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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to even try and get "medical evidence"

64 replies

Bestseller · 14/12/2018 10:47

Ds2 generally has excellent attendance, often 100%, but has been off sick since last Friday. He's been really quite poorly and slept for most of it but is on the mend now. Still not well but loads better, I expect him to be back on Monday.

I've had a text saying as it's been a week I must provide medical evidence.

He's had flu or some other virus, a GP appointment would have been ridiculous,(even if I could get one) he just needed to sleep it off and it would have done neither him or the other patients any good to have him sat in a doctor's waiting room.

Aibu to tell school it is an unreasonable request? If I took him to docs now, would they even give any "evidence"? He's getting better, what a waste of NHS resources, just to provide the school with proof for a child whose attendance is otherwise excellent.

Plus, they didn't even ask how he is?!

OP posts:
RedSkyLastNight · 14/12/2018 11:49

Some of this problem is caused by parents ringing their DC in sick when they are actually on holiday ... So unfortunately schools can't just rely on a parent's word any more.

RightOcciputAnterior · 14/12/2018 11:56

I'm a GP and I get very angry with schools when they waste valuable NHS GP appointments by imposing policies like this. You did the right thing staying away from the GP surgery.

Any note would cost you or the school money - sick notes for children are not part of the GP contract. I'd tell the poor parent to make it clear to the school that if the school insisted on it, the school should bloody well pay, not the parent. And the note would be useless anyway: "X states they had these symptoms on these dates. I did not see X at the time so cannot comment further."

Boils my piss. The school are being hugely unreasonable here.

quietmoon · 14/12/2018 12:01

No idea why people are saying 8 days is too long to be ill without seeing a Dr? Or being off school?
Viruses, colds, the flu etc all take their toll and take time to recover from. It's very obvious when your child has a virus/cold over sonething that needs medical attention. Bizarre that people think this way.
Also, OP the school thing is ridiculous. I am glad my DS is 18 and I don't have to put up with this crap anymore.

Porla · 14/12/2018 12:03

Our GP office has a notice up saying they will NOT give evidence of sickness for school.

Balaboosteh · 14/12/2018 12:03

I would just quietly ignore the request and see what happens. Sounds like a standard procedure text and maybe they won’t bother to follow it up.

MartaHallard · 14/12/2018 12:09

It actually has just occurred to me that it could be a safeguarding issue - the school might be looking out for abused children and that might be an adequate time to let bruises fade.

Or girls who have been taken abroad, not for a holiday, but for FGM or forced marriage. Or the thousands of children who are just missing from education, neither enrolled in a school nor reported as home ed, and no-one knows where they are. It's not just box ticking.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38145058

RichSheffield · 14/12/2018 12:15

I'd write them a letter explaining the situation, but that if they still need a letter from the GP which day am/pm would they'd prefer you to take him out of school in order to visit the GP surgery?

frogsoup · 14/12/2018 12:18

A local school started requiring medical evidence of all absences. The consortium of local GP practices sent them a blistering letter saying they'd be providing no such thing. It was a thing to behold! It was published by the local paper, I can't find a reference to it or I'd put the link here.

frogsoup · 14/12/2018 12:22

But you could point the school in the direction of www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/gp-practices/service-provision/supporting-pupils-at-school which shows the BMA position on schools making such bonkers requests.

bigbluebus · 14/12/2018 12:22

The world has gone mad! It is ridiculous that school's expect to get sick notes from the already resource strapped NHS just so they can tick a box. If they think your child is not genuinely off sick then let them send one of their staff around to your house to visit your DS and see for themselves - and waste their own resources! Don't think they'd bother then!
The wait for a general non urgent appointment at our GP surgery is already 3 weeks. Last time DH needed a sick note he had to wait 4 days after his self cert period had ended to get an appointment. He was only off sick because he works with people who are vulnerable because of their existing health conditions.

Parents need to stand up to schools and stop this practice now before it becomes widespread. Whatever happened to "I've got a note from me mum" being sufficient!

snowmens · 14/12/2018 12:23

You can moan about schools all you want but they aren't doing this for fun or to make life more difficult. They get so much hassle for attendance from ofsted they are just trying to cover their own back. Having said that I very very rarely have a child who is off for more than a few days. A week is a very long time.

