Frequently Asked Questions Find everything you need to know about coeliac disease, the gluten free diet and the work we do.
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What should I do if I get unwell and am worried about having Coronavirus, Covid-19?
You should follow the advice for:
The majority of people with coronavirus will be able to ride out the infection at home. If you are unwell enough to need to seek help for your symptoms follow the latest advice from www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
I am a journalist, who can I contact?
If you have any queries relating to an article please email media@coeliac.org.uk or 01494 416372. The charity holds a database of case studies and would be happy to arrange interviews as required. We routinely issue news releases which attract national and local coverage.
Are people with coeliac disease no longer considered to be in the “high risk” group?
Government advice initially distinguished between the general population and those considered at high risk due to other underlying health conditions. The high risk group includes people with problems with their spleen (which potentially may affect 30% of people with coeliac disease) who were advised to be particularly stringent with following social distancing advice.
The government advice has since been updated and guidance on social distancing now applies to the general population as well as those in the high risk group. We should all stay at home and only go outside when it is essential and therefore the advice for the high risk groups and general population is aligned. In addition to this, the government has produced further guidance for patients who are considered to be extremely vulnerable and who are being advised to follow shielding advice. People with problems with their spleen are not considered to be within the “extremely vulnerable” group, they remain in the “high risk” group but the advice for this group is currently aligned with that for the general population.
As this is a fluid and fast moving situation we will continue to review and update our advice in line with advice from the government working with our health advisors.
I have received a letter to inform me I am clinically extremely vulnerable, what must I do to get help with access to food?
England
It is now really important that you:
- Follow the advice on the government website
- Register yourself on the database to access further support.
Registering on this database means you qualify for a free food package from the government and your information will be shared with UK supermarkets so they can assign you a priority online delivery slot. Please note that whilst you will be asked if you have a dietary requirement there is no guarantee that your food parcel will contain gluten free foods.
UK retailers who have received the list will contact you if you are already registered with them to help you access a priority delivery slot. If you are not registered with an online retailer we would advise you to contact your preferred retailer directly as they will be able to help you access a priority online delivery slot. We understand there are issues with access to priority online delivery slots and retailers are working hard to increase the number of slots available. The shielding database is being updated on a weekly basis and shared with the supermarkets.
Northern Ireland
It is now really important that you:
- Follow the advice on the government website
If you need help please ask family, friends and neighbours to support you as they may be able to help you make arrangement for food deliveries.
As you have received a letter you may be able to get a weekly food box delivered to your home. These food boxes are aimed at those who are not able to leave the home and do not have a support network to help them access food. You can contact the COVID-19 community helpline who will talk to you about your situation to see if you are able to access a food box. Your details will then be passes to partners in the Health Trusts and/or local Councils who will contact you to confirm what support they can offer you.
These food boxes will contain mainly non-perishable goods. At the moment there is no option to account for dietary requirements so you might receive products that contain gluten, please make sure you check the ingredients.
The shielding list in Northern Ireland is in the process of being shared with UK retailers. The process is more complicated that what has happened in England and it is taking longer to set up. UK retailers are ready to receive these lists and once they do they will contact you if you are already registered with them to help you access a priority delivery slot. It you are not registered with an online retailer we would advise you to contact your preferred retailer directly as they will be able to help you access a priority online delivery slot. We understand there are issues with access to priority online delivery slots and retailers are working hard to increase the number of slots available.
Scotland
It is now really important that you:
- Follow the advice on the government website
- Register with the SMS shielding service.
As you have received a letter you GP and your health board have also been informed. If you need additional support including delivery of essential food supplies you contact details will be shared with your local authority.
Through the SMS shielding service or your local authority helpline, you can order free deliveries of basic food and essential supplies. If you feel you are not able to eat the food in your food parcel once it arrived you must contact your local authority helpline. For more information please read here.
It is really important you join the SMS shielding service as you will be asked on this service if would like your details forwarding to supermarkets for priority service. If you do not allow your details to be forwarded supermarkets will not be able to support you. One they have your details they will contact you if you are already registered with them to help you access a priority delivery slot. If you are not registered with an online retailer we would advise you to contact your preferred retailer directly as they will be able to help you access a priority online delivery slot. We understand there are issues with access to priority online delivery slots and retailers are working hard to increase the number of slots available. The shielding database is being updated on a weekly basis and shared with the supermarkets.
Wales
It is now really important that you:
- Follow the advice on the government website
Your letter will advise you to get help from family members, friends or other people in your community, carers or community organisations and voluntary organisations. If you have no support you can request a weekly food box and contact your local authority for further help. Local authorities have been provided with the contact details of those who have been identified as high risk to offer support. Unfortunately there food boxes are not able to take into account dietary requirements.
The shielding list in Wales is in the process of being shared with UK retailers. The process is more complicated that what has happened in England and it is taking longer to set up. UK retailers are ready to receive these lists and once they do they will contact you if you are already registered with them to help you access a priority delivery slot. It you are not registered with an online retailer we would advise you to contact your preferred retailer directly as they will be able to help you access a priority online delivery slot. We understand there are issues with access to priority online delivery slots and retailers are working hard to increase the number of slots available.
I have received a text/letter advising me that I am in the vulnerable group and need to shield but I’m not sure this applies to me.
The government has provided advice on shielding for people defined as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19. People with coeliac disease (including those who have problems with their spleen) who have no other health conditions do not fall into this category. If you think you have been sent information on shielding in error, the guidance from the NHS is to check the list of conditions where shielding is recommended. If you are confident that this does not apply then the NHS advice is to please ignore the communication. If you still have concerns then please discuss your own circumstances with your GP. More information from the NHS on this issue is available at https://digital.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/statement-on-coronavirus-communications
To find out more on shielding, head over to the government website.
Will Coeliac UK benefit from the scheme?
There are over 170,000 charities in the UK and it is currently unclear which of these will receive a part of the £750 million in order that they can continue their essential work in supporting the community. Until the detail of the scheme is available, we don’t know whether or not we will be eligible to receive any payment, and if so when the funds will be released.
What is your response to the announcement by the Chancellor to provide £750 million coronavirus funding for frontline charities?
Coeliac UK welcomes the announcement made by the Government on 8 April 2020 of £750 million of funding for the charity sector. Charities are on the frontline and are currently facing incredible demands for their services while also seeing their income decline.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has calculated that the charity sector is facing a funding black hole of at least £4 billion over the next three months, as fundraising and trading revenues have dried up almost overnight.
How will this impact the appeal for funding recently launched by Coeliac UK?
The coronavirus situation is unprecedented and we are more worried about Coeliac UK’s future than ever before. At the moment we don’t know whether Coeliac UK will qualify for funding under the scheme announced by the Chancellor. The appeal will stay live and we send a massive thank you to everyone who has kindly donated so far! We launched www.coeliac.org.uk/save-our-future fearing that we would not be able to continue to provide a service without additional funds.
We want to be here now and tomorrow, providing specialist support for coeliacs and those who need to live gluten free – not just now but for as long as it takes to find a cure.
What impact has the coronavirus crisis had on your income?
The coronavirus situation is unprecedented and we are more worried about Coeliac UK’s future than ever before. We have seen a massive increase in demand for our services, with enquiries and calls for help increasing by 500%. But because of the impact of coronavirus, we expect to see a loss of between 30% and 50% of all our income.