From 26 June patients who test positive for covid and who are eligible for covid treatment (high risk patients) will no longer be contacted by NHSE automatically.  Digitally identifiable, eligible patients will receive a letter from NHSE in June advising that they should contact local NHS providers if they test positive for covid through a Lateral Flow Test – in Lincolnshire this will be managed through the Clinical Advice Service (CAS) and by the ULHT Covid Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU).

GP practices may be contacted by patients requesting oral antivirals – the appended letter and flowchart gives detail on the local pathway and key information is summarised below to support practices to direct people to the CMDU.

• Local communications and news releases will ask eligible patients who test positive to contact 111 for assessment and potential treatment and not to contact their GP
• People contacting GP practices should be directed to call 111 or referred for assessment by CAS
• Any treatment will be arranged by CAS or ULHT

Please share this information and appended documents with practice teams so they are able to direct patients to 111, refer through to CAS and are able to advise patients diagnosed with a condition, that may make them eligible for covid treatment, of the local process.

Oral antivirals will be available through a number of community pharmacies (to be confirmed). If there is clinical uncertainty, the patient should be directed to CMDU assessment via the existing Clinical Advice Service (CAS) as per the attached pathway.

For more information and links to guidance please refer to the attached letterand pathway documents.

Please see the following article on:

BMA Guidance on Covid Therapeutics