Medical Conditions in School

Health Care

We have a Medical Conditions Policy in school which follows Local Authority guidelines and can be found on our website. Staff at this school understand their duty of care to pupils. In an emergency situation, school staff are required, under common law duty of care, to act like any reasonably prudent parent/carer. We share information and work closely with the School Nursing Team.

 

First Aid

Children who have an accident in school will normally be attended to by one of the first-aiders. If there is an accident you will be informed by phone or your
child will bring home a slip to inform you of what has happened and to advise you if you need to consult your doctor. In the case of major accidents, we will endeavour to contact parents immediately. School will always seek immediate hospital accident and emergency assistance should the need arise.

Always make sure that your emergency contact numbers (home, work and mobile numbers) are up to date.

 

Illness and Medicine

It goes without saying that children who are not fully fit are better at home where they can be nursed back to health. In most cases children should not return to school until they have completed their course of medication and are fully recovered from their illness. However, if your doctor advises that your child can return to school before their course of medication is completed, then the following guidelines should be observed.

• Medicines should not normally be brought into school, but be administered before and after school.
• School will only administer medicines in exceptional circumstances (i.e. when the doctor prescribes medicine needs to be taken 4 times a day) and a parental consent form must be filled in at the office. Medicines must be brought into and collected from the school office by an adult.

School will inform the parent/carer if their child has been unwell, usually by telephone or via the home/school diary. Parents/Carers must inform school if there are any changes in their child’s medical condition, especially if the child has been admitted to hospital.

 

Storage of asthma inhalers and EpiPens

If your child suffers from mild asthma, nut allergies or any other illness please make sure this is entered on their record. Appropriate medication such as asthma inhalers and EpiPens should be kept in school and stored in individual, clearly labelled zip-up bags, inside a secure, but accessible box in the classroom. We encourage children to become increasingly more independent in using their inhalers as they move up the school. All medication is sent home at the end of each term to be checked and re-newed.

 

Individual Health Plans (IHP)

If a child has more serious medical conditions (Diabetes, Epilepsy or severe allergies), where medication has to be administered in school, an IHP needs to be completed by the Parent/Carer together with the School Nurse.

 

Complex health needs

If your child has more complex health needs, such as diabetes, epilepsy or severe asthma that has required a hospital admission within the last 12 months, parents/carers should complete an Individual Health Plan (IHP), following discussion with the school nurse. The IHP records important details about the individual children’s medical needs at school, their triggers, signs, symptoms, medication and other treatments.

 

Consent to administer medicines

If a child with complex health needs requires regular prescribed medication at school, parents/carers are asked to provide consent on their child’s medication plan, giving the pupil or staff permission to administer medication on a regular/daily basis, if required.

 

School Medical Services

We are very fortunate to have the support of school medical services, including the school nurse and dentist who will visit the school at regular intervals. They will monitor your child’s general health throughout their school life. Parents will of course be informed and no individual examinations of a child will take place without parents giving their consent. Please make sure we know if your child develops any health condition.

Medical Conditions in Schools Policy
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