Proposal for people with mental health problems to carry ID
- 15 Apr
A parliamentary candidate has suggested that people with mental health or other issues should wear wristbands or carry ID to help make communication simpler.
Chamali Fernando, a Cambridge Conservative, has said that the choice of carrying a card or wearing a visible indicator should be a matter of choice, reports the BBC.
At a Cambridge hustings event called Keep Our NHS Public, Ms Fernando said wider use of identification would help to prevent any misunderstandings.
"Police, social services or hospitals dealing with people with conditions that affect their ability to communicate can decide they are being obstructive or evasive," she said.
"They do not realise the person may have a mental health or other condition. The way they behave often affects the way they are treated. Carrying some kind of identification shows they have a particular condition so allowances can be made. There are also different ways of doing this without stigmatising the person, such as carrying a card with details of the condition but in some cases by wearing a coloured wristband."
Julian Huppert, standing as Lib Dem candidate for Cambridge, tweeted: "I think it was a spur of the moment thing rather than a prepared policy."
The National Autistic Society said some people with autism like the security of carrying information about their condition to share with the police or transport officials, if they get into any difficulty and are having trouble communicating.
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Related articles
- 11 Sep
People in Bedfordshire can find mental health support through an audio guide
The guides have been written by clinical psychologists and are available to download in print or listen to as an audio file, reports Bedfordshire News.Dr Judy Baxter, Clinical Director with BCCG and...
- 10 Sep
Police officers in Dorset to receive mental health training
The partnership with the University comes as part of the county’s Mental Health Street Triage Project. It is hoped to equip officers with improved knowledge and skills to assess members of the...
- 09 Sep
People in Peterborough can refer themselves for mental health services
Through a drive to offer support to more people and ease pressure on doctors, people living in Peterborough can self-refer themselves to mental health services, reports Peterborough Today.Dr Adrian...
- 08 Sep
The first mental health centre for men
The site has been set up by Alex Eaton, whose dad took his own life and has suffered with mental health problems himself, in Burton upon Trent, reports BBC Newsbeat.Mr Eaton said: "We are the only...
- 07 Sep
NHS trust told no mental health beds available
Dr Bohdan Solomka has said that on Sunday a lack of beds were applied across the NHS and among private providers, reports the BBC. The director of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trusts...
- 07 Sep
Over 16,000 mental health referrals for young people have been rejected
Between July last year and June this year, data from the NHS has found that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services rejected 5,396 referrals, reports STV News.Over the last three years 16,565...
- 04 Sep
New mental health centre to open in Ardwick
Plans to build a new £6m treatment and recovery centre in Manchester have been revealed. It will be built in Ardwick and be run by Alternative Futures Group, reports the Manchester Evening...
- 03 Sep
Research finds more chance of re-offending if mental health issues are present
Research has found that ex-prisoners with mental health problems and drug and alcohol misuse are more likely to commit violent offences after release than other former prisoners, reports the...
- 02 Sep
Drop in the number of people with mental health issues held in cells
Recent figures have found that the Crisis Care Concordat has seen over 10,000 people receive care from mental health nurses with the support from police officers, reports the Burton Mail.Figures have...
- 02 Sep
Mental health social work scheme accepting applications
100 places are now available for applicants who have a 2:1 or above undergraduate degree and can demonstrate attributes such as resilience and empathy, reports Community Care.The Think Ahead...
The Welfare Reform Act: Universal Credit, Sheltered and Supported Housing The content was concise and to the point. The content was relevant to our service, and gave us a better us a better indication of were stand with upcoming changes. Rosie Kaur - Panahghar
