Can and should primary schools administer medication that my child needs during the school day for a long term medical condition?

[katiej]

Our daughter is due to start school in September and when visiting the school we would like her to go to, the Headteacher said he would not let his staff administer the medication needed to maintain her health. He said he did not think his staff should have that responsibility. All our daughter may need is magnesium and possibily antibiotics when they are required.

[Johnmac43]

Hiya. Personally i think they should be able to give a child medication. If they are told times and how much to give then i do not see a problem. After all theyre not idiots and prob 99 percent have kids, and im sure they will give them medication. If they are unsure then they could ring you and say what they are doing and you could be on phone as its been given

[McSousa]

Hello. Yes, my son (aged 4) has been given medication by his school. I actually give them a syringe ready drawn, if possible, but they are more than happy to care for him. Ask to talk to the school nurse (ours isn't on site but we can make appointments) who should be able to reassure the Head that it's not that difficult. Do persevere! All the best.

Alice

[picklemum]

Hi, my daughter is due to start nursery in September and needs regular medication. The school said that they could give regular medication but not temporary things like antibiotics. I think the school nursing team go in to train the teachers who will be responsible for giving the medication. Perhaps you could get in touch with the school nurses and explain your problem - they should know the rules on medication for your school area.

Good luck!

Lexi

[Sunshine74]

Hi there

It might be a good idea to ask to see the schools policy on giving prescribed medicine. You can then draw up a small care plan of where you would dispose of bits and bobs, and where meds are kept etc. Ofsted would want to see this in action and then everyone knows exactly who's doing what and when. Having everything accounted for might make the school less tentative about giving the meds.

Good luck!

[Clairep4]

Hi there

I have a son who had a liver transplant 9 years ago and am a teacher.

The school should have a policy on administering medication. At our school, providing a special form is completed stating dose, times etc staff are more than happy to administer meds to any child - from complicated post transplant drugs on residential as in the case of my son, to every day anti-biotics and indigestion medication.

As a rule I would expect them to create a health care plan for your child which has all the necessary information on there etc. It does make me wonder why the headteacher was so against staff administering meds, and if you are accepted at the school via the county's school placement team then I'm not sure he would be able to refuse - perhaps he is looking for your child to have a statement of educational need which would then bring funding? Or imagines that a child with medical needs will somehow be a burden to the school - Very unfair, unnecessary and down-right wrong in my opinion (The cynic in me- sorry!)

Good luck

[McSousa]

Similarly to Clairep4, I had been wondering if the school head is so anti giving meds will the school be sufficiently vigilant monitoring symptoms in your child which, as we all know, can come on suddenly. It's important that you are confident the school takes these issues seriously. I have total confidence in my boy's school and it makes so much difference.

Keep in touch.

[katiej]

Thank you for all your responses. You have confirmed to us that a school should and can give medication to our daughter when she starts in september. I think once our chosen school is confirmed (hopefully) we will arrange to see the headteacher for a meeting with our community nurse, the school nurse, school senco and perhaps the year head or class teacher my daughter will have. I think we will explain our daughters condition and the necessary precautions needed to keep her well at school. Hopefully with the healthcare proffessionals present they can reassure the Headteacher and put in place a health care plan for her. Knowing that other people have arranged for medication to be given at school gives us confidence to push for it to be done. Thank you.