FOI Ref: 0101FOI2021

27th October 2020 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information

We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below:

Request/ Response

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please can you tell me the following. If the CCG is not responsible for the whole, or part, of this enquiry please advise who is.

1. How many people in Sheffield were sent letters advising them to shield?

NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (SCCG) does not hold information about the number of people who were sent shielding letters. Information about the number of patients within the CCG who were added to the shielded patient list is publically available and can be found here:

https://digital.nhs.uk/dashboards/shielded-patient-list-open-data-set.

2. Over what period were the letters sent out?

SCCG does not hold this information. Letters were sent nationally, by NHS Trusts and by General Practice. Letters were sent during the period the national scheme was active.

3. How many people received a letter via their GP?

SCCG does not hold this information

4. How many people received a letter via a hospital?

SCCG does not hold this information.

5. How many people received a letter via another source (please specify source)

SCCG does not hold this information.

6. How many people received offers of support on receipt of receiving a shielding letter? 

Please break this down into how many people with a GPs letter were offered support and how many people with a hospital letter were offered support?

SCCG does not hold this information.

7. Who offered the support eg. Sheffield Council, pharmacies, GPs?

Both national and local support was offered to shielding patients. Details of national guidance and support arrangements is publically available and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

8. What was the support offered?

Details of national support is publically available and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.  

GP support was offered on an individual patient basis.

The CCG made temporary amendments to a commissioned service to assure the availability of palliative care medicines out of hours from pharmacies across Sheffield that open extended hours.

Support was also offered by Sheffield City Council, if you have not done so you may wish to contact them directly for details of this support – foi@sheffield.gov.uk.