‘Help me feed family’ pleads cancer mum
Struggle to get food delivery slot
AMUM with incurable cancer says she is struggling to get a food delivery slot after she wasn’t added to the government’s list of vulnerable people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Joanne Addis, 54, has secondary breast cancer and says she is anxious she won’t be able to feed her family of five - as she is currently not eligible to receive priority slots.
The mum-of-three from Heaton Mersey in Stockport, says her GP has written to the government to request she be added to the government shielding list, but she is yet to receive confirmation.
Joanne is shielding with her husband and three children, but says her family are struggling to secure food deliveries, and they do not want to risk going to the supermarket.
She says people with incurable illnesses have been “forgotten about,” after speaking to other women with breast cancer who have also not appeared on the list.
Joanne was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2017 and has been receiving targeted therapy from the Christie Hospital.
Her cancer cannot be cured but her condition has been deemed ‘stable’ since her diagnosis three years ago.
Joanne says she has now been advised to take a three month break from her cancer medication - to protect her immune system in case she catches coronavirus.
Despite her extreme vulnerability, the mum says she was not automatically placed on the list of people told by the government to isolate for 12 weeks.
“About two weeks ago my consultant rang me to tell me my condition is stable but my immune system is compromised by the drug I am taking,” Joanne said.
“They decided it was more dangerous for me to catch coronavirus and try to fight it with a weak immune system, then it is to stop the cancer treatment.
“I wasn’t particularly comfortable with that but I don’t want to put added pressure on the NHS.”
Joanne says she also believes she would necessarily be ventilated if she ended up in hospital with COVID-19, due to having an incurable disease.
“In spite of this, I have not appeared on the government shielding list,” she added.
“I spoke to my GP who said they will request for me to be added as I should definitely be included, but I still haven’t received a letter.”
Joanne has decided to isolate along with her husband, son and two daughters, as she fears she could become seriously ill if she does catch coronavirus.
But due to her not being on the government’s shielding list, she does not automatically qualify for priority delivery slots at supermarkets.
“Of course myself and my family are shielding but I have really struggled to get food deliveries,” Joanne said.
“I feel like if I am not taking my medication for 12 weeks I don’t want to risk any of family having to go to the supermarket.”
Joanne says she had to call Sainsbury’s 15 times until she got through to someone who agreed to put her on the priority list.
She says she has a food delivery coming tomorrow, but has not been able to book another slot.
“I should have been on the list from the beginning - I have an incurable disease,” Joanne said.
“I am doing the shielding anyway and I can understand that but if I was older or more vulnerable, and I had not received that letter I might not be shielding as much as I should be.
“There are people even more vulnerable than me who could be putting themselves at risk.
“I went on the government website to register myself and I just received a text telling me to contact my GP so I’m going round in circles.
“It makes me feel really anxious about how we are going to feed ourselves as a family of five.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said that guidance has been issued to GPs, who can identify additional patients who should be shielding that have not received a letter.
They added that people identified will receive a letter, and access to support with food and medicine deliveries.