Face masks proof of exemption

[PumpkinP]

I am exempt from wearing face masks due to asthma , I just was expecting to show my asthma pump but today my mum was on the bus and she said the police got on and was demanding proof from people and saying that they needed to see a drs letter. Do I need a doctors letter? As I haven’t heard that you do till now.

Just wanted to say we'll go down the route of a letter, badge, lanyard so it's clean immediately why someone hasn't got a mask on.

Apparently our local police have said they're expecting shops to take on the responsibility and asking customers to wear a mask before they enter, alongside adhering the the restrictions shops are required to carry out. Shops are will not want to be on the wrong side of the law, but obviously exemption need clear proof.

There will be people who can’t wear masks, but I expect 95%+ of people saying they can’t, actually can. It will largely be for psychological issues than physical ones as air molecules are truly, extraordinarily tiny (just two oxygen or nitrogen atoms bonded together) and pass through a face covering without any problem at all... As I posted on another thread the other day, if an air molecule was the size of a pea, a typical breath droplet (still so minuscule as to be invisible to the human eye) would be the size of a football stadium.

There were police checking masks on my husband’s train at the weekend.

That cannot be true surely! If so they are basically admitting to denying treatment to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

That's what ours are doing too. My psychiatrist wrote me a letter purely because I almost got sectioned during lockdown at the thought of them becoming mandatory. My medical history cuts no ice with my GPs which normally would be fine (I'm not going anywhere they are needed) but due to the almost sectioning incident they are insisting on seeing me in person before prescribing more zopiclone as per my psychiatrist's request so I can't get the sleeping pills I desperately need.

You don't need to provide proof.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/gp-notes-not-required-for-face-covering-exemptions-says-government/20041004.article

MotherPiglet Absolute rubbish. My husband was at the surgery this morning, he asked if he had to wear a mask and was told it was unnecessary but he could if he wanted to. He didn't.

@Spikeyball

My GP is not doing them because proof is not required.

I have acquired a hidden disabilities lanyard and card in case we take ds anywhere and someone is so thick they cannot understand that a non verbal autistic 15 year old can't wear one.

"there is almost nobody who cannot wear a mask':"
That is bollocks. Even the tory government isn't saying that.

Agreed. My autistic son tries but struggles due to his sensory issues. I’m sorry but he’s my responsibility and my priority and if I am satisfied he can’t cope with wearing one, he won’t be. People would complain more if he had a meltdown I’m sure.

www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/what-should-people-with-asthma-do-now/

If you’ve got asthma, you may or may not be able to wear a face mask or covering. It’s a good idea to try one out at home, or on a short walk around the block first. If it feels fine, then you can wear it, and it won’t harm you.

But if it makes it feel harder to breathe, the UK Government has advised that you don’t have to wear one. You could try a few different types to see if there is one that suits you, but if you feel breathless or suffocated while wearing a face covering, then don’t wear one.

It’s important to be aware that some people may not be able to wear a face covering.

I'm still trying different styles - to see if there one I can tolerate.

I don't see how they can check on the spot - and if you have an inhailor I image that would be the end of it.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils

That cannot be true surely! If so they are basically admitting to denying treatment to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

That's what ours are doing too. My psychiatrist wrote me a letter purely because I almost got sectioned during lockdown at the thought of them becoming mandatory. My medical history cuts no ice with my GPs which normally would be fine (I'm not going anywhere they are needed) but due to the almost sectioning incident they are insisting on seeing me in person before prescribing more zopiclone as per my psychiatrist's request so I can't get the sleeping pills I desperately need.

That's awful I hope you manage to get them soon.

I understand the importance of masks but if the government agrees there are circumstances where a person doesn't have to wear a mask then the GP practice shouldn't be ignoring those reasons and implementing a blanket policy. So many vulnerable people are going to be screwed over by such over zealous policies.

hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/shop.html

These people do the sunflower exception layards for hidden disabilities that mean they are except from mask wearing.

@Derbygerbil

There will be people who can’t wear masks, but I expect 95%+ of people saying they can’t, actually can. It will largely be for psychological issues than physical ones as air molecules are truly, extraordinarily tiny (just two oxygen or nitrogen atoms bonded together) and pass through a face covering without any problem at all... As I posted on another thread the other day, if an air molecule was the size of a pea, a typical breath droplet (still so minuscule as to be invisible to the human eye) would be the size of a football stadium.

I keep reading things like this.

Yes, oxygen molecules are tiny and much smaller than the holes in a fabric mask. Nevertheless, as anyone who has tried a variety of different masks knows, they vary in 'breathability' - the amount of effort that is required to draw a breath through the layers of cloth.

