From the Health Centre

An Update from the Health Centre – it is a long one but please read it all. Thank you.

Good Morning everyone – the weather yesterday was stunning and of course we wanted to enjoy something uplifting in our lives. However, please, try to remember that Government advice is to stay at least 2 metres apart from each other – you are still vulnerable out in the fresh air. Do not under-estimate this advice!!! Enjoy Spring, embrace it but keep everyone else 2 metres away! Don’t be afraid of asking someone NICELY to keep their distance, but come on, we are all small communities here – keep it calm and keep it controlled!!!!

We have received a letter from the Government this morning asking us to help try to shield patients who are a the highest risk from the Coronavirus and we need to ask you to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.

This group has been identified as those who are:

• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (i.e. anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
• chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
• chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
• chronic kidney disease
• chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
• chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
• diabetes
• problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
• a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
• being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)
• those who are pregnant

The Government is also writing to patients who are deemed to be in the most vulnerable group at risk of COVID-19. The Government is asking all those patients to stay at home at all times and avoid any face to face contact at least for 12 weeks.

List of diseases and conditions considered to be very high risk (Group 1):
1. Solid organ transplant recipients

2. People with specific cancers 

• People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer 
• 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 which 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. 

3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD

4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell disease)

5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection 

6. People who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired

Try and keep well and don’t forget the GPs are here on the phone for you initially should you need to speak to them for your medical needs.

Alex Austin
Practice Manager