Positive solutions

Most of the representatives quoted in your story "Screen medics' mental health" ( THES, July 4) seem in favour of "weeding out" anyone with a mental-health difficulty from the medical profession at the earliest opportunity. A more positive approach would be to consider the ways in which institutions can support such students. In some cases, a mental-health difficulty may improve an individual's ability to understand the needs of patients with similar difficulties or other disabilities, as Lizzie Miller says in the piece.

In fact, under the new Disability Discrimination Act Part 4: Education, institutions must not discriminate against students with disabilities, including mental-health difficulties, in all subjects. This means that they need to think about reasonable adjustments that they can make to support disabled students.

Jenni Knox
Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities

Sophie Corlett
Mind