Page 11 | School refusing to give antibiotics

Slayerofmyth · 2021-04-21T17:14:38+00:00

My daughter has warts on her arm that have become infected. She has been prescribed antibiotics four times a day in liquid form that have to be kept in fridge. She has one dose upon wakening but needs 2 more doses throughout school day. I work so can't get to school to give it, theres no one else. School are refusing to give it, I've said I'll keep her off then so I can administer ( taking time off work,), they say I'll get a fine for absence. What the heck am I supposed to do? Please advise.

Walkaround · 21/04/2021 22:11

And if not being too fussy about spacing, then surely the OP can do dose 3 herself at pick up? Why unnecessarily expect the school to do 2 doses when you only need to insist on one to enable your child to remain in school during the course?

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 21/04/2021 22:12

@Blindstupid

In my over 50 years I have never ever met any person who sets alarms during the night to take routine antibiotics. Never. I imagine the majority of the population take them during normal waking daylight hours, just as doctors tell you.

Even the NHS recommends they are evenly spaced out. And the time period is 24 hours.

However because compliance is hard, it can make doses erratic or missed etc it is generally accepted that they are instead spaced out during the day in the UK. That doesn't mean it's best practice, just that it's the most beneficial at population level.

victoriaspongecake · 21/04/2021 22:17

If she is 10 can’t you give her the tablets in a little lidded pot in her bag and tell her to take one at first break and one at last break ( or whatever time suits) My daughter would have been able to do this at age 10 easily.

Prestissimo · 21/04/2021 22:18

From a practical point of view OP when you speak to the GP I’d suggest asking for Erythromycin instead. We use it routinely as an alternative for people allergic to penicillin so it should be fine for your daughter to have. A twice daily version of that should solve the problem - I have prescribed like this for schoolchildren in the past.

Maggiesfarm · 21/04/2021 22:19

@victoriaspongecake

If she is 10 can’t you give her the tablets in a little lidded pot in her bag and tell her to take one at first break and one at last break ( or whatever time suits) My daughter would have been able to do this at age 10 easily.

It's not tablets, it's liquid. and the bottle needs to be kept in the fridge.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 21/04/2021 22:20

@victoriaspongecake

If she is 10 can’t you give her the tablets in a little lidded pot in her bag and tell her to take one at first break and one at last break ( or whatever time suits) My daughter would have been able to do this at age 10 easily.

It's not about ability.

1.the medicine is liquid .
2.kids can't just take medicine into school, in unlabelled pots, especially not prescribed medicine.

C8H10N4O2 · 21/04/2021 22:21

If she is 10 can’t you give her the tablets in a little lidded pot in her bag and tell her to take one at first break and one at last break ( or whatever time suits) My daughter would have been able to do this at age 10 easily.

Good grief.

They're not tablets, its liquid medicine.

The school won't allow any medicine in school
The school won't dish out the medicine, even for the child to take herself
OP is a single parent who does not work close to school or drive
OP cannot get the time off
OP has no handy relative available and willing to look after the child or go into dispense.

She has said all this more than once.

This thread must be breaking records for responses which apparently cannot read the OPs posts.

Original poster

Slayerofmyth · 21/04/2021 22:21

Prestissim
Thanks, that's helpful, I'll do that.

OP posts:

Terminallysleepdeprived · 21/04/2021 22:22

Wow @slayerofmyth the school are frankly being arseholes if this is actually policy! I would ask for a copy of their meds policy if it isn't on the school website (it should be) and also check any info on the LEA website. My dd's school were forever sending the attendance letters out, they are aware that as dd is on chemo there are certain times where she cannot be in school as there is too high a risk to her I.e if someone has chicken pox (even if scabbed over) or when flu jabs happen (live vaccine is a huge risk) so classed as medical grounds as they have ALL the info from her specialist confirming everything. Our LEA posted a new policy on their website (which school plastered know theirs but clearly hadn't read) that stated they were not allowed to arbitrarily apply blanket policy and had to make allowances for chronic illness...after a very strongly worded letter they have stopped sending the stupid letters.

My point is it is possible that someone has it arse about face, all schools should allow prescribed medication to be administered in school proving it is in the original packaging with the label on it. They are not allowed to give calpol or over the counter stuff. Check the policy and then in writing challenge their BS and quote it at them

Good luck and I hope her infection clears up quickly

Comefromaway · 21/04/2021 22:24

@Springchickpea

Whichever poster up thread said this isn’t life and death is being a bit stupid. An untreated infection can easily become life and death if the patient becomes septic.

My first instinct would be to try and chat to my GP about a twice daily dosing (not sure if possible for fluclox but is for some).

