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QCovid patient assessment tool

Last week the DHSC issued a letter about the new COVID-19 Population Risk Assessment tool that will be used to identify those at highest risk from Covid-19. If they are not already on the Shielding Patient List (SPL) they will be automatically added, and therefore eligible for vaccination. The tool has been developed by the QRisk team led by Prof Julia Hippisley-Cox at Oxford.

Patients will be notified directly this week and next week, practices do not need to do this. Those individuals aged 19-69 added to the SPL should be recognised as having an equivalent risk to those previously identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV). In practical terms, this means that those under 65 should be prioritised ahead of others in cohort 6 once the new high risk flags are visible on practice systems.

Patients may contact you in advance of their records being updated on your system. NHS Digital will add these patients directly to the SPL and you should be able to see this in their record in the coming week to ten days.

The Government advice and support to shield is being extended nationally until 31 March and patients will be written to directly with further details by 31 March.

Further information:

• Further information about the QCovid® model and how it has been developed
• Information about how the national application of the Covid-19 Population Risk Assessment has identified those most at risk
• Information about the Covid-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool
• Information about the process for removing patients or adding patients to the SPL
• Further information for patients

Last updated : 25 Feb 2021

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