Department of Health blunder sees shielding advice sent to Herefordshire instead of Hertfordshire

Vulnerable patients in tier 4 areas have been told to stay indoors as much as possible

The government sent letters advising people in Herefordshire to shield from Covid-19 instead of Hertfordshire (istock)

A blunder by civil servants saw thousands of patients living in Herefordshire being told to stay indoors to protect themselves from coronavirus – when the letters should have gone to Hertfordshire, more than 100 miles away.

Clinically vulnerable patients living in the Midlands county, which is in the lowest tier of restrictions, were left confused on Tuesday, after receiving urgent advice from the Department of Health and Social Care telling them to stay indoors as much as possible due to the risk from Covid-19.

The DHSC was forced into an embarrassing admission over the error after the mistake was pointed out by dozens of residents on social media.

Patients received an email on Tuesday telling them the strict advice had been sent by mistake and they would be getting a letter later this week confirming they did not need to shield.

Herefordshire is more than 100 miles from its similarly named county, near London, and has a very different outlook for coronavirus so far.

The former has only 94 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people compared to Hertfordshire which has 380 cases per 100,000.

Hertfordshire was placed into tier 4 at the weekend, along with the rest of London and the southeast, after a surge in infections and the identification of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus which scientists believe could be more easily spread.

Mandy Scott, from Hertfordshire, who is on the shielding list and classed as extremely clinically vulnerable, told The Independent: “Shielding letters went out on Monday night but were sent to people living in Herefordshire and not Hertfordshire. This is a monumental error with potentially serious consequences if people go to work in Hertfordshire. A lot of employers are asking for the shielding letter before letting shielders stay at home.”

Lib Dem MP for St Albans Daisy Cooper said: “Given that five out of 10 Hertfordshire Tory MPs are on the government payroll, you’d think government would know the difference.”

Clinically vulnerable patients include those with suppressed immune systems and cancers who are thought to be at particularly higher risk from the virus.

The government has advised all those in tier 4 areas to stay at home as much as possible and not to go to work. Food and medicine deliveries are being arranged for those in need.

A DHSC spokesperson said: “We are aware of a technical error in our messaging system, which led to an incorrect message being sent to some clinically extremely vulnerable people on 21 December.  

“We can confirm that the new shielding advice only applies to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and who live in a tier 4 area. Those who have received the incorrect message are being contacted today.”