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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Accident at nursery

74 replies

5SleepingLions · 04/05/2019 11:50

Not really an Aibu more wwyd
On Thursday I went to pick up my Dd from nursery and when I arrived I was rushed through the main entrance to find my 4 year old in and out of unconsciousness.
I was told that she had fallen whilst playing in the playground and was found on her hands and knees but was sobbing.

They took here into the class and sat her on a chair and left her they then told her to go and play with her friends but she continued to cry.
Another teacher came into the room and later said to me we told her to get her coat but when she stood up she was stumbling and she also saw her eyes rolling in her head.
They didn’t call me so I didn’t know and the accident happened at least 40 minutes before I arrived and an ambulance wasn’t called for another 10 minutes even though she was unresponsive.
Nobody can tell me what happened except that a 4 year old has said she tripped up.
My Dd doesn’t remember anything.
When she woke up she had stopped talking but thankfully she started again in the evening.
She was in intensive care over night but has been on a children’s ward ever since
we are still waiting for tests as she has only a small bruise on her leg and no bumps on her head.
It’s a small nursery in the morning no more than 18-20 children ages from 2-4.
To begin with I was grateful to the teachers for helping they came to the hospital with us.
But now I’m just angry that no one saw anything except a 4year old and the way they had just left her.

OP posts:
IsYourGoogleBroken · 04/05/2019 11:53

They didn’t call me so I didn’t know and the accident happened at least 40 minutes before I arrived and an ambulance wasn’t called for another 10 minutes even though she was unresponsive.

This is an issue, a big issue, and safeguarding issue. You need to contact the safeguarding team at your LA - it will be on the website

Confusedbeetle · 04/05/2019 11:53

I think you need to have a meeting with the manager of the nursery to discuss exactly what happened, They should have an accident report system. It sounds as if the supervision was lax and the medical call was late. If so they need to have a staff meeting and change their ways of working

Original poster
5SleepingLions · 04/05/2019 11:55

I have spoken to the headteacher as the nursery is in a school.
She said they have sent a report to the borough and someone will probably be in touch with us but we haven’t heard anything yet.

OP posts:
Merryoldgoat · 04/05/2019 11:56

They neglected your daughter and didn’t supervise her properly or treat her properly.

I’d be raising merry hell.

I hope she recovers soon.

MadeForThis · 04/05/2019 11:57

It's shocking that she was left alone in a chair after such an incident. I can understand how they might have missed her falling but the follow up care was substandard and dangerous.

Greenyogagirl · 04/05/2019 11:57

I’d arrange a meeting with the manager and put a complaint in.

My friends 3 year old fell off play equipment at nursery, broke her arm and was taken to hospital. My friend was so blasé over it but then the staff did actually ring her and call an ambulance straight away.

Pppppppp1234 · 04/05/2019 11:57

They should have rung an ambulance earlier however if staff didn’t see it they won’t have been really sure what happened. Did her symptoms get worse is that why they then called one?
I can see how they didn’t see it, at my DS nursery if they are playing outside they can not have eyes on everyone at the same time. I would imagine whoever she was playing with will know what happened. Wouldn’t say them not seeing it is a safeguarding issue...but I’d raise questions re their response

IHaveNoIdeaReally · 04/05/2019 11:58

Don't they have CCTV?

Pppppppp1234 · 04/05/2019 12:00

Our nursery doesn’t have CCTV is that a thing these days?!

Moonbea · 04/05/2019 12:00

These things of kids hurting themselves and adults not seeing it does happen. You've only got to have another child take their full attention for a split second for that to happen.

But it sounds like policy wasn't followed. She should have had an adult sit with her with cuddles and reassurance until she was feeling better and happy in herself to go and play. If she hadn't calmed down with half an hour they should have gave you a call to give you the chance to go in and either calm her down or collect her.

As soon as she started losing consciousness an ambulance should have been called and then you once ambulance call was made.

I think you need to go in and ask for a meeting with the manager, room leader and her key worker and ask why you hadn't been called if they were unable to calm her down and why an ambulance wasn't called immediately after loss of consciousness.

Jinglejanglefish · 04/05/2019 12:00

This is awful! Absolutely awful! You need to complain, in writing, to the school, the LA and OFSTED. You should be very angry. I work in a school and we have so many policies, pretty much everyone is first aid trained, I am really shocked by how this was handled.

