Medical Exemption for Mental Health

The Issue

  • Medical exemption certificates allow people with long term health conditions to access free prescriptions.
  • There is a list of specific conditions that qualify for exemption.
  • Mental health conditions are not on that list.
  • This is discriminatory.
  • This is unacceptable
  • This needs to change.
     
    Please sign, shout about and share our petition to ask that the department of health grant medical exemption for long term mental health illnesses.
     
     
    More about our campaign:
  • Mental health illness is one of the main causes for overall disease burden worldwide. Recent statistics show that 1 in 6 have a mental health problem at any one time in the U.K. Some mental health illness requires long term medication to help people stay well.
  • Currently these people are paying for their prescriptions, despite the fact that in many cases, not taking medication can lead to hospital admission. This is not the case for other long term illnesses that require treatment with medication.
  • This is not fair to those with mental health problems.  
  • The government claims to want to improve mental health care and fight against discrimination. When it comes to free prescriptions for those with mental health problems, they have failed.  
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Andrew HowePetition Starter
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This petition had 516 supporters

The Issue

  • Medical exemption certificates allow people with long term health conditions to access free prescriptions.
  • There is a list of specific conditions that qualify for exemption.
  • Mental health conditions are not on that list.
  • This is discriminatory.
  • This is unacceptable
  • This needs to change.
     
    Please sign, shout about and share our petition to ask that the department of health grant medical exemption for long term mental health illnesses.
     
     
    More about our campaign:
  • Mental health illness is one of the main causes for overall disease burden worldwide. Recent statistics show that 1 in 6 have a mental health problem at any one time in the U.K. Some mental health illness requires long term medication to help people stay well.
  • Currently these people are paying for their prescriptions, despite the fact that in many cases, not taking medication can lead to hospital admission. This is not the case for other long term illnesses that require treatment with medication.
  • This is not fair to those with mental health problems.  
  • The government claims to want to improve mental health care and fight against discrimination. When it comes to free prescriptions for those with mental health problems, they have failed.  
avatar of the starter
Andrew HowePetition Starter
Media enquiries

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Petition created on 31 August 2019