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Clinically extremely vulnerable patients

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WQ.74/2022

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. JOHN

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 21st FEBRUARY 2022

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 28th FEBRUARY 2022

Question

"Will the Minister state –

  1. how many clinically extremely vulnerable (C.E.V.) patients there are in Jersey;
  2. how many C.E.V. patients, if any, have been advised of the availability of Covid antiviral drugs and how to access them;
  3. how this advice was provided to them; and
  4. what plans, if any, there are in place to ensure communication with C.E.V. patients about the availability of Covid antiviral drugs?"

Answer

  1. We have identified 4,406 patients from information provided by primary care who are considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.
  2. Following a period during which the information was collated, individual letters were posted to all the clinically extremely vulnerable patients, starting on Thursday 24 February. All patients should have received a letter by Friday 4 March.
  3. As set out in b) above. The individual letters to patients advise they may be eligible for anti-viral treatment, should they develop symptoms and test positive for COVID-19. It also explains clearly what they need to do in the event they do contract the virus and how they can obtain medication if deemed clinically suitable.
  4. The letter is a general one covering all antiviral treatments for Covid-19. Further correspondence will be sent in the event of any changes regarding the clinical assessment and available medication. Information on the website will be updated to reflect the information contained in the letter and communications sent out to all PCR positive patients will also include the list of eligible conditions and advice on what to do next.

Note: Those considered as clinically extremely vulnerable may change over time, depending on the nature of the perceived risk. For example, in the case of Covid, those described as clinically vulnerable changed as the virus mutated and more was understood about its effects. Despite this, we will be able to define which groups are at risk from resources produced in the UK, such as the Green Book for Vaccination COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a (publishing.service.gov.uk)