Rutland County Council
| Version: | 1.4 |
| Date: | 19th Nov 2020 |
INTRODUCTION
Since early 2020, in response to the Covid19 pandemic, volunteers across Rutland have been supporting residents in their local area with the collection of medicines and foods, befriending, getting to appointments, dog walking and much more.
This community based support has been vital to our response and, as we enter the winter months and further restrictions, safeguarding our most vulnerable residents continues to be an important shared aim.
With a return to work for many and schools remaining open, understandably the number of volunteers available to help has reduced. We want to ensure those that continue to help in our communities have full details of all support available including both national and local schemes.
Issues that are likely to be experienced include the following:
- difficulties (e.g. people who have lost their job or are advised not to present for work as CEV).
This document sets out the solutions that can be recommended for people, separating out the options for those who are CEV (‘Clinically Extremely Vulnerable’ who are recommended to remain at home as much as possible and to strictly avoid contact with others) and for the wider population of vulnerable people.
It is important that support is tailored to the circumstances of the individual and aims for sustainable solutions.
There are a number of links embedded in the document, if you hover over the link (bright blue and underlined) and then press Ctrl and Click with your mouse at the same time it will take you to further information.
Should anybody get in touch who is concerned that they have Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking guidance please advise as follows;
Any questions or queries with regards to this document do please contacts us on volunteers@Rutland.gov.uk
MEDICINE
CEV (Clinically Extremely Vulnerable)
If you are CEV you are entitled to free delivery of medicines from your local pharmacy, through the Community Pharmacy Delivery Service.
- 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week)
OTHER
There are a number of options for arranging for medicines to be delivered to patients.
- Vulnerable but no CEV letter (see eligibility criteria and more details Appendix 2) should be directed to the NHS Volunteers Responders Scheme 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week)
- Refer to Local Volunteer Schemes;
FOOD
EMERGENCY FOOD REQUIREMENTS
During ‘Lockdown 2’ the Rutland Foodbank will support any resident in need who cannot access food, short term, through any other means, by providing a ‘3 day’ emergency food delivery tailored to the individual’s needs.
The aim is to buy time to put better arrangements in place. This is not an ongoing or recurring arrangement.
LONGER TERM FOOD REQUIREMENTS
| https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support. They then need to register with a participating supermarket, and place and pay for their order online (Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose). They should register with the supermarket as soon as they can. | RISE@rutland.gov.uk or ring the Crisis Line on 01572 729603 The priority slots have an 8-hour delivery window – hour of delivery notified by text on morning of delivery. Minimum order of £40, or for orders less than this there is a £4 basket charge. Maximum order is 80 items. 100% coverage. £2 delivery charge for all slots. |
- AgeUK Digital Champion volunteers can offer telephone support. Details of the scheme can be found here and the scheme coordinators contacted on 0116 2237371. This is a joint Leics’ & Rutland project with a number of volunteers local to Rutland supporting the scheme.
- here will take you to a document that shows;
- 07710 328 469 / 01572 823 465
- 01572 842079
- Good Neighbour Scheme details
FINANCE
Support for financial difficulties is provided by the team at Citizens Advice Rutland (CAR). All such calls should be referred to CAR;
The team at CAR will assess for food poverty and refer to the foodbank as part of their process.
WELFARE
Calls for support with welfare issues should be passed to Adult Social Services or Childrens as appropriate.
ADULTS
If you’re concerned about the safety and welfare of an adult in Rutland you should contact our Adult Social Care, Prevention and Safeguarding Team straight away by calling 01572 758 341 or you can complete an online form and find more details here
CHILDREN
If you are worried that a child is in danger, being neglected or needs protection please report it to us straight away.
During normal office hours you can contact our Children’s Duty Team by calling: 01572 758 407 or emailing: childrensreferrals@rutland.gov.uk, or you can complete an online form and find more details here
When our offices are closed and it’s an emergency please call: 0116 305 0005
If a child is in immediate danger please call 999 and ask for the police.
