A DISABLED resident in the south of the borough is one of 600,000 vulnerable people left off the government’s high-risk register, leaving them “terrified” about the prospect of not qualifying for priority food deliver­ies.

Alex Doodle – Alex Doodle, who identifies as non-binary and uses the title Mx – has a number immuno­compromised conditions and severe disabilities that leave them bedbound for large parts of the day and more at risk to the worst effects if exposed to the coronavirus.

They received a high risk letter from the government in March, and followed the advice by registering on its coronavirus website.

Their disabilities and registration should have meant their name was included on the government’s high risk list, created by NHS Digital, which is being used by supermarkets such as Tesco to create priority lists for food deliveries.

But after registering, Mx Doodle, 47, struggled for a month to arrange priority deliveries of food before eventually being told they were not on the high risk list, and did not qualify.

NHS Digital has now said 900,000 patients were initially identified as high risk and sent letters or texts.

But a further 600,000 vulnerable patients, including Mx Doodle, were missed off, and are now being added to the list by hospitals and GPs.

It also advised people to register on the govern­ment website for support.

Tesco said it was last week sent a list of 110,000 clinically and socially isolated people by the government who have registered on the website and have asked for help receiving deliveries.

It added it was in the process of contacting 75,000 people on the list identified as existing customers.

“It’s been exhausting, frustrating and terrifying,” said Mx Doodle.

“But at the same time it’s the same kind of treatment I’ve had as a disabled person for the last 10 years. I’ve repeatedly fallen through the cracks, so shouldn’t be surprised anymore.”

Mx Doodle explained their carers are unable to shop in the allocated times for vulnerable people, and are trying to avoid supermarkets for fear of catching the virus and bringing it into their home.

“For the last month I’ve tried to secure a delivery, but have failed,” they said. “My last scheduled delivery arrived on Monday this week, but I didn’t know what I would do after that.”
When it became clear they were not on the list, Mx Doodle contacted their GP, and received a letter confirming their vulnerability, but no instructions of what to do with that letter.

After the Tribune contacted Tesco on their behalf, and Mx Doodle emailed a direct appeal to Tesco CEO Dave Lewis, delivery slots should now be available.

But Mx Doodle says the experience of navigating a difficult system shows how many severely disabled people may fall through the cracks during the Covid-19 crisis.

“I’m very grateful, but the experience has been extremely stressful and I’m now worried about everyone else going through the same thing.

“We are real people we have real lives, however limited or however different. We all contribute in different ways and we are all valuable members of society. We are not a statistic that might die anyway. We are not a statistic that is already sick so it doesn’t matter”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs echoed NHS Digital’s advice to register on the government website if you are vulnerable.

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said the supermarket would make more delivery slots available for the vulnerable when the government sent through data. He also called for people who can go to the shops to do so, rather than take a delivery slot that could go to a high risk person.