WHO talk a lot about the trade off between filtration efficiency and breathability when choosing the design and materials for face coverings.

www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks

(scroll down the page for PDF)

Some people with severe lung conditions will be unable to wear a mask because they already struggle so much to get enough air into their lungs. They can become severely breathless from the smallest exertion because of this and the additional obstruction of a mask is just too much.

Going by how some forces were behaving over Easter eggs and whether what people had in their shopping baskets was essential or not, a few months ago.............i TOTALLY believe it.

My mum cannot wear one as she ends up taking seizures to anxiety . Resulting cost of a 999 each time - inevitably in shops and stuff they’ll do a 999 regardless of us saying it isn’t needed - is much worse than her not wearing a mask .

As such she doesn’t wear one, she shops at the least busy times as little as possible, uses taxis instead of buses where she can, and carries her bus pass, taxi card and sunflower lanyard by way of explanation .

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/disabled-scots-lawyer-disgusted-after-22380425?fbclid=IwAR0kTWJTrE-LAf-DL2YN0JXuvl-0tJ8sKWy5z4MsjiXwfRxyrA1gV_VnhUA

Disabled Scots lawyer 'disgusted' after being harassed and refused entry to shops without face mask
Daniel Donaldson has hidden disabilities and says he has been taken aback by the treatment he has received on the street from strangers

A disabled Scots lawyer claims he has been regularly harassed and abused by strangers for not wearing a face mask in shops.

Daniel Donaldson has hidden respiratory disabilities and is exempt from wearing a mask.

The 40-year-old, who is a disability rights lawyer, says he has been left ‘disgusted’ by the discriminatory treatment directed towards him and others who are permitted to not wear a face covering in public.

He claims he has been confronted by strangers, subjected to vile verbal attacks and refused entry into stores since face masks were made mandatory in shops in Scotland on July 10.

Daniel told the Daily Record: “I have hidden disabilities and underlying medical conditions and therefore I am exempt from wearing a mask.

“However I have been utterly taken aback at the treatment I, and others in similar situations, have experienced since they were made compulsory two weeks ago.

We are being discriminated against and refused access to shops on some occasions, and that is just not acceptable.

“I’m disgusted.

“Just last week I was stopped in John Lewis by a customer who demanded to know where my mask was.

“I said I am exempt and then a further explanation was demanded, to which I told the person to ‘p* off’ because it’s a breach of my privacy.

"Face masks affect my breathing. This raises my respiration. This increases my heart rate. This causes distress. To wear this, I need to take diazepam. In addition to the regular medications, and liquid steroids to help keep my airways open

Daniel also slammed the Scottish Government for “rushing through” confusing legislation to enforce the new rule.

He added: “The problem is, the Scottish Government published this law three hours before it was introduced.

“There was no consultation with disability groups, no taking into account how it would affect them.

"The guidance is confusing, and doesn't make it clear that we don't need medical evidence to prove we are exempt."

Daniel, from Glasgow, says he was desperate to get out and about after being cooped up at home since the end of February.

He has been relishing the easing of restrictions but was not prepared for the amount of people who would challenge him in the street or in shops over his lack of PPE.

Daniel said: “I’m not jumping on the anti-face mask bandwagon here, I just believe people with disabilities who are exempt have the right not to be harassed going about their lives.

“Disabled people are not lepers, we are not going out there to spread the virus, and if staff and other customers are wearing their face masks, they have nothing to worry about, they are protected.

“So I’m just trying to raise a bit of awareness as we all try to get back to a bit of normality because it has been a lonely time for all of us and it’s not fair that some are feeling worry about finally getting to go into shops.”

Daniel, who runs the Disability Law Centre in Glasgow, has been using his organisation’s Facebook page to raise awareness and call shops out for discriminatory treatment.

He has also stepped in when he has witnessed harassment of others.

He added: “I have intervened in a number of incidents and I try to help as much as I can.

“Last week a security guard at a shop in Glasgow was trying to stop a young girl from entering because she didn’t have a mask, even though she was explaining why she couldn't wear one.

“He was intimidating her and I was not happy with his tone to this young girl, another woman said it was disgusting, so I took it up with management and they apologised profusely.

“But we can’t be there to see all these incidents unfold.”

Proof of exemption is also not a suitable solution to the issue, according to Daniel.

He said: “Things like exemption lanyards or so called medical evidence will not work.

“If you put a lanyard on, it’s like putting a big disability sticker on you forehead.

“All we can do for now is raise awareness because the system right now is not working.

“It makes me wary to go out but I will continue to live my life and try to help others do the same.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the First Minister has said, no one should be abused or treated in an unacceptable way and those exempt under the regulations should not be made to wear a face covering or denied access to shops.

