Chapter 4: Coming together to respond to the pandemic

On 23 March 2020, the Prime Minister announced the first lockdown and told people they must stay at home, only leaving for essential reasons such as buying food and exercising once per day. The NHS initially wrote to around 1.3 million people nationally, who were considered to be at the highest clinical risk from Covid-19, to inform them that they should stay at home at all times and avoid all face-to-face contact for a period of at least 12 weeks. Over time, 2.2 million people were asked to shield.

I was in the shielded group and that had a huge impact on me. I've worked at the hospital for many years so I'm used to being around people and all of a sudden, I wasn't. I had to do all my meetings online. My husband also had to shield by proxy. For 18 months, we only left the house 21 times and most of those times, it was appointments for doctors and blood tests. 
Joanne Coleman, Quality Improvement Lead, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Individuals, local communities and statutory, voluntary and community organisations, across Gateshead, came together to respond to the pandemic, and support those who were shielding, and others who needed support.