Appendix 1 – GP Practices with Pharmacy & Local Pharmacy Contact Details
Three of the four GP practices in Rutland have an onsite pharmacy to dispense medicines. The Cold Overton Rd Practice does not but has a Boots Chemist adjacent to it.
| GP Practice with Dispensary in Rutland | Phone Number |
| Empingham Medical Centre | 01780 460202 |
| Market Overton/Somerby Surgeries | 01572 490399 |
| Uppingham Surgery North Gate | 01572 823531 |
All six of the pharmacies across Rutland offer a delivery service, some utilise local volunteers others employ their own drivers etc. Contact details are as below, they are happy to discuss delivery needs with patients.
| Pharmacies in Rutland | Phone Number |
| Uppingham Boots, 26 High Street, East | 01572 823304 |
| Uppingham Ashdale, Ayston Rd. | 01572 822343 |
| Oakham Boots, Cold Overton Rd | 01572 770101 |
| Oakham Boots,18 High St. | 01572 722024 |
| Oakham Day Lewis, 21 High St. | 01572 722083 |
| Oakham Rutland Late-night Pharmacy, 45C High St. | 01572 723368 |
Pharmacies on our borders can be contacted as follows.
| Bordering practices/ dispensaries/chemists | Phone Number |
| Castle Bytham, Glenside Practice & Dispensary | 01780 410205 |
| Colsterworth & South Witham Medical Practice & Dispensary | 01476 860243 |
| Corby Lakeside & Forest Gate Surgery, Cottingham Rd and The Medical Centre, Forest Gate Rd & dispensary | 01536 204154 |
| Melton Mowbray Latham House Medical Practice | 01664 503029 |
| Melton Mowbray Boots, Sage Cross St. | 01664 560306 |
| Stamford Lakeside Health Care: Sheepmarket Surgery, Ryhall Rd & dispensary | 01780 437017 (01780 762112 direct line for Pharmacy) |
| Stamford St Mary’s Medical Centre & dispensary, Wharf Rd. | 01780 764121 |
| Stamford Pharmacy, 6 St. Mary’s Hill | 01780 484999 |
Appendix 2 – NHS Volunteer Responders
Further details on this scheme can be found at https://nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/
People who can use this service include:
Volunteers help people:
The NHS Volunteer Responders service will continue until at least March 2021.
To arrange support for yourself or someone you know call 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week).
Appendix 3 – Online Delivery Services
EPS is the NHS Electronic Prescription Service. This allows GP’s to send prescriptions electronically, directly to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice, so you don’t have to pick up a paper prescription. The service may be particularly useful for those who have regular prescriptions and usually use the same pharmacy. Most prescriptions are now signed, sent, and processed electronically.
This means that residents can choose to use a number of online prescription delivery services some links are provided below. We are unable to recommend a scheme.
Schemes are available from a number of companies including Boots, Co-Op and Pharmacy 2U, website details below.
It is important to understand how the schemes work and how GP practices engage. We have explored this for the largest provider (Pharmacy 2U) and can explain how that service works:
| Practice | Pharmacy 2U delivery available | Order prescription from the GP or full process online |
| Oakham | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
| Empingham | Yes | Order online at P2U |
| Market Overton & Somerby | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
| Uppingham | No | N/A |
| Castle Bytham | Yes | Order online at P2U |
| Colsterworth | No | N/A |
| Corby Lakeside | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
| Stamford Sheepmarket | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
| Stamford St Mary’s | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
| Melton Mowbray Latham House | Yes | Order through GP ask to send to P2U |
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/electronic-prescription-service/
https://www.boots.com/online/pharmacy/
Appendix 4 – Background on arrangements for people who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to Coronavirus
People who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) to Coronavirus are the people who were previously referred to as ‘shielding’. They have been asked to introduce additional precautions during the national lockdown, but falling short of the previous shielding (avoid people, don’t go to the shops, work from home, take exercise outdoors, continue to use medical services).
There has been some turnover in the list of CEV individuals since last time – some added, some removed.
Therefore, some people may query that they should have had a letter. **Recommend that people query this with their GP.
Letters confirming people have CEV status
- People on the list at the start of the second lockdown have been sent a letter by the government. People who are newly being added because their circumstances are now in scope (Downs Syndrome adults and stage 5 kidney disease), plus any the GP may add, will receive a letter from their clinician.
National guidance for people who are CEV
This guidance was appended to people’s letters:
The national logging system for requests for support from CEV individuals is the ‘NSSS’
The National Shielding Service System (NSSS) has been set up for CEV people to log their support needs. (They can also log on here that they do not have support needs)
- This is the public-facing link to the NSSS system (it was included in the letters that were sent out): https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support
People can complete this form, or they can ask friends or family to do this for them.
The Council receives a daily download of people who have already logged their circumstances on the NSSS which is then reviewed and followed up by phone.
If people contact the Council directly without completing the NSSS form, the RCC team can support to complete the NSSS form on their behalf.
What does the NSSS online form ask?
The NSSS asks a small number of questions about people’s wellbeing enabling the Council to follow up as appropriate to ensure people are safe and their basic needs are met. The emphasis of the dialogue with individuals will be strengths based – so encouraging use of resources that individuals already have available to them (family, friends, community)
Wing Community 