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WQ.255/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY J.H. PERCHARD OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13th JULY 2020
Question
Using the Government's definition as found on the Shielding for vulnerable people' page on gov.je, will the Minister advise how many local residents are considered severely vulnerable' in relation to COVID- 19?
Answer
Initial data available from Primary Care practices and from searches from secondary care, is that around 2% - 3% of the Island's population (some 2,000 – 3,000 people) has been identified as at high risk of illness from COVID-19 (previously described as severely vulnerable'). A total of 13 children have been identified as too high risk to attend school by the Consultant Paediatrician.
It is important to note that while GP practice systems are designed to run searches, these are normally for one single disease or identifiable group – for example, all over 65-year-olds, or all diabetics. So, GP practices across Jersey have designed a search based on the number of high-risk diseases as there was no COVID-19 High Risk code built in.
Once an electronic search was done based on the list of illnesses, then the GPs reviewed the lists to provide clinical judgement. Now this process has been undertaken, the person identified as high risk is being coded as such on the system. A number of patients have not been highlighted through the GP search as they are being managed by secondary care. This group of patients is being written to by these services, and GPs advised so they can be correctly coded.