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Isolation note - Scotland and stranded

B

Bearing up

Member
My wife and I are both at risk and told by our GP to shield for 12 weeks. He could issue a sick note if we were showing symptoms but we're not, and he cant issue an isolation note as ther seems to be no guidance . Here in Scotland NHS inform cant be contacted by phone , web chat or brick through window (2pm ) so no issue of a isolation note , both our employers require one and wont pay my wife , in my case I have been told no note by Friday , no job.
We are remote here , the local chemist no longer delivers prescriptions ( due to the virus ) no chance of online shopping delivery until 3rd week of April and not a lot of food in the house due to muppets clearing the shops.
So much for isolation then ,on Friday we will give up isolation, go shopping if there is anything ,get our prescriptions and as I cant find the way of getting financial support , not sick no sick note no ssp. I will return to work as a multidrop delivery driver meeting 20 to 30 people a day , I will do my best to distance my self.

I am cross I am in remission from cancer controlling my T2 and coping with my sarcoidosis on the lungs.
This is the last thing, I, like everyone else wanted . There seems to be no real help and real advice, websites that send you to other websites that send you back again.
We have decided that if one or both of us contract this virus then we will just od.
 
Hi, and welcome to the forum.

appreciate that you find yourself in a very tricky bind, but I don’t think that an isolation note is what you need.
They are only for those who are showing symptoms or living in a household where someone is showing symptoms.

As far as I understand it, you need to know whether you should be Shielding, or not. See the Shielding section on the www.gov.uk website for further details.

I know that the Shielding letters (all 1.5 million of them) have started to arrive with people, but (I am in England), I don’t know whether the same process is happening in Scotland?

A few days ago (things change so fast) I saw a statement on the www.gov.uk website that suggested IF you believe you should receive a Shielding letter, and one doesn’t arrive by the 29th March, then contact your doctor to see why. This is a huge administrative operation, so unfortunately, I expect the occasional unintended omission may occur.

is Scotland using the same Shielding process?

Clearly the 29th would be too late for your Friday deadline, but the letter could arrive tomorrow, or you could get confirmation that you will receive one.

In your circumstances, presumably you are under ongoing monitoring/care for the sarcoidosis.
Can you contact whoever treats you for that, for clarification?
 

Hello there, @Bearing up .

The NHS Scootland site guidelines aren't too helpful to you, I agree: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesse...virus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-shielding

To be honest, I'm unsure what to suggest for you, except to consider giving the charity Diabetes UK's helpline a call? They may have more information.

There are contact details for Diabetes UK helpline, in Scotland are here: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/in_your_area/scotland/helpline-scotland

Regarding shopping and prescriptions; have you looked for local volunteering groups who might help? There's one on Facebook, that started in Edinburgh, but is now nationwide "Lend a hand/Ask a favour". Here, where I live (in England) there is a community website called Nextdoor . On there, folks sign up and talk about what's happening in the neighbourhood.

For example, tonight someone was looking for a thermometer for a cancer patient who has to monitor daily. Someone else was going to drop one off to them.

Generally, people are kind, so I hope you get something sorted.

Please let us know how you get along.
Good luck with it all. Please let us know how you get along.
 
Thanks both for your replies, My GP says to shield , but no note ! The problem is of course getting hold of some one ,anyone !
We've has feelers out for help for shopping and prescriptions , but no luck round here, the only offer of help was from 200 miles away , we've even offered money . Hence our decision too break our isolation, we need to get food in , I fear the diet may not bee too diabetic friendly otherwise .
Again thanks for letting me get this off my chest.
I'm off to bed goodnight
 
Help: https://freedomnews.org.uk/covid-19-uk-mutual-aid-groups-a-list/
 

Hi @Bearing up ,

I've got nothing to add other than my empathy for you & your wife's predicament..

