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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School made my DD (age 5) self-administer her medicine!!!

64 replies

candleshoe · 18/02/2011 19:45

So cross with school - my daughter has an allergic reaction at the moment and needed half a spoonful of piriton at 11 am.

I was told that school definitely couldn't do that but she could self-adminster her medicine with a syringe/plunger thingy!!!

She is only 5 for heaven's sake!

Health and safety gone mad!

When I was teaching full time I had a child with cystic fibrosis in the class who had to take 9 different drugs every day. I adminstered them all!!!

AIBU or are school right to be so utterly teriffied us one of us taking them to court?????

What does 'in loco parentis' mean to these women? Anything?

OP posts:
HecateQueenOfWitches · 18/02/2011 19:51

the reason they are terrified is because people ARE taking them to court.

Re the meaning of loco parentis to "these women" - probably unfair. If they have a strict policy and they ignore it, they could be disciplined or even sacked. I am sure you will agree that that is not a reasonable thing to ask them to risk happening to them.

supersewer · 18/02/2011 19:51

yanbu - my school administer all my daughters medication.

Unless life threatening they don't promise to do it on the dot that it was requested but it will get done.

Schools are not obliged to administer but surely they don't want their attendance targets damaged by needless absences

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 19:51

What I really want to know is ...
is this normal?

Does your school dish out medicines or are you expected to 'pop back at 11' as I was told to?

I don't mind signing a permission form but this is ridiculous isn't it?

OP posts:
supersewer · 18/02/2011 19:51

sorry bad punctuation!!

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 19:55

Obviously I realise the individual teachers have to follow school policy - but the policy is all wrong isn't it?

To give you a further idea of our school - tag is banned, and running is not allowed unless the playgroud is completely dry! My DS was sent to the head for standing on a chair to reach something on the library shelf!!! I could go on...

Angry
OP posts:
HecateQueenOfWitches · 18/02/2011 19:56

silly, isn't it?

Flisspaps · 18/02/2011 19:58

Teachers are no longer considered to be 'in loco parentis', haven't been for some time.

When I worked in a school (up until last year) we were only allowed to administer medication such as an epi-pen in an emergency - EVERYTHING else had to be self administered.

However, reading this document, there is nothing preventing school staff administering the medicine (p10), although if it's non-prescription they must have your written permission to give it, and record it (p9). I don't think a five year old would come under the description of 'self management' (p11)

YANBU

Kendodd · 18/02/2011 19:59

Op can you get yourself on the board of governors and try to change this?

ImFab · 18/02/2011 19:59

YABU.

There is a 5 year old at my daughter's school who self administers her medicine by syringe every day.

Littlefish · 18/02/2011 20:00

Was it prescribed by the GP?

Every school I've worked in (about 6), has a policy of only administering medicine which has been prescribed by the GP. In addition, the parent has to complete a form with details of dosage and timings.

chillichill · 18/02/2011 20:00

can you offer to sign a waiver? it is a bit ott but it all seems that way. I am a trained first aider and as such cannot administer any meds (could this be why) . while I received training was told I cannot even administer an epi pen for someone unless I did a separate training course.

ImFab · 18/02/2011 20:01

When my child was well enough to be at school but needed medicine I went up every day to give it to her.

nannyl · 18/02/2011 20:01

YANBU

IMO she shouldnt have the ability to overdose herself Shock

nannyl · 18/02/2011 20:02

i mean oppertunity

Bogeyface · 18/02/2011 20:02

Our school will administer medicines but we need to sign a form agreeing to it being administered by them otherwise someone has to attend school and do it for them. AFAIK they dont let the children administer it themselves.

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 20:02

Thank you Flisspaps that is really helpful - time to write a well referenced and reasoned letter to the chair of governors!?

OP posts:
ImFab · 18/02/2011 20:04

The child can't overdoes themselves if the syringe is already loaded with the medicine.

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 20:09

She could (and would 'cos she's a bit clumsy like me) miss her mouth I expect.

And why was it OK for me to adminster to a child with C.F. 9 different drugs everyday? What the hell changed?

Also - surely if the adult is standing there overseeing this self-administration then legally they are still in charge! I bet you could still sue the school if you were sure they were at fault if anything went wrong!

Any baristers/lawyers on here tonight?

OP posts:
ilovemydogandMrObama · 18/02/2011 20:10

The problem is that there aren't school nurses on the premises who are qualified to administer medicine, so it falls to the teacher, which imho, is unfair on the teacher as it puts a huge burden on them.

Having said that, DD's Reception teacher or the teaching assistant does give her regular inhalers, but she has a care plan which has been coordinated with the community school nursing team.

ImFab · 18/02/2011 20:10

I think you are getting worked up far too much about this tbh.

Gleekfreak · 18/02/2011 20:11

Our school can do it as long as all signed on dotted line! My DD fits occasionally and has emergency sedation we have to carry-they have it in the class room, but has been major undertaking with loads of meetings, plus "training" for staff to administer-only have to put 0.5mls on her gum and rub in ffs! But have to go with the red tape that working with children involves I think. Last school she was in even had to have written permission to be allowed to have suncream in her bag to rub in herself! :o

activate · 18/02/2011 20:12

they should have a medication permission form you can fill out that means a qualified first aider or nominated person can then administer and record medication

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 20:14

Well my choices were:

  1. Take a day off work so I could 'pop back' (hate implication from teacher that I'm just reading Chat magazine all day!!)
  1. Pull DD needlessly out of school and take her to her old nursery where they would adminster her drugs (£££ spent and a school day lost)
  1. Trust my 5 year old to be in charge of her own bottle of piriton!!

Really AIBU? I just can't see it!

OP posts:
Ragwort · 18/02/2011 20:15

Why is there no consistency over this - my friend's daughter was 'not allowed' to take a pain killer for period pains at school (age 12) - in the end she just sneaked some in and hid in the toilets to swallow them.

I think that as long as she can't overdose herself a 5 year old should be trusted to administer the medicine herself.

Original poster
candleshoe · 18/02/2011 20:15

There was a three page form for me to fill in for her to self-administer!

OP posts: