To have emailed school

[wheresthel1ght]

Dd (4) is asthmatic, her attacks present as coughing fits. I have told one of her teachers (change part way through the week) and is on the form I had to fill in so they could have her inhaler in school.

This week she is particularly bad as a result of the weather. She had a massive attack at school and ended up being sick. Her class teacher informed the office and asked that I was contacted to collect her or bring in a change of clothes as they only had a summer dress and it has been - 2 at its warmest most of the week. The office never contacted me so dd had to endure the whole day including outdoor play in aa bloody summer dress. The teacher also didn't give her her inhaler although she did say dd had asked for it but they assumed it was just a cough so didn't give it to her.

I am quite cross, I have issues with the office staff which may be tainting my opinion somewhat. But I emailed Friday to say I was not happy and that it was unacceptable in my opinion that I was not contacted and dd was not given her inhaler. I told them I want an explanation tomorrow as to why their own processes were not followed.

A friend who's kids go to the school mentioned something this morning about being annoyed at the office staff and i mentioned I have emailed as was cross and she thinks I have been massively out of order. My email wasn't rude, was stern in its tone but polite.

So wibu?

[TovaGoldCoin]

Teacher here... Am horrified but what's happened, and would be happy to be ThatParent too. My son and daughter have asthma, and I know someone who's husban6died unexpectedly of an asthma attack. I would be asking the school nurse to do some training, and be looking at asking school why your daughter was allowed to spend all day in a thin dress!

[wheresthel1ght]

Yes @miaow read the pamphlet, I wasn't aware either! Once they are opened. Whether used or not they have a 30 day life. I am on copd meds so mine are powder and only have a 21 day life! I have a prepayment card as I am on 3 different ones and go through a lot as a result!

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Make appointment with the head send a summary of meeting to chair of governors. Ensure she has a care plan and the staff are familiar with it. ( our school laminate and keep in pouch with inhalers). Relievers need to be accessible too, bloody useless locked in a cupboard if the person with the key goes awol the day your dd has an attack.

[BewareOfDragons]

I would be furious. An asthma attack serious enough to make her sick and (a) you weren't called and (b) she wasn't given her inhaler, then (c) she had to spend the day in a lightweight dress when being cold can make it worse??

You need to go in and cc the governors asking why procedures weren't followed and how the school is going to go forward safeguarding your child's health. Asthma is nothing to fuck around with.

[kscience]

Wheresthe1ght, where on the pamphlet? Just having opened a new inhaler I have retrieved and read through and cant find any mention of 30 day life, just to use before expiry date.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

What brand of reliever? Just a bog standard blue ventolin one. I’ve looked at the leaflet with mine and a couple online and can’t find anything about them having to be used within a month once opened. Although one of the easyhalers has to be used within 6 months.

[Maelstrop]

That's shocking :( We are sent the medical information for each child and asthma is taken very seriously. We're supposed to refer any coughing from sufferers straight to the school nurse and do, because it could end very badly otherwise. Go nuts, OP.

[TheHungryDonkey]

My child has a medical condition which was consistently ignored by school staff. Every time they did so, I printed out the consultant’s letter and took to the achool offices. I think three times in one week once. They finally got the message.

But you can’t do this shit with asthma. I can’t understand why people fuck around with it like this.

[youarenotkiddingme]

Of course yanbu - as long as you weren’t abusive.

Ds once asked his office staff for his antihistamine. They said no. When I got him 20 minutes later he had hives from foot to neck - luckily got in time before epipen needed.

[wheresthel1ght]

Ohh I am guessing they have changed it for the blue ones then. I haven't had them for a few years, but it was my consultant who pointed it out to me. Good to know, I won't order dd a new one for school.

I am just going through the asthma UK site. If the school don't have a very good explanation tomorrow I will be having a very strongly worded meeting with them and will be talking to the council about moving her if they can't convince they will keep her safe

[VerityRarity]

Asthma UK are very good and do have a helpline if you need it. My DDs keyworker at Nursery rung them as she was unsure what DD would and wouldn't be able to be involved in at Nursery and they helped her loads.

[AlexanderHamilton]

I'm in my forties & have used inhalers since the age of 10. Mine last 2 years.

It's much more dangerous for someone who needs it not to take their inhaler than someone who doesn't to accidentally take it even if it's above the reccomended dose.

As soon as your Dd is able to use it herself insist she keeps it on her. Can you teach her to take it without a spacer. I know it's not as effective but it's better than being denied it.

But really I would raise hell. Asthma kills.

[Callamia]

I’m furious about this. I’ve been medicated for asthma since I was six, and it was taken seriously at primary school (I’m 30years on from six now). My son is likely asthmatic, and I’d be requesting a safeguarding meeting about this, asking for the school nurse to be involved. There is no harm in giving some ventolin inhaler to a child who has been prescribed it, there is very possible harm in withholding it. It’s stupid and irresponsible.

[BrutusMcDogface]

Oh dear god. YANBU in the slightest. This is very serious and I'm shocked that it was allowed to happen.

I'm a teacher and we always have the inhalers on a shelf in the classroom or hanging on hooks in bags with children's pictures on them. If a child asked god their inhaler I would always ALWAYS trust them and give it; as mentioned above, it won't harm if they take it when not needed but not to take it when it is needed.......jeez.

Also I have become accustomed to the sound of an asthmatic 's voice when they are struggling for breath. It isn't rocket science!

Your poor dd. You need to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[wheresthel1ght]

thank you for reassuring me I am not being massively PFB and "that" parent.

I will give them until lunchtime to come back to me tomorrow and if I haven't heard from them I will be going up and refusing to leave until the HT meets with me and discusses what they are putting in place to ensure this doesn't happen again. I will also ring the school nurse team and see what advice/training they can offer to the school.

It isn't the school I wanted her to go to, right from the word go I had concerns about how they would manage her eczema and food allergies/sensitivities. She was dumped there as the schools we applied to were full and we are marginally outside catchment. However, they were winning me around. This has set me right back at square 1 in terms of confidence to keep her safe.

You are right that it is a safeguarding issue, I am not sure what I will do if the HT can't convince me they are keeping her safe. I may speak to the admissions office tomorrow as well for some guidance as I have to go through them until Easter I believe if I want to move her

[wednesdayswench]

A 4yo child was not given her inhaler when she asked for it, had an asthma attack and was then send out to play in a summer dress in the middle of winter.

I'd be reading them the riot act never mind sending a stern email.

Whatever happened to keeping children off for 48 hours if they gave vomited. If she vomited at school why weren't you asked to collect her?

[wheresthel1ght]

Brutus - hers is in a bag in a locked cupboard, which I only found out because I had left my handbag in the car with her home one in and had to borrow schools the other day. I was under the impression that whilst out of reach they were at least handy.

She follows me in her attacks, coughs relentlessly with increasing gasping for breath, there is no speech as she cannot get enough air so her body coughs to force it. Eventually she is sick. Mine when very bad are utterly silent which is why I wear a medialert, my lungs literally paralyse and nothing happens, no wheeze, no cough, no gasping..just utter silence. It is terrifying to experience and to watch. The poor nurse at the asthma consultants went a very funny colour when it happened in his office - they hadn't believed how bad I was until that point!

I am trying to teach her to administer herself but she struggles as the canisters are quite stiff to move and because of her eczema being so severe on her hands she struggles to bend them - I know they used to do those plastic things that went over them for elderly people with arthritis, does anyone know if they still exist or if they can be used ith the facemask air chamber? Just wondering if that might be the better option for her to do herself maybe.