Having seen my son hours away from hospital admission due to not taking his fluclox I second this. His infected cut on the forehead turned very quickly to cellulitis and threatened to go to his brain

Comefromaway · 21/04/2021 22:24

The wrong post quoted then.

notangelinajolie · 21/04/2021 22:29

Of course you can wake her up in the night to give medication - anyone who has spent anytime in hospital with a child will know that.
Seriously OP, stop being so dramatic. It is not schools responsibility to administer medication. You are the parent and you need to make this work. Wake her up in the night and then it's done. She is 10 and it's only for 10 days, it's not as if she is going to be traumatised for life or anything ...

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 21/04/2021 22:32

Honestly I think I'd just ask for tablets and tell her to take them at set times and not to let the teacher see her. At 10 she should be capable. That's madness that they won't give them. All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day. If the fridge is a problem then just ask you to send it in with an ice pack to keep it cold. WTF does it matter if its long term or short term? If she needs it, she needs it.

Sirzy · 21/04/2021 22:33

All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day

What nurse would that be?

IrishCharm · 21/04/2021 22:35

@Prestissimo

From a practical point of view OP when you speak to the GP I’d suggest asking for Erythromycin instead. We use it routinely as an alternative for people allergic to penicillin so it should be fine for your daughter to have. A twice daily version of that should solve the problem - I have prescribed like this for schoolchildren in the past.

I was just about to post this - ask your gp if the anti biotic can be changed to one taken twice a day or the dosage may be able to be changed of the anti biotic you already have x

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 21/04/2021 22:35

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Honestly I think I'd just ask for tablets and tell her to take them at set times and not to let the teacher see her. At 10 she should be capable. That's madness that they won't give them. All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day. If the fridge is a problem then just ask you to send it in with an ice pack to keep it cold. WTF does it matter if its long term or short term? If she needs it, she needs it.

What the hell is wrong with people?

Send her in with meds and hide it from the teacher? Seriously?

Walkaround · 21/04/2021 22:36

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut - send her to the nurse 😂. I wonder how many primary schools employ a nurse!

AutomaticMoon · 21/04/2021 22:36

Or it could be split into 3 doses, one every 8 hours? Would that mean she’s at home? I hope she gets well quickly but the full course should be administered. The school staff must be very stupid or something, I don’t understand their reasoning with this being prescribed medication. Just astounding stupidity, really.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 21/04/2021 22:36

@Sirzy

All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day

What nurse would that be?

Those that don't exist anymore. It's ok , they can also take responsibility and be liable for hidden meds taken by kids without the school staff's knowledge.

AutomaticMoon · 21/04/2021 22:38

My grandmother used to wake me at night for antibiotics & I do it the same way. She was from Transylvania though.

Warmduscher · 21/04/2021 22:39

@Sirzy

All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day

What nurse would that be?

Exactly!

We didn’t have a school nurse in my LEA for two years, never mind having one in each individual school, sitting twiddling her thumbs waiting for children to come for their medication

Dddccc · 21/04/2021 22:42

most schools do not have a nurse on site to do this so not that simple its to the case of 1 child if anything like my ds school 350ish kids if 10% are on meds its going to take a teacher all day to go around and give them all out who is going to pay for an extra staff member and the meds are x4 in a 24 hour period so 6am, 12 ,6pm and midnight so no matter what you should be waking your child for meds, its crap you don't have an alternative and your best option is ask the gp to change what she is on and remember the policies in future

AuditAngel · 21/04/2021 22:43

I had this years ago with DS and flucloxicillin. I simply told them he would be off school until he had completed the course (at the time my mum could help with child care). School responded that because the antibiotics were to treat infected grazes, rather than something contagious, they said they would administer the antibiotics.

It could have had something to do with an expected OFSTED visit,

Mummytemping · 21/04/2021 22:43

I’m a teacher. They absolutely should be giving prescribed medicine that clearly needs to be given in the day. I’m flabbergasted by the lack of concern they are showing for her well-being and I don’t see that it would go down well with ofsted. Politely clarify but if they persist make a formal complaint. It’s either denying her medical treatment that her doctor has prescribed or it’s a illegal exclusion - neither of which are justifiable. Please don’t accept this. I know, I know how stretched we are in schools, but this isn’t a corner they should be cutting.

Solidaritea · 21/04/2021 22:45

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Honestly I think I'd just ask for tablets and tell her to take them at set times and not to let the teacher see her. At 10 she should be capable. That's madness that they won't give them. All they have to do is send her to the nurse twice a day. If the fridge is a problem then just ask you to send it in with an ice pack to keep it cold. WTF does it matter if its long term or short term? If she needs it, she needs it.

The nurse?

You'd be hard-pressed to find a school nurse these days...