GPs have been inundated with questions from patients about the new requirement to wear a face covering in shops in England from next week.
Several GPs have said that they have been approached by patients asking for exemption letters but the Department of Health and Social Care has told Pulse people will not need GP notes.
Sick notes and mask exemption note requests coming in thick and fast to GP land. Sending to their Occupational health not helping, they’re directing back to us, sending to ACAS, who are sending back to GP. Help!!
@TeamGP @NHSEngland @Kent_LMC #teamgp— Yvette Doc #WearAMask (@yvettedoc50) July 13, 2020
Anyone else getting lots of requests for exemption letters for masks? @pulsetoday
— Steve Kell (@SteveKellGP) July 14, 2020
A number of people are exempt from the requirement which comes in from 24 July due to age, health or equality reasons.
Fines of £100 can be issued to those who flout the rules but the Department of Health and Social Care told Pulse that people who are exempt will not require a GP note to prove their case.
Government guidance on the new regulations urged people to ‘please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings’.
In England the public must already wear face masks on public transport and in hospitals, although it is still only advisory for patients visiting GP practices.
The Department for Transport previously told Pulse people would not need a GP note if they were exempt from wearing a face covering on public transport.
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