Pimpy: I dont get to decide how much distress at this shit situation qualifies as an exemption.
And, crucially, neither do you.
GPs have been told by the NHS, NOT, under any circumstances, to write any exemption letters for patients. There are many threatening health conditions for which the wearing of a mask is dangerous. On certain masks supplied to hospitals there are warnings to people with such conditions not to use the masks. The Government or BBC or somebody has sent an announcement saying levels of oxygen do not drop or CO2 rise when wearing a mask. When wearing certain masks this is absolutely untrue as many research papers over many years have shown. Despite that this peer reviewed research is being removed by some dishonest people in power who want only one view to prevail. The drop in blood oxygen levels over a period of time does not only apply to hospital masks. The Government has behaved very irresponsibly on many issues regarding masks. People have not been given accurate information. They have failed in their duty of care to give people full information. Already stories of people with health conditions who should not use masks have been reported being found very ill in public places, nearly collapsing.
If you know that wearing a mask causes you distress because you have a medical condition, whatever type it may be, the situation is that you shall decide for yourself whether you need to exempt yourself from wearing the mask.
Please do not be a martyr. If you have breathing difficulties, heart trouble, cancer, anxiety about mouth and nose coverings, and other health reasons which make using a mask a danger to your health, please do not wear one. If you are confronted, simply say, "I am medically exempt" If the person demands a Doctor's note you will have to say it is government policy via the NHS that GPs don't write them (they have enough to do)and patients themselves know what their condition is. Do not tell anyone your health details please, people must learn that this is a confidential matter. Simply say, if asked "My state of health/health condition is a confidential matter." Just repeat the same if they say any more. Be dignified and calm and just keep going.
I have one of the health conditions above. I can just about manage, as I am not desperately badly affected, therefore I decided to have a mask with me, try to use it for short lengths of time and leave the situation to get into the open air to breathe as soon as I can. I can just about manage this. But it is a bit difficult!
Nobody, Pimpy, who suffers any condition which makes it unwise for them to wear a mask, needs your attitude of preaching and judging them as though you know better. You do not know what you are talking about. You have no right to give orders to people who have a very deep knowledge of the health condition they have and why the wearing of a mask would be very bad for their health. You clearly do not have this knowledge. You have no right to jump to the conclusion that you can stand as judge and jury and make your all-encompassing rule to cover everybody. You are ignorant. It is attacks such as yours that make the lives of people struggling with disability and ill-health all the more distressing. You should feel ashamed.