I live in SW England. Gen advice for businesses by the chancellor during this time is to rethink letting people go I favour of furloughing till all this blows over. In the meantime .gov.org pickers up the "tab."
I'm not gonna lie about my optimism. It looks like an unprecedented, massive undertaking on top of sorting the issue that started this in the first place..
The problem is. Even the employers are not clear on this one & only have "experince" of previous pandemic free years to fall back on for reference?

One idea comes to mind.
Understandably, you were told to shield. (Due to being at risk regarding health.)
Could your doctor or another health care professional (DSN.?) issue an email stating the fact to that effect? Which could be forwarded to the boss.
So at least your respective employers have something to hold back any action on thier part..

Kind regards.
 
Bearing up said:
We have decided that if one or both of us contract this virus then we will just od.
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Please don't do that. Something that's obvious about what is coming out of the government's mouth is that as usual, they haven't quite thought out the detail.

I know this is probably the last thing that would come to your mind, try contacting your MP. This isn't the first time I've heard of employers forcing people to make very uncomfortable decisions. I'd be tempted to suggest getting name and shame lists.

I wish you all the very best, I've just had to do a weekly shop, I have fasted in the past, but not for seven days or more.
 
Thanks for that link Brunneria I will give it a go

eta had a look but nothing within 50 miles , looks like drawing straws time
 
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I am saved ( tongue in cheek ) I am informed by NHS Inform Scotland I'm not an extremely vulnerable person, because I'm not on the list , and they dont know about shielding letters NHS England * say I am, go figure. So letter due, My employer has "let me go". I wont bother attempting the DWP for a while as its not answering the phone and the website crashing.
NHS England it possible to register to get coronavirus support as an extremely vulnerable person

NHS Inform dont.

I going out to get shopping and start looking for another job.
 
@Bearing up I'm surprised you’re not classed as vulnerable - my SIL has been told by NHS England to stay inside and be ‘sheilded’ for 12 weeks and she finished chemo last April. However my husband who has asthma, Afib and Parkinson’s is not classed as vulnerable so I’m not sure what criteria they use.
 
Thats stupid it seems that things are made up as they go along !
My GP classes me as vulnerable , but NHS Scotland doesn't . I spoke tp NHS inform this afternoon and the poor girl said they are fed up with the government spouting **** and not backing anything up with real action.
I went shopping with the masses this afternoon trying to keep away from everyone else ,.not a lot in our tesco but supper will be porridge with double cream and (sod it ) maple syrup !
The home shopping team leader told me delivery slots are booked up but nothing in the baskets, a bit like hoarding loo roll !
 
The shielding letters are an England thing - PHE has a list of such patients whereas the devolved nations don’t. I think those patients would be contacted by their GP rather than central government.
 
LooperCat said:
The shielding letters are an England thing - PHE has a list of such patients whereas the devolved nations don’t. I think those patients would be contacted by their GP rather than central government.
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It remains to be seen what happens, I have changed ,showered and sprayed everything with virkron-s
Have a good weekend folks
 
Bearing up said:
Zero hours contract , a case of "Bye then" I've no idea what happens next of that front
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Bearing Up, I'm sure, like everywhere else at the moment, these guys will be busy, bu, in your shoes, I'd be hanging on, in a queue waiting to talk with someone at ACAS Scotland: https://archive.acas.org.uk/scotland

It's an 0300 number, so worth checking out the call costs from your landline or mobile provider. It shouldn't cost any more than your usual call rate. For example, with my BT Mobile deal, it'd be free, as I have unlimited minutes, however, with my BT landline it'd not be free.

You're going through the mill at the moment, for sure.
 

Thanks I will give them a call Monday, after my weekly clinic appointment at 9am , I will ask then about the letter again
 
Bearing up said:
Thanks I will give them a call Monday, after my weekly clinic appointment at 9am , I will ask then about the letter again
Click to expand...

Although a thoroughbred Scot, I'm not in Scotland, but I would think ACAS Scotland would have a good grounding on how the land lies, for you and others like you.

Good luck with it. It sounds like you could do with a decent break coming your way.
 
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