Coronavirus (COVID-19): Office of the Public Guardian response
This page provides guidance on how OPG is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be updated when new information is available.
Our services are currently experiencing delays, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please allow up to 16 weeks from receipt of your LPA for your application to be processed.
Given the delays we are experiencing, you may want to use some short-term options for health, welfare and financial decisions.
Safeguarding and visits
Visitors will conduct visits over the phone or via video call where appropriate. If you have a visit scheduled, an OPG visitor will be in touch. They’ll contact you by phone or email to discuss arrangements, or to give you an update.
NHS and social services staff: check if a patient has an attorney or deputy
NHS and social services staff can contact us to check if a COVID-19 patient has an attorney or deputy. We aim to respond within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
Contacting us
We recommend that you refer to our guidance pages before you contact us, as they may contain the information you need.
If you need to contact us, you can do so by:
- email on customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk
- telephone on 0300 456 0300 - please be aware there may be a delay in answering your call and it might be easier to email us.
Our contact centre hours are:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9.30am to 5pm
- Wednesday 10am to 5pm
Updates to this page
Last updated 21 August 2024 + show all updates
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change of time it takes to process LPA
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Removing superfluous information referring to COVID pandemic and lockdown
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Amended to reflect new guidance in England and Wales
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Update to reflect date of new Welsh guidance
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Update to reflect new welsh guidance.
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Update to Government Covid guidance issued on 5 Jan 2022
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Edited date of government update.
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Updating guidance with information about measures to prevent omicron spread. Making overall content more succinct
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date change
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Updated the Welsh language information to reflect new guidance on 8 October
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Updates to English page to reflect guideline changes on 14 September, and to Welsh page to link to new English plan.
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Changes made to new self isolation rules on 16 August 21
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Updates to Welsh page to reflect guideline changes on 7 August
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Large-scale edit to reflect COVID-19 guidance changes on 19 July
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Changing the time taken to register LPAs from 15 weeks to 20 weeks
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Guidance change on 21 June
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Amend to Welsh information to reflect guidance change on 7 June
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Updated LPA processing times in Welsh version.
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Changes made due to May roadmap
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Added translation
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changes to welsh
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Changes to represent the roadmap out of lockdown announced Feb 2021
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changes to welsh version for Lockdown 3
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changes due to Lockdown 3
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changes to welsh translation
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LPA timescale change on 10 December 2020
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amends for local tier restrictions from 2 Decemeber 20
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changes to welsh language version
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update information wih respect to lockdown starting 5/11/20
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Covid update 12 October 2020
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change to local lockdown and social distancing links
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Changes to visits information
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Added translation
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edited contacting us
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edits to welsh version
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Added translation
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Added translation
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Edited to include a link to local lockdown information
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Editing details - Contact Centre has changed opening times and Visits information has changed
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Welsh language version of an earlier edit
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Adding the Welsh language translation
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Adding information about how to register an EPA
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Amending the opening hours of the contact centre
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Added information on how to make an LPA or be an attorney or deputy during the outbreak, and information on short term ways people can make decisions on someone else's behalf
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Added information about professional deputies
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Added a link to the page telling NHS staff how to request a search of the OPG databases of LPAs and deputyships, specifically related to coronavirus patients
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First published.