Special bulletin from Telford & Wrekin Council, especially for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable residents over the Christmas period  …..

Community News round up

This week we have a special bulletin especially for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable residents over the Christmas period.

• Changes to Christmas supermarket priority slots for CEV
• Free winter vitamin D supplements for CEV

If you are supporting an NHS Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) resident, please read and pass this information on.

Changes to supermarket priority delivery slots for CEV residents over the Christmas period.

Due to the Christmas demand on supermarkets, some supermarkets involved in the priority delivery scheme have made changes for the Christmas period that may affect people registered to receive support if they’re clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV). This primarily includes Sainsbury’s and ASDA stores. If you are supporting /you are a CEV who has not already secured a delivery for the Christmas period, we would urge you to prepare your order this week to avoid disappointment.

Anyone registered as a CEV needing a priority slot can register with more than one supermarket. Please see below for supermarket updates.

• Asda has suspended priority access until 27 December. CEV customers will be able to view the same slots as anyone else.
• Sainsbury’s priority access customers can still view slots 3 weeks ahead (compared to 2 weeks ahead for non-priority access customers). Between 19 and 27 December, inactive customers will have priority access temporarily suspended, meaning those priority access individuals can only see and book the same slots as non-priority access customers. If a CEV person has been active with Sainsbury’s (i.e. shopped with them in the last 12 weeks) they will still have priority access during this period. Sainsbury’s is closed from 24 to 26 December so no orders will be fulfilled for anyone during this time. After 27 December, the priority access system will return to normal operation.
• Ocado will not be taking on any new priority customers at present.
• Morrisons, Tesco and Iceland have not reported any restrictions on priority slots over the festive period
• As it stands we are not aware of any further changes to supermarkets policy regarding priority access for CEVs

If you have any difficulty accessing food or other essential items you can call our Community Support Helpline 01952382030 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturdays 9am to 1pm (up to 12 noon on 24 December)

Get Vitamin D Supplements

Opt in before 4 Jan for your free vitamin D supplement delivery

The government has announced that it will be supplying 4 months of vitamin D supplements to Clinically Extremely Vulnerable patients (CEV) and care home residents.

All care homes will automatically receive a provision for their residents, while individuals on the CEV list will receive a letter inviting them to opt in for a supply to be delivered directly to their homes. Deliveries will be free of charge, starting in January, and will provide 4 months’ worth of supplements to last people through the winter months.

The supplements will support general health, in particular bone and muscle health. This is particularly important this year as CEV individuals have been indoors for extended periods due to measures introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19.

CEV individuals are to go to this website to opt in; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/get-vitamin-d-supplements/

If you do not have internet access or require help to register please contact Telford & Wrekin Council’s Community Support Line 01952 382030 Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm before 24 Dec 2020 and we will be happy to help. You will need to provide your NHS number, which is a 10 digit number that can be found on your letter from the DHSC.