Mental health and the certificate: what Wales just told holders
NHS Wales and all four Welsh police forces say seeking mental health support does not automatically cost a certificate. The sector read for holders and applicants across the show community
Credit: MatthewCrissall/iStockphoto via Getty Images
A joint message from NHS Wales and all four Welsh police forces deserves a wider audience than the show ring it was delivered beside: seeking mental health support does not automatically put a firearm or shotgun certificate at risk. For a show community made up of certificate holders and applicants across every discipline, it is the clearest public statement yet of how licensing teams actually treat mental health.
What was said?
The reassurance came around the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells in July, where the Dyfed-Powys Police firearms licensing team spent the week answering questions on BASC’s stand. Adrian Phillips, the force’s firearms licensing manager, said: “Each matter is considered on a case-by-case basis, and what I can say is that mental health issues do not automatically preclude a person from holding a certificate.” He added that many holders have been treated for anxiety, depression, work-related stress, ADHD and other ailments, historical or current, and kept their certificates.
South Wales Police, North Wales Police and Gwent Police echoed the message in a joint statement: “Seeking support or help does not necessarily mean guns are removed or certificates revoked. Each individual case will be sensitively reviewed and assessed on a case-by-case basis.”
Why does it matter to the show community?
Because the halls are full of the people this message is for: holders, applicants, and the farming and rural trades where NHS Wales says misconceptions have stopped people asking for help. It matters for exhibitors too, whose counters and stands are often where licensing questions are asked first. And there is a habit worth copying in how the message was delivered: a police licensing team taking a stand at a public show and answering questions face to face is exactly what shooting shows make possible, and the Welsh forces say they will press the message at community events, county shows and shooting shows through the summer.
What is expected of a certificate holder?
Disclosure. Mr Phillips said the system expects holders to report and disclose relevant matters: “It is much easier for everyone to try and work together than not disclose and potentially cause a problem in the future.” GP reports remain part of every new application and renewal, assessed proportionately and with public safety in mind. The system’s message, in short, is that treatment is not the threat; concealment is.
What happens next?
The forces will continue consulting their independent advisory groups while carrying the reassurance to shows and events through the summer. NHS Wales’s free SilverCloud online programmes for anxiety, depression, stress and sleep need no GP referral, and round-the-clock support is available by calling 111 and selecting option 2. The full story is on ShootingUK, the first link below.
Useful links
ShootingUK – the full ShootingUK telling of the joint reassurance from NHS Wales and the four forces
Dyfed-Powys Police – the force whose firearms licensing team led the message
SilverCloud Wales – NHS Wales’s free online mental health programmes, no GP referral needed
Frequently asked questions
Does seeking mental health support cost a firearms certificate?
Not automatically. Welsh licensing teams say each case is reviewed sensitively on its own facts, and many holders have been treated for anxiety, depression, stress or ADHD while keeping their certificates.
What should a certificate holder disclose?
The system expects holders to report and disclose relevant matters. Licensing managers say working openly with the licensing team is far better than a condition coming to light later.
Where can shooters get mental health support?
NHS Wales’s SilverCloud programmes offer free, confidential online support for anxiety, depression, stress and sleep problems with no GP referral, and round-the-clock support is available by calling 111 and selecting option 2.
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