Behind the shield…

It has been a historic week this week. The Prime Minister spoke to the nation on Monday announcing a partial lockdown of the country. “Stay at home” was the message and the police will fine people not obeying the lockdown. However, the fine is £30 and, for some people, that is not a deterrent. In Austria, the fine is €2,000; that is a deterrent. We will have to see how the lockdown goes and whether the government has to intensify it in the future.

The Prime Minister also said in his speech that people who had underlying health conditions will be “shielded” from the virus. They would be contacted by letter to advise them to take extra precautions to not get the virus. I am in this category, because I have ⅓ of normal lung capacity, but I haven’t got my letter yet. Nonetheless, we are enacting said precautions. I can’t go out, even for a walk, for the next 12 weeks, friends and family are delivering our food to the house (all the supermarkets’ home deliveries are booked up for weeks) and each delivery and the post has to be disinfected by my Mum or my carer. Maybe we are taking it too far but, on Monday, I discovered the story that shook me.

NICE is an organisation which set up guidelines for the NHS to follow and they published their guidelines for coronavirus and critical care. They asked doctors to assess the “frailty” of the patients on a scorecard - one; the patient regularly exercises and is quite fit and nine; the patient is terminally ill. If the patient scores below five on the scorecard then they wouldn’t be prioritised for critical care; regardless of age. If I got ill, and the doctors would assess me in this criteria, I would not be prioritised for a ventilator. Nevertheless, I understand if you have limited resources then you have to triage which patient has the better chance of surviving. However, I was up all night wondering if I got coronavirus and went into hospital then I wouldn’t come out.

A lot of charities were appalled at the NICE guidelines. Mencap, a charity which supports people with learning disabilities, set up a petition to appeal to NICE to change the guidelines. To their credit, NICE listened and changed them on Wednesday. Now, if the patient is under 65 or has a long-term disability, learning disabilities or autism then the doctors will individually assess “frailty”. If the patient is over 65 then they will use the scorecard. Personally, this system is better for me but it’s really scary that they have to prioritise ICU beds this early in this pandemic.

However, on Thursday, something made me lift my spirits. Throughout the week a movement was growing to thank the NHS for all their work and putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. At 8pm on Thursday people came to their windows and doors to #Clapforyourcarers. The response was outstanding and in Ilkley some people let off fireworks. It brought a tear to my eye. Nigel Lawson, ex-Conservative Chancellor, called the NHS “the closest thing the English people have to a religion” and I think he is right. Maybe, with this kind of solidarity, we can support the NHS through this crisis and beyond. So please - stay at home and ease the pressure of our doctors and nurses!