Helpline for those who are shielding

Perth and Kinross Council has started taking calls through a Scottish Government helpline.

The helpline – 0800 111 4000 - was announced at the start of the week and is aimed at people who are at high COVID-19 risk and do not have family or community support to provide food and medication, links to social work, emotional support or contact with local volunteers.

It is for people who are either over

70, disabled, require the support of mental health services, are pregnant or receive a flu jab for health reasons.

Perth and Kinross Council chief executive Karen Reid said:“If you are a person who is over the age of 70, has a disability, requires the support of mental health services, is pregnant or receive a flu jab, Perth and Kinross Council can help you with access to food and medication or local emotional support and volunteering.

“We have already set up a team of around 70 people to support vulnerable and shielding people in different ways, with a single phone number and email address to help anyone in our area who needed support due to the coronavirus outbreak, so we are in a strong position to pick up and respond to calls to the national helpline.

Shielding letters are being sent to individuals with specific health conditions which make them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. People are being asked to self-isolate for 12 weeks, without leaving home. You should be shielding if you:

• have had solid organ transplants • have cancer and are receiving active chemotherapy

• have lung cancer and are either receiving or previously received radical radiotherapy

• have cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment

• are receiving immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer

• are receiving other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors

• have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

• have severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma and severe COPD

• have rare diseases, including all forms of interstitial lung disease/ sarcoidosis, and inborn errors of metabolism (such as SCID and homozygous sickle cell) that significantly increase the risk of infections

• are receiving immunosuppression therapies that significantly increase risk of infection

• are pregnant with significant heart disease (congenital or acquired).