Extremely-vulnerable residents in Staffordshire are being urged to register for help if they need it.
An estimated 20,000 extremely-vulnerable residents in Staffordshire, such as those who have had organ transplants or some cancers, have received letters this week from the NHS telling them not to leave home for at least 12 weeks and still stay at least two metres away from other people within the home.
Those who feel they don’t have access to support from family, friends, or the community during that isolation should contact the NHS to make sure they receive help.
Alan White, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council and cabinet member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: “Staffordshire County Council’s priority remains to keep the vulnerable adults and children in our communities safe in the coming weeks and people’s lives depend on following the right advice.
“Many of the extremely-vulnerable in Staffordshire will have someone able to help them by collecting shopping and medicines, but some won’t have and it’s essential they follow the advice in the letter and contact the NHS online or by phone.”
Further details of who the extremely-vulnerable are and what they need to do are available on the Department of Health website here. If someone is not online, hasn’t received a letter and thinks they have an underlying health condition which makes them extremely-vulnerable, they should contact their GP.
As well as the extremely-vulnerable there are another 150,000 Staffordshire residents who are also more liable to complications from coronavirus due to older age or other underlying health conditions. They are being urged to stay at home and minimise direct contact with family and friends.
To help tackle the growing crisis council staff will be deployed to new roles to ensure support for front line care services is maintained – and more than 650 have already signed up.
The authority is also promoting its Coronavirus Kindness campaign – offering ideas how communities can organise at a grassroots level to do practical things such as collect medicines, connect safely with people living alone and support existing local voluntary groups.
More information is available at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/coronaviruskindness .
Alan White added: “We are all working together for the common good and the response of Staffordshire residents has been fantastic.
“But remember it’s essential we to follow the advice on hand washing and social distancing.”
