Our response to the latest shielding guidance in England
The Government announced that England will enter a second lockdown from 5 November, and have advised clinically extremely vulnerable people not to go out to work if they can't work from home. Here is our response.
Our Chief Executive, Gemma Peters, said: “We welcome the news that people with blood cancer who cannot work from home may be able to access the furlough scheme. But we would rather this wasn’t left to the employer to decide, and we urge employers of people with blood cancer to be supportive of their need to go on furlough over the next few weeks if they cannot work from home.
“The Government needs to explain the evidence behind its advice that people who live with someone with blood cancer can continue attending work and school, as our community is worried that this is something that could put them at greater risk. It is important they are shown the reason for this decision.
“We are also concerned that the guidance for people who are vulnerable to keep two metres away from others in their household may be impractical for many people. While this may be achievable if you have a large home, it is unrealistic if you share a small flat.
"This is another example of Government guidance being much more difficult to follow if you are less well-off, and the Government should give specific advice and, if necessary, support, to people who can’t socially distance from the people they live with.”
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