as anyone, but their immune system is not as good. This often makes only a small difference in ordinary life; but in odd situations like this, where the effect of the virus on the immune system is unpredictable and largely unknown, it makes sense to take extra precautions.

I think it more difficult for those (examples above) as they not used to thinking of themselves as being unusually vulnerable.

I dont understand the OP.

The lists were provided by hospital consultants to the Chief Medical Officers of the countries concerned of their most vulnerable patients within certain categories.

These letters were not sent out by GPs but by the CMOs with advice on what to do.

I have not seen an updated list but it would think someone without a spleen would have been considered to be at least vulnerable, if not shielded, now presumably updated to shielded.

It was updated again this afternoon. Does somebody without a spleen automatically take immunosuppression drugs? If yes, they're automatically on the list.

Thanks for that Hetty. It appears that the official guidance ( on the website) hasn’t been updated to include this group. Apparently there is constant updating going on and the shielded group has grown by quite a bit.

suziewoozie, advice changed on the 24th:

www.gponline.com/u-turn-splenectomy-patients-added-covid-19-shielding-list/article/1681307

Why on Earth would anyone want to risk working if advised to sheild? It just defies common sense. Hopefully, their GP will have a stern word with them. Here's the original letter sent to GPs:

www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/200321_COVID-19_CMO_MD_letter-to-GPs_FINAL_2.pdf