"Retailers can ask people to wear a face covering, but should be understanding when people tell them they are exempt and we do not expect staff to enforce the wearing of face coverings.

“The guidance on the use of face coverings by the public is contained in the Phase 3 Staying Safe and Protecting others guidance on the Scottish Government website.

This makes clear that it may not be appropriate for those who have a health condition or for disabled people to wear a face covering.

“For those who are not exempt, it is now mandatory to wear a face covering on public transport and in shops or other retail outlets, and we expect face coverings to be worn when in an enclosed public space where it is difficult to maintain two metres physical distance and where there is a risk of close contact with multiple people you do not usually meet.”

Find out more about Daniel's campaign to promote awareness of hidden disabilities here.

Even if the police or anyone else got on the bus they can not demand proof as the government guidelines doesn’t say you need proof also doctors are not giving out letters.

Of course GP surgeries aren't going to accept self exemption letters, but equally they are not going to refuse to see the small minority of their patients whose medical conditions mean they cannot wear a mask. There is a need for exemption letters is in situations where those in charge of enforcing the wearing of masks are neither medically trained or have access to a person's medical history, but in health care settings where medical history is known medical professionals can use their own judgement to exempt individual patients.

@PaperScissorsRock

I’m asthmatic and have chronically low O2 levels but can wear masks no problem - is there really an exemption for asthma?

Only if wearing one actually affects your asthma. The vast majority of asthmatics (like you and me) can wear one without any issues.

Although there will obviously be some idiots who decide to use asthma as an excuse without even trying a mask on.

It will feel weird at first. Practising at home for short periods first is helpful.

@WrongKindOfFace this was posted by another Mner on another thread. Belongs here too IMO.

I may have missed it but has there been a demand for children to carry their birth certificates when they are in shops? Exemption applies to children under 11 - some children look young for their age, some look older. Presumably those who favour a rigorous burden of proof being placed on those with medical exemption feel just as strongly about age exemption and would want to apply the same conditions. If not, I wonder why

Not sure how that’s relevant to my post?

You have assumed that people will fake a medical condition.
Would you assume that older children will fake their age?

@StatisticalSense

Of course GP surgeries aren't going to accept self exemption letters, but equally they are not going to refuse to see the small minority of their patients whose medical conditions mean they cannot wear a mask. There is a need for exemption letters is in situations where those in charge of enforcing the wearing of masks are neither medically trained or have access to a person's medical history, but in health care settings where medical history is known medical professionals can use their own judgement to exempt individual patients.

The trouble with this is that as well as health conditions and disabilities, you are exempt from wearing a mask if you cannot do so because it causes you severe distress.

There have been some truly harrowing accounts of the reasons for posters' severe distress on here in recent days and it's distressed me just reading about the psychological torture some are putting themselves through in an attempt to train themselves to tolerate a mask without having flashbacks or panic attacks.

Rape and sexual abuse are extremely common and it's extremely common for victims to never disclose what has happened to them, not even to their GP.

Nobody should be made to disclose rape or abuse just for the sake of proving they are exempt from wearing a face covering.

As if the tax credit 'rape clause' was not bad enough!

The government has said that no proof will be required. Write to your MP if you don't like that.

GP surgeries and other health settings should remember that there are other exemptions that won't necessarily be in a patient's medical records and their patients are not obliged to disclose their reasons.

@WrongKindOfFace
The same applies to the vast majority of those with Autism and other similar conditions. The government and press have done a terrible job at making it appear as though it is a list of conditions that makes somebody exempt when in reality there is no condition that makes someone who is able to wear one exempt. The actual law states that if you are able to wear a mask you must do so regardless of any medical condition you may have and that you do not need a diagnosis of any specific condition to be exempt if you are genuinely unable to wear a mask.

Of course GP surgeries aren't going to accept self exemption letters, but equally they are not going to refuse to see the small minority of their patients whose medical conditions mean they cannot wear a mask

Mine are refusing to see me without a mask despite an NHS consultant psychiatrist saying I shouldn't wear one and despite having access to my medical notes.

I have asthma and my eldest dd does (she also has autism though probably not relevant to this point) we both wear masks. It has been shown time and time again that masks do not reduce O2 or reduce breathing ability whilst wearing it. I am struggling to understand the problem with wearing a mask and asthma. (Asthmatoc nurses manage on 12 hour shifts...just saying).

@ThatDamnScientist Gosh yes. The exact same condition definately will affect different people in the same way because everyone is the same Not individual at all. No such thing as the same sort of illness affecting different people in different ways,