To be angry at Children Sick Notes

[Manclife]

DC school has a new head teacher who is laying down the law. Amongst other things they're insisting parents get medical evidence when children are off sick. A quick search online shows most Drs either won't do it or charge for the letter. Also most minor children's ailments don't require medical intervention in the first place so there would be no record. AIBU to be angry that just to appease a head teacher I've got to tie up NHS resources? Has anyone challenged this successfully?

That's pathetic. What a waste of time.

Just refuse, they can't make you get one

My GP point blank refused to do them. I asked once out of curiosity.

Take no notice, my dcs school says this but I just email them each time explaining why dc is off. It might get classed as unauthorised absence but so what?

What a waste of gp time. I wouldn't take mine to the doctors if they had a tummy or sickness bug, we'd just ride it out at home. They also wouldn't be going to school. What a stupid rule!

Contact the practice manager at your surgery (assuming it is likely to have many of the children from the school there) and give them a heads up. I had this situation at the primary near the surgery I managed.

We got the lead gp to write a letter that states that the NHS does not have the resources to waste on a head teachers power trip and the last thing our other patients need is a parade of children with d & v spreading their germs in the surgery for no good reason.

The receptionist could give a copy of this to any parent.

The policy soon changed.

Eh? You don't need to go to the GP if your DC has a sickness bug.....you do need to keep them at home do it doesn't spread.

The HT sounds bonkerz.

I thought you were supposed to self-certificate for the first seven days?

I would be looking at the school prospectus/handbook to confirm this is what is expected of parents in this event.

Do they state what form this evidence needs to be in?

I could imagine they might regret that policy if they end up being sent photographic evidence of the eruptions from tummy bugs.

We've had this for years. I've had many a row with the attendance officer about it. In the end they settled on a dr appointment even if it was for 3 weeks ahead written by the receptionist which I then cancelled the next day. It still meant a trip to the surgery but it got around the whole thing.

A colossal pain in the arse them being ill. You can stick to your guns but if the head is fine happy it could happen when they rack up those unauthorised absences.

My gp surgery has a standard letter the receptionist gives out, explaining why they do not provide sick notes for illnesses of less than 7 days. Might be worth asking you'd practice manager if they can provide something like that?

Or you can tell them it's your surgerys policy to invoice the schoolfor the cost of the sicknote.

Or another way the school suggested was to send them in anyway so they could see for themselves and they would then ring for you to collect them.

I was really tempted with the sick bugs have to admit.

Wow! Knew MN would come up with the goods! Thank you all so much for replying. I'll contact my GP tomorrow to see what their policy is.

My ds high school just makes you take an appointment card in as proof that you took them to the doctors. Which is bloody stupid considering you usually have to call for an appointment or you can go in and make an appointment, get the card and then not bother attending. I don't understand why they are so strict over one day but would kick up a fuss if you sent your child in while they were sick

Oh this does piss me off.
You could Google (other internet search engines are available) for the GP who is the lead for your Local Medical Committee, which represents all or most of your local GP's and ask for his/her comments on this requirement from the HT. And copy the response to the HT. You can expect a robust comment from the LMC Lead.

Just tell them no. Our school tried it with me, I told them that as adults can self certify for the first 7 days they were wrong in what they were asking and that as a competent parent I was able to make a decision as to whether my children were well enough for school or not without involving our overstretched NHS for things that didn't need it and if they had a problem with that they were more than welcome to contact our gp themselves and pay whatever charges needed to fulfil their power trip.

They stopped asking me from that point, theyre overstepping their role.

I'm glad my son's school doesn't do this!
No I am not taking him to the GP if he just has a temperature or a gastric bug. That's daft!
Still, he's had two days off already as he broke his arm. Hopefully the big pot on his arm will be proof enough!
Re the showing an appointment card - can you steal a blank one and copy it so you can show your totally made up appointments? 😀

Our GP surgery has a notice on their web page saying they will not write sick notes for children.

Tell the head if she wants a note she should write to the GP and you're happy to give your written consent for her to do so. She won't bother.

Would physical evidence count? Perhaps you could take in a bag of vomitted on clothes!

I could understand if it was a child that was off every other week ill (and it was a different reason every time rather than a child with a long term condition) but for the average child who is probably ill once a term of that it is completely unnecessary

When DS1 had to have a month off school after an op the school said they didn't need a letter from the surgeon that I offered.

Oh ffs 99 % of stuff kids are off for is treat at home, paracetamol and fluids stuff.

You can't go dragging kids down drs with sickness bugs or chicken pox etc

That's ridiculous. I've had similar from my eldest DD's truant officer or whatever they're called. I don't take my DC to the GP unless it's something I can't deal with at home.