AIBU, school letter

[Giddypants]

AIBU to not pay a £50 (which I can't afford) GP letter that says my child has food allergies?
DS2 started reception on Tuesday, school have said they can't give any lunch except a baked potato until I have filled in the school dinners form which asks about food intolerances, allergies, or sensitivity.
On the front of the letter it asks for proof of allergies from his GP.
I have rang the GP for a letter, which he informed me he would have to charge me £50 for said letter.
DS has a nut especially peanut allergy and has a small reaction to tuna.
The school has a no nut policy anyway.
He doesn't like tuna and won't entertain it, so there is quite minimal risk that he would come into contact with any allergens.
I understand why the school need to be informed, but why isn't my word good enough? after all I've told the GP what he is allergic too and they have in record from what I have told them.

This is not NHS work, the GP is not obliged to write this letter and a terrible misuse of GP time and expertise. Obviously the most important issue here is that your child stays well but I agree that you and the school should be able to sort it out without the direct involvement of your GP.
I presume if he has a nut allergy, he has an epipen or similar - in case of emergency. That would be pretty clear proof, I imagine.
Getting a copy of the medical records which confirm the allergy is the best suggestion I have seen.

It is most likely the school catering company who need this. I know ours does. We had thirty new Reception children start this week... only 6 have no 'dietary requirements', several are vegetarian, no pork or halal meat only - easily dealt with, EIGHTEEN have put things in the 'allergies box' (none of them nuts interestingly) Those parent will all be invited to a meeting with the caterers and asked to proved medical evidence of the allergy and if genuine then the caterers will try very hard to cater accordingly. I don't think the ones who put "allergic to potatoes unless they are mashed" or the "allergic to fish unless battered" will get very far.

We expect to discover that the vast majority will simply be a case of not liking the food rather than anything genuine. It's amazing how many dairy allergies in the past have 'disappeared' when they child realises they can no longer have ice cream, custard, pizza (cheese) etc. If a child is on the allergy list our cook is not allowed to serve it to them even if they ask for it.

They want evidence because parents lie.

I know who claimed they child had a sevre nut allergy. It wasnt true.

Hmm. So suppose the Op decides not to pay £50 for a doctor's letter. Are the school really so cavalier that they'll disregard a letter in writing from a parent, and go ahead and feed the child a food that the parent has explicitly told them the child is allergic to? I'd like to see how that pans out in court.

My son's school never asked for any proof and I had to write up a care plan every year for him and leave antihistamines in school. He has school dinners and the dinner ladies are aware of him.

I take it he is under a consultant? Do you have a copy of the letter sent from the consultant to your GP with the findings?

Gorgosparta is right. I know of a case where a mother claimed her child was allergic to gluten.

Except she wasn't. The mother just liked the fuss and attention.

For example she kicked up a fuss at a class picnic making the teacher find special food for her.

DSs allergies are not life threatening, he has hives when whe comes into contact with peanuts, it's not sever enough for the doctor to give him an epipen.
However with it being a peanut allergy I don't want it to get worse by coming into contact with peanuts, which is unlikely with no nut policy.

I'm reluctant to do packed lunches as we are really trying to encourage him to eat a variety of different foods (he's a very fussy eater) and we're hoping a bit of peer pressure would help with this.
If he has packed lunches, he's on a table with other kids with paced lunches eating the same food as usual.

I haven't recieved anything official re his allergies as he hasn't been tested as the GP said the history I've given is good enough.
I have an ENT letter which states he has a peanut allergy.
He's under ENT for glue ear, so nothing to do with allergies, I might just hand this into them see if it is good enough

My son has also just started reception with a nut and egg allergy.

I had to provide evidence of his allergies, but didn't go through the GP. I rang his consultant at the hospital (who organised his blood tests, deals with the results, organises the food challenges etc). They sent me a letter for free (basically two lines saying "nut and egg allergy. Do not give the child nuts or eggs"!)

You must have a letter with his results on somewhere? Just take that in if his consultant wont provide one.

