AQW 29119/17-22


Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast


Tabled Date: 02/02/2022
Answered On Date: 15/02/2022
Priority Written: Yes


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health when his Department will clarify with people who received shielding letters whether they qualify for anti-viral treatment against COVID-19 in the event of testing positive for the Coronavirus.


Answer:
On the 8th December 2021 an announcement was made that there will be two routes to access new COVID-19 treatments for non-hospitalised patients. One was through the UK PANORAMIC study and the other was through our Health and Social Care Trust led Outpatient COVID-19 Treatment Service (OCTs) for patients who were thought to be at the highest risk from COVID-19 infection and who met specific criteria for treatment.
Those who received shielding letters earlier in the pandemic are not necessarily the same patients that have been identified as being eligible for these new COVID-19 therapeutics and therefore these letters should not be considered as being a requirement nor a prerequisite for access to the treatments themselves.
We continue to utilise a digital method to identify patients who, on receipt of a positive PCR test result, would have been at highest risk of serious illness and potentially eligible to access these treatments. When a patient receives a positive PCR result in Northern Ireland this is matched with their health records from three different sources resulting in the patient receiving a text message and follow up telephone call from their local HSC Trust. Those who do not receive a text message and/or phone call from their HSC Trust, and believe they are at highest risk of serious illness as a consequence of testing positive for COVID-19, are advised to contact their own GP directly. GPs and community pharmacists have all received written information on this service, as well as details regarding the UK PANORAMIC study, with GPs being able to refer eligible patients directly for treatment at their local HSC trust. In addition patients with a positive PCR test can self-refer to the PANORAMIC study.
In addition, PCR testing in Northern Ireland is also prioritised for those patients who are thought to be at the highest risk from serious illness as a consequence of COVID-19 infection. Demand for PCR testing is also continually monitored and prioritised for this cohort of high risk patients in Northern Ireland to ensure patients continue to receive their test results quickly as to allow access to treatment within the 5 day window as per the clinical treatment policy.
Further information regarding these new treatments, the details and criteria of those patients who may be eligible to access them is available on the NI Direct website through the following link: Treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) | nidirect