Asthma, transplant and cancer patients will no longer be required to shield, the Government has suggested in a text message to affected individuals.
An official shielding list of patients who suffer from a variety of high-risk conditions was assembled by GPs and hospital clinicians at the start of the pandemic.
They were advised to “stay at home at all times” and were offered support – including food packages – by the Government to protect them from exposure to the virus.
However, a text was last week sent to a selection of people within the vulnerable group, telling them they had been removed from the programme.
The update initially caused confusion and anger among recipients, whose removal from the list meant they would no longer qualify for the delivery of food parcels.
Earlier this month it emerged that more than 100,000 people were incorrectly told to fully “shield” and never leave their homes, after NHS England asked health professionals to check their lists for accuracy.
Those who received the most recent texts included liver transplant patients, individuals suffering from brittle asthma, certain types of cancer, decompensated cirrhosis, or who take immunosuppressant medications, The Guardian reported last night.
The text, sent from GOV.UK, reportedly said: “This is an update from the National Shielding Service. We understand that your GP or hospital clinician has recommended that you no longer need to follow government advice to shield.