"mask exemption"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Maternity Care

(as a parent/guardian),

My 18 year old daughter who has ASD and extreme general anxiety order has been in the labour ward at Wishaw general hospital. Most of yesterday  all night with her sister. Being mask exempt from wearing a mask due to her distress and anxiety due to ASD. she has been denied access for not having a mask on, after going to get food from hospital shop and returning to ward.

She explained she is exempt and its not been questioned all day yesterday and all  night. She has a lanyard although doesn't have to show this. Anyway I called and spoke to person who sent her away and apparently hospital policy is even people who are exempt need to wear masks .. so she was not allowed back into ward. My daughter phoned me and if it didn't come up with her name I wouldn't have known who it was .... she was herself outside hospital in full blown panic attack. She couldn't speak but was very obvious the distress she was in. The member of staff was adamant that they were 100% correct and my daughter still needs to wear a mask and is not welcome in unless she wears one ...which of course she cant ...

We have tried and the distress and panic caused her to nearly scratch her neck red raw ....my daughter is home now and I've spoken to a really nice person in hospital and hopefully its dealt with. I've had a similar experience at same hospital and its not pleasant and I'm not on the spectrum. .... the attitude of the staff was beyond rude. They are giving false information and causing harm to people effecting their mental health and disregarding their disability and exampt...at very least it feels like discrimination 

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Responses

Response from Leah Noble, Senior Midwife Inpatients, Maternity Services, NHS Lanarkshire 3 years ago
Leah Noble
Senior Midwife Inpatients, Maternity Services,
NHS Lanarkshire
Submitted on 26/07/2021 at 14:43
Published on Care Opinion at 14:43


picture of Leah Noble

Dear Lola68,

Thank you for your post highlighting the experience your daughter has had in our service and how this negatively impacted on her. I am glad to hear that you have spoken to someone about it and now feel your concerns have been dealt with. We are currently reviewing our guidance. Please let me know if there is anything else we can help with.

Kind regards,

Leah Noble

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