Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with (a) clinically vulnerable, (b) clinically extremely vulnerable and (c) immunosuppressed patient support groups to discuss the Government's strategy to protect these groups over winter 2022-23.

Following the end of the shielding programme in September 2021, the term ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ (CEV) is no longer in use. The majority of people previously identified as CEV are well protected through the vaccination programme. However, there is a smaller patient cohort whose immune systems mean that they continue to be at higher risk of infection.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with charities and organisations representing and supporting those who are immunocompromised and immunosuppressed. The Enhanced Protection Programme stakeholder forum was held on 23 September 2022. The meeting was chaired by Professor Dame Jenny Harries, the Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency and attended by charities and groups representing immunosuppressed patients. In addition, officials meet with individual charities representing these patients.