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The cost of implementing the COVID-19 shielding policy in Wales
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Angela Farr ,
Ashley Akbari ,
Andrew Carson-Stevens ,
Jeremy Dale ,
Adrian Edwards ,
Bridie Angela Evans ,
Ann John ,
Fatemeh Torabi ,
Stephen Jolles ,
Mark Kingston ,
Jane Lyons,
Ronan Lyons ,
Alison Porter ,
Alan Watkins ,
Victoria Williams ,
Helen Snooks
BMC Public Health, Volume: 23, Issue: 1
Swansea University Authors:
Berni Sewell , Angela Farr , Ashley Akbari , Ann John , Fatemeh Torabi , Mark Kingston , Ronan Lyons , Alison Porter , Alan Watkins , Helen Snooks
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DOI (Published version): 10.1186/s12889-023-17169-3
Abstract
Background: The EVITE Immunity study investigated the effects of shielding Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) people during the COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes and healthcare costs in Wales, United Kingdom, to help prepare for future pandemics. Shielding was intended to protect those at high...
| Published in: | BMC Public Health |
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| ISSN: | 1471-2458 |
| Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2023
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65123 |
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| Abstract: |
Background: The EVITE Immunity study investigated the effects of shielding Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) people during the COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes and healthcare costs in Wales, United Kingdom, to help prepare for future pandemics. Shielding was intended to protect those at highest risk of serious harm from COVID-19. We report the cost of implementing shielding in Wales. Methods: The number of people shielding was extracted from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. Resources supporting shielding between March and June 2020 were mapped using published reports, web pages, freedom of information requests to Welsh Government and personal communications (e.g. with the office of the Chief Medical Officer for Wales). Results: At the beginning of shielding, 117,415 people were on the shielding list. The total additional cost to support those advised to stay home during the initial 14 weeks of the pandemic was £13,307,654 (£113 per person shielded). This included the new resources required to compile the shielding list, inform CEV people of the shielding intervention and provide medicine and food deliveries. The list was adjusted weekly over the 3-month period (130,000 people identified by June 2020). Therefore the cost per person shielded lies between £102 and £113 per person. Conclusion: This is the first evaluation of the cost of the measures put in place to support those identified to shield in Wales. However, no data on opportunity cost was available. The true costs of shielding including its budget impact and opportunity costs need to be investigated to decide whether shielding is a worthwhile policy for future health emergencies. |
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| Keywords: |
COVID-19, Shielding, Clinically vulnerable, Secure anonymised data, Implementation, Resources, Cost |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
The EVITE Immunity study is supported by the National Core Studies Immunity (NCSi4P) Programme (award number UoB WT Ref: 1745068). This work was supported by the Con-COV team funded by the Medical Research Council (grant number: MR/V028367/1) and by Health Data Research UK, which receives its funding from HDR UK Ltd (HDR-9006) funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Department of Health and Social Care (England), Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Wellcome Trust. Furthermore, this work was supported by the ADR Wales programme of work (award number ES/S007393/1). ADR Wales is part of the Economic and Social Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation) funded ADR UK (grant ES/S007393/1). This work was supported by the Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre, funded by Health and Care Research Wales. |
| Issue: |
1 |