She can't use them without the spacer unfortunately as the deep breath needed can't be done while she is coughing, the spacer gives her a chance to take it in slowly even when coughing which at this point I think is the safest option

[wheresthel1ght]

@wednesdayswench - the teacher asked the office to call me and they never bothered! First I knew about it was as I was collecting her. She was sick as a result of the asthma attack which is why they didn't require her to be off. The teacher said she didn't know that was how dd's attacks happen, however I have informed the other teacher and the TA and it is on the form I had to fill in. I asked if she had been givena copy and she said no. She was very apologetic and is in no doubt now that if she is coughing or asks for it then they are to give it to her.

I am annoyed at the teacher for not listening to dd but I guess in the mele of reception after a kid has coughed so hard they were sick it just didn't register what dd was saying. She said dd hadn't asked for it and dd was then quite upset because she said she had and was upset that the teacher was 'telling lies' - she is 4 so I d take most of her dramatic outbursts with a pinch of salt but I know how often she comes asking for it at home so I don't doubt her on this one!

[BrutusMcDogface]

Ok, but each child is different and they should know this about your dd and should know how and when to act. I think if a proper care plan was in place, they would have recognised the severity and administered the inhaler asap.

Having inhalers in a locked cupboard is a bit daft; we did have a locked cupboard in the medical room and the key was hanging above the door (out of reach of children) but in a crisis you need that inhaler very quickly.

[BrutusMcDogface]

Oh and we must certainly would call a parent to collect the child if they were sick, even if it was from coughing; nobody feels great if their cough is that bad, and they are better off at home (asthmatic or not).

[wheresthel1ght]

@brutusmcdogface - the care plan thing I filled in at school has the info on about the coughing fits but it appears the office file it and don't actually inform the people with dd all day! I have downloaded the asthmauk plan and have amended the info for dd and actua;;y it state on the child one that coughing is a sign.

I don't want to go in all guns blazing because she is 4 and if I can't get her moved then I am stuck dealing with them for the next 6.5 years so I don't want to sully relations quickly. I do have a short fuse and tend to blow up spectacularly and render my point useless as I have got too angry. I had to rewrite the email a dozen times before I sent it to keep it professional, objective and calm. I wanted to be calmer before I spoke to them especially as the office are worse than doctor's receptionists for vetting HT calls!

[BrutusMcDogface]

Good luck with getting this sorted. I know what you mean (I have a very short fuse, too, and would be absolutely raging if it were my dd) always best to remain professional. Hope your dd is ok now

[ivenoideawhatimdoing]

YANBU at all.

You've done absolutely the right thing.

I would pack one in her school bag and say to her if she feels she needs it then go straight to her bag and use it. No need for permission.

If school kick off then refer them to this incident where your daughter could have had a severe asthma attack and they would have failed to intervene.

[Cambionome]

This sounds absolutely awful op. I work in a school, and I'm shocked by the way they have dealt with things.

Just wondered though - are you sure the teacher passed the message on to the office? I'm in the office at our school, and office staff generally don't refuse to do things like this!

[lalalalyra]

Is it an academy school or LEA run? If it's LEA run I'd be asking them for their policy.

Inhalers and epipens should NEVER be locked away. They should always be close to the child.

Ask them for their official policy and then post it here if it includes being locked away and we'll help you tear it to shreds.

I've been out of working in schools for 3 years, but none of the schools I worked in had that policy anymore. Even the most ardent HT changed policy after the training session where we mocked up a teacher having to send a 6yo to the office for an epipen on behalf of another child and it flagged up the issues - timing, knowing what to ask for, staff being in the office and the child not having the confidence to interrupt the office staff and/or get across the accuracy.

For context - my DS has a spare inhaler in his school bag and his main inhaler and pen lives in a marked bag on his teachers desk. It goes with him to PE, the dinner hall and at break times he takes it and one of the playground staff keeps it in their pocket. Children with just inhalers keep them in their own pockets at break time.

Asthma is so common that many people have lost sight of the fact that it can be fatal.