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mask exexemption due to medication

paul a carr

Active Member
Messages
37
Location
uk
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
my current job .sports .
hi all how dose others get on not wearing a face mask .ive just started takeing a weekly injection from the hospital called semaglutide 1mg .i was taking trulicity 4mg whitch my body couldnt handle feelin sick all the time .even now i keep feeling sick on the one im on now if i where a mask it worsens the system and i fees llike im going to be sick .ive down loaded the exz card from the gov.co. website what i want to know as im om a medication that causes systems am i coverd as to carry this id and not to be challanged in shops its not very clear on the gov web site ive spoken to my GP he said all he can do is a letter wich costs £40 i havent got £40 as out of work thanks to covid 19.
 
sorry abut the spelling im dyslexic
 
Hi

This is the official guidance. If challenged, stating your exemption is all that is required. You should not face further questioning:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

Exemption cards
If you have an age, health or disability reason for not wearing a face covering:

  • you do not routinely need to show any written evidence of this
  • you do not need show an exemption card
This means that you do not need to seek advice or request a letter from a medical professional about your reason for not wearing a face covering.

However, some people may feel more comfortable showing something that says they do not have to wear a face covering. This could be in the form of an exemption card, badge or even a home-made sign.

Carrying an exemption card or badge is a personal choice and is not required by law.

If you wish to use an exemption card or badge, you can download exemption card templates. You can then print these yourself or show them on a mobile device. Please note that the government is not able to provide physical exemption cards or badges.
 
I have started to see more people wearing a sunflower lanyard (for hidden disabilities).
I am not sure if it is very well understood but, for those who do understand it, it should help.
Sainsburys and Argos were rolling them out a few years ago.
 
Sunflower lanyard tends to keep most people away.

You can get them on ebay but you are not required to produce any evidence of being exempt.

Depending on how confident you are I find that most places have ceased challenging the maskless as the regulations are now better understood.
 
thank for the advice ive been watching you tube & on there it shows people being find and asked to leave shops wheres the disability act evrn the police dont know i rang the police yesterday they said it depends what officer you get .to me thats not good enough you cant have one officer saying im going to fine you and another wont the gov web site is clear on saying what they say but people who ware the bage are filming discrimation in shops and buses .i watch one this morning were the police removed a disabled persion from a bus because he didnt have a face covering.
 

I am more than a little sceptical about those YouTube videos doing the rounds. They never show the whole story - i.e what led to the confrontation being filmed - and are out of context. Doubtless there will have been issues with incorrect procedures being followed, but it is rare to be even challenged, even rarer if wearing a lanyard.

It would doubtless be unpleasant if you were incorrectly challenged, but the advice above is from the official government website, so you can be confident that you are behaving in accordance with the rules. I’d advise just remaining calm and polite.
 
@paul a carr one thing I will say, although its not about the mask exemption (sorry about the derailment but I thought it should be said), if the meds you are taking are constantly making you feel you're going to be sick, talk to your doctor/consultant, see what other options are available as you shouldn't have to feel like that all the time, or start a thread about changes you may be able to make to help
 
paul a carr said:
sorry abut the spelling im dyslexic
Click to expand...
No advice on mask exemption from me, as I don't live in the UK, but please don't feel you need to apologise for your spelling! People making derogatory remarks about someones spelling on here will get in trouble with the moderator team. Should this ever happen, please use the report button, we've got your back!
 
You don't need a card or a letter or a lanyard. There is no law that says you must wear a mask, it's only guidance. The gov.uk advice could be clearer but there is absolutely no requirement to "prove" that you are exempt. I haven't ever worn a mask and have been challenged only twice, both times by shop staff who were simply unaware of what the guidance said - they'd got their info from the media. I've found smiling and saying firmly, "thank you, I have a medical exemption" works.
 
KennyA said:
There is no law that says you must wear a mask, it's only guidance.
Click to expand...
In Australia, if a state government says you have to wear a mask, you have to wear one till they tell you it's ok not to wear one. You will get a hefty fine for your troubles if you do not follow the rules.
 
Riva_Roxaban said:
In Australia, if a state government says you have to wear a mask, you have to wear one till they tell you it's ok not to wear one. You will get a hefty fine for your troubles if you do not follow the rules.
Click to expand...
And perhaps this lack of ambiguity in the rules is one of the reasons Australia is doing so much better than the U.K. (but even I think a medically certified exemption is a little different to a self decided one)

edit. Rules as in plural. Not just masks. All of them, relating to covid containment.
 
Last edited:
HSSS said:
And perhaps this lack of ambiguity in the rules is one of the reasons Australia is doing so much better than the U.K. (but even I think a medically certified exemption is a little different to a self decided one)
Click to expand...

Making the rather huge assumption that masking actually "does" anything of course.
 
People, please remember what the topic of this thread is.
It's about practical advice on mask exemption in the UK and it's definitely not about the rules in Australia or the effectiveness of masks.

Further off topic replies will be deleted.
 
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