Dear [hospital management],

I am writing to you ahead of my appointment for [procedure] on [date]. Naturally, I am very keen, as I am sure you are, to ensure this appointment proceeds as smoothly and successfully as possible.

With this in mind, I would like to gain your written confirmation regarding a number of issues of concern. 

I am aware that the COVID-19 situation has resulted in some changes to hospital policies and procedures, and that some hospital administrations are stipulating masking, testing, and even vaccination, as a condition of receiving treatment.

I would like to clarify in writing in advance of attending my appointment that I am exempt from wearing a mask, and that this exemption is universally applicable, in all environments, including hospitals. The law states that I am not required to provide any medical proof of my exemption (1), nor to wear a lanyard nor any other adornment pertaining to my exemption, and that it is sufficient to self-certify by stating that I am exempt.

Were anyone in the hospital to challenge the legitimacy of my exemption, or try to coerce me into wearing a mask or other form of face covering, this would be in breach of the Equality Act 2010, and could result in a personal fine of up to £5,000, and punitive damages of between £900 and £9,000, as per sections 112 (Aiding Contraventions) and section 119 (Remedies) of the Equality Act 2010 (2).

I seek your assurance that the hospital and all its staff are fully conversant and compliant with the law, and that they have received the appropriate training in the legislation surrounding disabilities discrimination and equality and diversity. Clearly, visiting a hospital can be a source of significant anxiety and distress for many, so I would like to feel confident you make it a priority to ensure your staff do not compound any such distress by interrogating or discriminating against individuals should they happen to be mask-exempt.

Moving on from this, I am aware that some hospitals are issuing the deeply troubling diktat that patients "have to" submit to a COVID-19 test prior to receiving treatment. I would like to make it clear I do not wish to receive a COVID-19 test, and that my right to decline any diagnostic offered to me, without suffering penalty or disadvantage, is protected under UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, which states at Article 6, section 1:

"Any preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic medical intervention is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned, based on adequate information. The consent should, where appropriate, be express and may be withdrawn by the person concerned at any time and for any reason without disadvantage or prejudice." (3)

Additionally, I do not wish to receive any COVID-19 vaccination, and my right to decline this injection is again protected by the above Declaration, as well as by the Montgomery ruling (4), which informs the General Medical Council's policy on informed consent. Consent must be given freely, and making any medical procedure dependent on testing or vaccination status is patently coercive, and, therefore, voids the legitimacy of the consent. Clearly, non-consensual medical procedures are both deeply unethical and illegal.

Please reply to this letter at your earliest convenience, confirming acknowledgement of my mask-exempt status, my right to exercise informed consent, and to freely decline any diagnostic, preventive, or therapeutic medical intervention offered to me, without facing disadvantage or prejudice.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

References:

1) 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

2) https://www.laworfiction.com/2020/07/face-covering-for-6-to-12-months-from-24th-july/

3) http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html4) https://www.themdu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/montgomery-and-informed-consent

4) https://www.themdu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/montgomery-and-informed-consent