00100001 · 14/12/2018 12:24

wait =he''s been off school for 8 days - which presumably means he's been poorly for 10 days... and you haven't taken him to see a doctor? Confused

pudcat · 14/12/2018 12:27

My son has just recovered from this this dreadful d and v virus going around. It has taken him over a week and he is an adult. I don't think the dr. would have been pleased if your son had spread the bug thoughout the surgery.

user1474894224 · 14/12/2018 12:31

www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/gp-practices/service-provision/supporting-pupils-at-school
To reiterate what others have said - a doctor won't provide a note.
I fully understand how a virus can take a week to recover from - yet you wouldn't need a doctor....
If they are trying to infer you had an unathorised holiday - I would ask them for any evidence they have to suggest that this is the case.

AnyFucker · 14/12/2018 12:31

What's the worst that can happen ? It gets recorded as "unauthorised abscence"

Call the cops !

Chouetted · 14/12/2018 12:40

If he's only been off since last Friday, he hasn't had eight days off, he's had six. He's been ill for eight days (entirely plausible with flu-like virus).

Original poster
Bestseller · 14/12/2018 12:42

He's been ill 8 days including last weekend. 6 days off school.

And yes, IMO he's been ill enough to be off school, as until today, he's been sleeping c. 18 hours per day, but he's been talking coherently and drinking when awake so I judged he didn't need a doctor. Hes 15, not a baby. All medical advise is to stay away from the GP in these circumstances

His brother has been in school so it must be clear we haven't been away and his attendance record before this is excellent.

OP posts:
PerkingFaintly · 14/12/2018 12:43

This comes up regularly.

There might be some mileage in parents responding, "Yes, of course, the school/LEA's private doctor/nurse is welcome to visit my sick DC to certify their absence."

Every time.

This would highlight that it's the school's issue, not the NHS's, and also point to what they action they can take if a doctor's note is genuinely important to them.

Worst case, the LEA/Trust would pay for its own doctor, the cost would be borne in the right place, and it would focus their minds on whether they really needed it. Still a massive waste of money, of course.

HestiaParthenos · 14/12/2018 12:44

It’s very unusual to be off 8 days but not to have needed any medical attention. So you have an unusual situation.

I admit I don't recall my childhood illnesses very clearly, but I do think it was quite normal to be at home with a bad cold or the flu for about two weeks.

Not sure why this is seen as so unusual.

LemonScentedStickyBat · 14/12/2018 12:45

At my son’s school, instances of unauthorised absence would disqualify him from the end of year rewards trip/ other big trips. So unfair on the child when it’s not within their control.

Kikidelivers · 14/12/2018 12:51

I completely agree with this policy.

It is not about the absence per se. It is the fact that a school in the education system has been AWOL for an extended period. It is a form of safe guarding.

As an aside, if my child had been seriously ill. And on day 8 was still 8ams not a definite for a return to school on day 10, then I would definitely be booking a doc app for a check up. That’s a long time to be really poorly

Kikidelivers · 14/12/2018 12:54

a child in the education system

PinguDance · 14/12/2018 12:56

What medical evidence can you provide? I work in a school and they are a bit dense about this kind of thing. Totally understandable that they want to check but what do they actually expect you to do at this point? He’s not disappeared you’ve presumably been in touch with the school.
He might miss a trip if his attendance is messed up but I mean... I’d be replying to say, sorry that won’t be possible and leaving it.

Hedgehog80 · 14/12/2018 12:59

All I will say is be careful.

When ds2 was at pre school he had disability funding. Unbeknown to me his place was paid for at beg of each term.
The manager however told me that as he had been ill and off he would lose his funding unless I got a Drs letter each time
So I was forced to take him for things I’d usually not have gone to the gp for and they had to write notes for a 2/3 year old

The manager then took these letters and reported to ss saying I was visiting the gp too much 😳 she was a hateful bitch as it had been on her orders and the fact she had lied about his funding she had it and was telling me she hadn’t and they may not get it at all

Floatyboat · 14/12/2018 13:05

Just write back similar to what you posted here. People should stand up to daft bureaucrats more often.

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