Dr Warnock told i: “I have contacted 119 who say they can’t send out priority PCR kits and the standard tests are taking 72 hours or more to turnaround making it impossible to get the antibody treatment within the 5 day limit. I know people who are deteriorating because they have been unable to get the care they need and are entitled to. It’s dreadful.

“The whole system makes us feel like we have been thrown to one side. People like me are making umpteen calls to find out what is going on and no one is taking responsibility – it’s a classic case of pass the parcel. There needs to be a lot more transparency from the NHS about how they put people on the highest risk register – and get it updated with the people they have left off.

“I’m terrified I and hundreds of others are going to be condemned to death by a computer error they won’t admit to or fix, but no one’s talking about it.”

Dr Warnock said being forced to shield for so long has left him feeling isolated and damaged many of his relationships. He now publishes a blog advising people how to navigate the system. His cancer nurse said Dr Warnock could get a rapid PCR test at University College Hospital London (UCHL) where staff are carrying out tests in the drop off area behind the cancer centre, so patients can be tested without coming into the building. However, not every hospital is willing or able to offer a similar service.

Dr Warnock said: “Some A&E departments have been doing rapid tests on patients who are not yet that unwell but are desperate to get an urgent result that will lead to them getting that life-saving referral for treatment”.

He pointed to the US system where officials are already giving preventative monoclonal antibodies to immunocompromised patients rather than waiting for them to catch Covid.

Dr Warnock said: “While everyone else gets on with life people with blood cancer like me or other immune conditions are left to die. Others are missing the 5 day deadline and being failed by the NHS. This is potentially a matter of life and death. Why is there no sense of urgency to save our lives?”

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/covid-19-nhs-confusion-preventing-highest-risk-patients-from-getting-life-saving-antiviral-treatment-1426655

“Relying on a positive LFT will speed up the delivery of life saving antivirals and antibodies for many. But as LFTs can show false negatives the failure to deliver priority PCR kits to many of those most vulnerable still poses a threat to our lives. Fixing the new list of those at highest risk remains critical to ensure the automatic referral system selects the right patients because some doctors still refuse to refer to CMDUs themselves.

Requiring a certain level of symptoms or watching patients to see if they improve is dangerous as the whole point of these treatments is to treat people whilst they are only mildly unwell to prevent them getting worse and potentially needing a hospital admission.”

Dr Warnock, who writes a blog advising other blood cancer patients how to navigate the system, said another problem is people being denied access to the treatments because “we are not sick enough”.

He said: “At least one CMDU has used this line as an excuse not to give the treatment too early as there is no way of knowing if your symptoms will improve if you are given the treatment in the first couple of days of a Covid sickness. 

“The whole point of treating vulnerable patients with antibodies or antivirals is to make sure they don’t get significantly unwell, which doesn’t usually happen for several days [following infection].”

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/covid-19-highest-risk-patients-to-get-faster-access-to-nhs-treatment-after-testing-rule-change-1433636