To be beyond livid at my daughter's school?

[mogwhistle]

Today my daughter hurt her wrist falling badly from a trampet in PE - first period so this happened at around 9.10 am. PE teacher said she could sit out rest of lesson - that was the sum of her concern. During DD's next lesson she informed teacher that she was struggling to write so was given a 'permission' slip to visit matron during break-time.

DD went to matron ( about 10.40 ) matron sprayed some Deep Heat and wrapped a flimsy bandage on her wrist.

DD went to rest of lessons - didn't have lunch 'cos couldn't carry her tray, dropped equipment during science and smashed it and when she eventually got home she was grey faced and her fingers & thumb were like fat blue sausages.

Needless to say I took her to A&E and not only has she fractured the most difficult bone possible (for healing) the swelling is so bad that they won't be able to do anything for 10 days.

I have to take DD2 to school tomorrow and explain why DD1 won't be there - not sure I will be able to manage it in a civil manner so I would like to know am I being unreasonable to be so angry or should I just put this down to an accident and 'one of those things' that happens.

DD1 is 13 by the way and not a baby but she is my baby!

Sounds like they have a truly lousy "FAO" there.

DS is only 8, but even through the filter of dippy-medium-sized-boyness I know that on the rare occasions he has been to the matron, he has been sent off with very clear "if X, Y or Z happens, come back" instructions - sometimes told to come back and see her again at a set time (and woebetide any child who doesn't do as matron says ).

This is not a mollycoddling environment either - when DS ran head first into a pillar and ended up with an impressive "egg" on his forehead, he was bandaged up and sent out to play football anyway, with instructions not to head the ball - and, of course, to come straight back if he was dizzy/sick/whatever. These instructions are always issued both to sick child and to whoever accompanies them to see matron.

OP - are you planning on pursuing this? I think I would want to, personally - at least to put it on record with the head that you were less than happy with the way it was dealt with.

DS is 9

I wonder where he gets his dippyness from

We do want to take it further but not interested in 'compensashun' it's about this kind of thing not happening to another child . My DH is particularly angry because he broke both scaphoid bones last year and will have problems for rest of his life and obviously doesn't want his DD suffering same.

It's a great school and the last thing I want to do is hurt it financially (I'm not going to go to one of those ambulance chasing outfits) but I'm not happy that they haven't held their hands up and said 'sorry we fucked up on this occasion'

A similar thing happened to me with I was 14. I caught a basketball awkwardly and two of my fingers took the entire weight & force of it and snapped backwards, breaking bones. I was stood at the side of the court crying when the absolute bitch PE teacher told me to "stop being so lazy and get back to the game".

DS2 is starting at the same school in September and said bitch teacher is still there. Being a boy, he won't be taught by her - I am praying that she will have died retired by the time DD starts.

Same thing happened to us: my DS fell down some wet slippy stairs and got his foot ankle stuck caught in the rail in the way down. Spent all day at school. 2 min walk home took 25min. Ankle obviously broken. School said they'd wanted to call us, but son insisted he was ok. I don't think you'll get an apology from the school

Ask them for a copy of the incident report, in my school it would have been recorded in the accident book and any treatment and observations.
Unacceptable that they have children in the school and no first-aider, that needs sorting and the matron needs further training.

You should also ask if 'Matron' does her update/refresher first aid every two years which is usually requirement of designated first aider in schools, workplaces etc. Calling her matron makes it sound like she is a nurse but I'd be worried if a qualified nurse was making the mistakes that were made with your dd.

Should always be the first aid person in school, they should train a teacher as well so there is a back up, I presume 'matron' will be out the odd day as well as not being there full school day.

While only a doctor can diagnose a fracture, a good first aider should be able to recognise the symptoms of a sprain/possible fracture and treat the injury as suspected sprain/fracture until the child gets further medical treatment.

How is your dd today? Hope she is doing a bit better, poor girl, bad sprains/fractures are annoying and sore.

A tip, for after bone healed, cast off (even though one not on yet!) is to make sure the hospital refer her for physio after as wrist can be quite weak, she may also need a wrist brace after cast off for extra support.

I was an unlucky one of few percent who go tendonitis after cast off which took 9months to completely heal, so important to keep an eye on wrist after bone healed etc and cast off. You probably know all this stuff from your dh though.

Hope she gets better soon, and school takes your complaint seriously.