The government have released guidance for individuals who have been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable. Any individual in this group will have previously received a letter from the NHS or their GP.
The latest guidance applies to clinically extremely vulnerable individuals only. Others living in a household with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable are not advised to follow this guidance.
They should instead continue to attend work and school in accordance with the general advice and regulations set out in the National Restrictions guidance from 5 November.
Attending Work
Individuals identified as clinically extremely vulnerable are strongly advised to work from home. If they cannot work from home, they should not attend work for this period of restrictions.
If they cannot attend work for this reason, they may be eligible for Contractual Sick Pay, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit. Other eligibility criteria will apply.
Other people who live in the same house who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves can still attend work if they cannot work from home, in line with the wider rules set out in the new National Restrictions from 5 November.
Definition of clinically extremely vulnerable groups
People who are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable are at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19. There are 2 ways individuals may be identified as clinically extremely vulnerable:
Have one or more of the conditions listed below, or
Hospital clinician or GP has added a person to the Shielded patients list because, based on their clinical judgement, they deem them to be at higher risk of serious illness if they catch the virus.
If an individual does not fall into either of these categories and has not been informed that they are on the Shielded patients list, they should follow the new National Restrictions from 5 November.
If an individual thinks there are good clinical reasons why they should be added to the Shielded Patient List, they should discuss concerns with their GP or hospital clinician.
Adults with the following conditions are automatically deemed clinically extremely vulnerable:
- solid organ transplant recipients
- those with specific cancers:
- people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
- people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
- people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
- people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
- people having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
- people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
- those with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- those with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell disease)
- those on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
- adults with Down’s syndrome
- adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5)
- women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
- other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions
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