Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons Mesothelioma is not included in the Government’s guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically or extremely vulnerable from covid-19.

We understand how challenging this period is, especially for those with long-term conditions such as mesothelioma and are doing everything we can to support patients.

Expert doctors in England identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. These were signed off by the UK Senior Clinicians Group (including four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and clinical leadership at NHS England, NHS Digital, and Public Health England).

In addition, general practitioners (GPs) and hospital specialists have been asked to recommend other patients follow shielding guidance, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of each individual’s needs. GPs and hospital specialists have been provided with guidance to support these decisions. Anybody who is concerned should contact their GP or specialist to discuss further.