Sorry, cross posted with you OP.

If he has reacted to peanuts before (even with just hives) it's really important to get him properly tested - I am shocked his GP hasn't recommended this! My son reacts with hives/vomiting, but still has two epipens at home and two at school, as the severity of past reactions is not linked to the severity of future reactions.

My son has never had peanuts (his initial reaction was to cashews and he's been nut free since then) but the test showed that the element of peanut he is allergic to is the one associated with more severe reactions.

PS does your son have asthma at all?

So if the GP hasn't referred him for tests & none have been done, how can he write a letter saying that your son has allergies?

Can you access your child's medical records online and print off the relevant information?
Can you get your child's medical records from the GP under the Data Protection Act for £10?

I haven't recieved anything official re his allergies as he hasn't been tested as the GP said the history I've given is good enough.

I may be out of touch but is this really the way GP's diagnose allergies these days? Intolerance to foods I can imagine this happening with but not allergies.

I think it's shoddy of the school and the G.P. tbh.

And what on EARTH is wrong with "sorry, Olivia doesn't LIKE mushrooms"?

I am 35 and I am not keen on some foods.

I agree with iwillonlyeatbeans in thinking your DS should be referred for testing. Just because he came out in hives last time, doesn't mean he might not have a worse reaction if he is in contact with nuts in future.

This doesn't answer your present problem with proof but is very important. In the meantime you could tell school you are getting a referral. Then ask GP to do that because it needs taking seriously.

I don't have anything official to say what he is allergic to, Apart from that ENT letter, but again they've only written the history I've given them.
When he has had a reaction we've just given piriton which was over the counte, but the first time it happened we didn't have any in and by the time we got some it had gone down anyway.
I don't know if that makes any difference.

I handed the form in on the first day and explained the situation, today they handed it back to me saying they needed proof.
Packed lunch policy is so bloody ridged also, no chocolate of any kind, but then for pudding today was chocolate fudge cake

iwill no, d's doesn't have asthma, but he does get a viral wheeze which he has an inhaler for, but can go for months between needing to need it

Parents do lie about allergies.

I had a child with a 'dairy intolerance' once. They wanted ice cream from the canteen and I said no! Parent then complained that they hadn't been allowed ice cream

Get 2x epi pens and give one to school, it's only available on prescription so that should replace the letter? My son is allergic to tree nuts and finned fish and when he recently was given epi pens for first time after needing paramedic attention the school insisted they have one and it is stored centrally with expiry date recorded. Would be wise to get one regardless of the limited risk of ingestion - reference the boy who died after having cheese flicked at him recently.

My DD has a peanut allergy, she's been to the hospital for a skin test. She's never had a severe reaction but peanut allergies can be life threatening and reactions don't always follow the same pattern. Seriously - go back to you GP and ask for a referral to an allergy clinic. You need to know for definite.

In DDs case the skin test found she has a moderate allergy to peanuts and was fine with other nuts (apparently peanuts are not technically a nut). We have a prescribed antihistamine and 2 epipens one specifically for school. The hospital also gave me a letter especially for school to confirm allergy and how to treat it. I agree you have a GP problem and not school problem and I can understand exactly why schools need medical confirmation.

Looks like I'll be making an appointment with the GP then.
Oh and that's a4week wait for non urgent appointments

There is nothing wrong with not liking a food. You can just not eat that part of a meal. There should be other stuff to eat on the plate and at salad bar.

The problem is some parents want their child to get an alternative meal. Our school serves 250 cooked meals a day. They have 60 genuine special diets to prepare - they can't really go so and so doesn't like mushrooms, so and do doesn't eat peas etc. The point of the form is that the school has to avoid cross contamination, provide alternatives etc.

Go back to your GP and say you need official testing, as the school will only acknowledge the allergy with it. Make a fuss until your GP agrees to refer for testing.

They can't write a letter stating they know your DC has an allergy when they don't know that at all.

My son wasn't tested either, the sight of his reactions was enough to know, the fish reaction being extreme