0333 305 0466 Sheilding Helpline.

[nukecad]

0333 305 0466

I had a call this morning from from this number.
I don't answer unknow numbers, so let it ring then checked it out.

To save anyone else the trouble of checking - it is the genuine number that the Sheilding Helpline are ringing people from.

I've added it to my phone contacts as 'Sheilding Helpline' and so when they ring again I will now answer it.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...6TqbJBO3GJlHVc

A7: While you are at home ‘shielding’ a government support service may contact you by letter, email or telephone. This team is contacting you to understand your food and wellbeing support needs and will always identify themselves with their name and as a representative of the National Shielding Helpline.

To give you confidence, the phone number they’re calling from will register on your phone as 0333 3050466. It is not a live telephone line, but if you call it you will get the following recorded message:

“You were called today by the Shielding Helpline, sorry that we missed you, there is no need to call us back as we will try again soon. Thank you goodbye”.

Early on in the call agents from this service will ask you to confirm some details, for example your name and NHS number, to make sure they are speaking to the right person. They will never ask you for information like your National Insurance number or bank details. Your local council may also be in touch.

Unfortunately you still have to be careful, and if anyone does ask for you bank details or similar then tell them you are not happy to provide them and hang up.

PS.
I have not received a letter from the NHS saying that I am 'Extremely Vulnerable', but due to the advice being given at the time did register online.
They then informed me that they would contact my GP to check, I guess my GP agreed that I should be on the list.
Reading the BMA guidance it seems the sheilding list is somewhat fluid and changing all the time:
https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opin...advice-for-gps

Despite the national data extractions, there may still be some people who have not yet been identified and notified that they should be taking steps to shield. Identifying such people will require local knowledge, including specifically about anything that has happened to them in the last three months. It is therefore important for practices and hospitals to add such patients to the list when appropriate.

The current guidance seems to say that if you are on the GPs list for a yearly flu jab then you should be on the sheilding list as well.
Which is what the online registration website said at first, but that was then changed to only if you had the NHS letter.

The list is based on hospital (administrative) data over the last 14 years and GP data (flu extract) ever coded.

[beau]

Apparently I am not high risk in spite of having heart disease and being over 70. They did get onto my GP and I got a call from them.
So to register does help. I am on the flu jab list. It all doesn't really add up.
Hubby has had the letter, very high risk due to the type of cancer he has plus other high risk conditions, that has helped us get priority shopping slots.
I daren't go anywhere because of bringing the virus home to him. I may be very careful but others are possibly not so particular. Not worth the risk to go out in our case.

[StarBright]

Thanks Nuke,

I like you usually let the phone ring if I don't know who it is so this is helpful to me

[nukecad]

I just had a call back from them.

Confirmed my name and address.

They asked how I was managing and if I needed anything in the way of help.

I replied that although I don't have a support network I am currently managing OK.

So she just said they will contact me in a while and if I did need anything to contact my council, or ring the Shielding Helpline back.

End of call.

What she said didn't strike me at the time but if you ring the Sheilding Helpline you only get a recorded message, see the quote I gave above.
The only thing I can think of is that if you ring that number it is noted and they then will call you back later?
(That would allow them to check you were on the register and so filter out crank/unwanted calls).

[beau]

The only thing I can think of is that if you ring that number it is noted and they then will call you back later?
(That would allow them to check you were on the register and so filter out crank/unwanted calls).

That falls down if you have a withheld number as we do.

[nukecad]

I think that like a lot of things at the moment it's all being done in a rush, and either not thought through or what is on the guidance does not quite match up with what is happening because things have changed.

TBH I don't know what would happen if you ring the number.

That quoted guidance was last updated 11th April and things may have changed in the 12 days since then.
(I'm not going to ring it unecessarily just to find out).

[Shelob]

I had two calls Thursday, didn’t answer and checked like you, no call back as yet.
I’m OK as I have help, but I need to tell them about a friend of mine who is really struggling. Have done all I can this end, as he has no internet.

Stay safe everyone.

0333 305 0466

I had a call this morning from from this number.
I don't answer unknow numbers, so let it ring then checked it out.

To save anyone else the trouble of checking - it is the genuine number that the Sheilding Helpline are ringing people from.

I've added it to my phone contacts as 'Sheilding Helpline' and so when they ring again I will now answer it.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...6TqbJBO3GJlHVc

Unfortunately you still have to be careful, and if anyone does ask for you bank details or similar then tell them you are not happy to provide them and hang up.

PS.
I have not received a letter from the NHS saying that I am 'Extremely Vulnerable', but due to the advice being given at the time did register online.
They then informed me that they would contact my GP to check, I guess my GP agreed that I should be on the list.
Reading the BMA guidance it seems the sheilding list is somewhat fluid and changing all the time:
https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opin...advice-for-gps

The current guidance seems to say that if you are on the GPs list for a yearly flu jab then you should be on the sheilding list as well.
Which is what the online registration website said at first, but that was then changed to only if you had the NHS letter.