Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific guidance they plan to issue, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to people living with serious health conditions.

On 30 March the Government updated their online guidance on GOV.UK for the clinically extremely vulnerable. This group is advised to shield until at least the end of June 2020. Expert doctors in England identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

There are around 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable patients that have been identified. Each patient identified nationally receives a letter, a text message if their mobile phone details are known and is entitled to use the Cabinet Office shielded patient service. The letter provides specific advice about their circumstances.