Original poster
5SleepingLions · 04/05/2019 12:01

Now that she is on the mend I am getting angry about what happened and the more I think about it the angrier I get.
It’s just the fact that no adult knows anything and the hospital doesn’t know so she so far has had a ct scan on her head a chest X-ray then an ultrasound on her abdomen and then a neck X-ray and now we are waiting for an eeg i think it’s called checking brain waves or something because she doesn’t have any bumps on her head

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 04/05/2019 12:02

My sister had similar and the hospital will
Report to SS and then ofsted should be informed, and would be expected to investigate. It goes without saying you can report to these people yourself, and make a formal complaint to the nursery but there are procssses in place.

I’m so sorry to hear of your DD accident and hope she recovers well

WingingWonder · 04/05/2019 12:03

It also sounds as though there is a total lack of basic first aid knowledge and training- as soon as someone mentions head they should have a blue band etc on wrist as an awareness piece and be monitored, she sounds as though from the off she was clearly showing signs of concussion which has a really clear action and supervision plan

TiredSloth · 04/05/2019 12:04

The not seeing what happened wouldn’t anger me because I wouldn’t expect them to have eyes on every single child all the time.

But the way they responded to it would give me serious cause for concern! I hope you get answers op, and that your dd is ok.

Original poster
5SleepingLions · 04/05/2019 12:04

CCTV only covers the main entrances and I think it was the first aider was the person who noticed that she wasn’t right

OP posts:
grasspigeons · 04/05/2019 12:05

You may never find out what happened as if no adult saw it happen there isn't much that could be done about that. Children fall all the time and even supervised you only need turn your back for 2 minutes to chat to another child and a fall can occur. it would be nice to know if she had a fit then fell, or had a fall and then seemed to fit but you may have to accept you wont find out.

But what went on after the fall sounds incredibly shocking - a teacher saw her eyes roll back and nonone called an ambulance or you?

I really hope your child is ok but I would be very persistent in finding out the procedures have improved. Poor little tot.

stucknoue · 04/05/2019 12:06

The reality is that staff haven't got eyes in the back of their heads so not seeing what happened is reasonable but it seems they didn't take it seriously - did she deteriorate just before your arrival? We had an incident at the nursery downstairs and an ambulance was called, then stood down when not needed rather than wait and see! Accidents do genuinely happen, it's how they are dealt with that matters.

Original poster
5SleepingLions · 04/05/2019 12:06

I think the not noticing thing I can understand it’s the not being able to tell the hospital exactly what has happened that gets me

OP posts:
StoppinBy · 04/05/2019 12:19

Accidents happen and it only takes seconds for a child to fall and bang their head so my concern would not be that no one saw what happened.

For me the concern lies in their after care, the minute she started to float in and out of consciousness an ambulance should have been called and you should have been notified.

I am actually really surprised that any child care centre wouldn't do this automatically.

YetAnotherThing · 04/05/2019 12:21

The hospital doing an EEG raises possibility your child had a type of seizure. So maybe there was nothing to see (in terms of fall or head injury etc) but not calling an ambulance for child with altered consciousness is very serious.

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 04/05/2019 12:21

But how can they tell the hospital exactly what happened if they didn't see it?
But I'd be angry too, if I were you.

OhTheTiles · 04/05/2019 12:24

I wouldn’t be angry that they couldn’t tell the hospital what happened, as unless you have one to one, not every teacher can watch every child for every second. But I would be angry if it turns out it was 10minutes if her losing consciousness before calling an ambulance, as that is quite shocking. But if they just found her crying in hands and knees, then up to that point it sounds like she just fell and they treated her as such if that didn’t see it.

Grainedmonkey · 04/05/2019 12:25

This is shocking, i'm so glad she is ok. If the school have 'sent a report' you are entitled to have a copy of it as it is about your child

insancerre · 04/05/2019 12:29

Do you think the fall was caused by blacking out rather than the blacking put being caused by the fall?

Their response does sound a bit off but the circumstances do sound a bit peculiar
I would have phoned an ambulance straight away and I have done as a manager in a nursery, but the law says only one person on site has to have first aid training
Maybe the nursery need to look at their procedures
They must report this to ofsted so hopefully they will put better procedures in place