Page 14 | School refusing to give antibiotics

BoomBoomsCousin · 22/04/2021 02:16

@melj1213

Tbh my concern - putting to one side the whole situation wrt staff having to administer medications or not - would be the storage and constant changing of hands that the medicine would have to undergo during rhe course of the day.

Unless the Breakfast club and after school clubs are run by the school directly (and even if they are) the staff may not have access to the areas of the school where medicines are usually securely kept and may not have access to anywhere to keep it adequately refrigerated and away from other students.

It also puts the onus on multiple groups of staff to ensure that the medicine is adequately stored whilst also being passed from breakfast club, to school to afterschool club "custody" appropriately. Its not like they can just hand the bottle over and be done with it, I assume there would have to be some sort of paperwork or documentation to confirm that Mrs Smith from breakfast club took the medicine from their fridge in the secure kitchen; gave the medicine to Mrs Jones who stored it safely in the school medicine fridge; who then passed it to Mrs Thomas at after school club to put in their nonexistent fridge etc which is hugely time consuming and is not part of their job.

The OP has said she asked the school to administer the doses within the school day, not the breakfast club nor the after school club.

melj1213 · 22/04/2021 02:30

The OP has said she asked the school to administer the doses within the school day, not the breakfast club nor the after school club.

I know that, but how exactly is the medicine going to get from home to school every day when the OP is dropping her DD at breakfast club and collecting her from after school club, so never directly interacts with the school?

Even though the breakfast club and after school club don't need to administer the medicine they may still need to be responsible for it. At my DDs school I would be able to drop medication off at reception when I drop her at breakfast club as it is open then, but by the time the after school club is finished the reception is closed (and the ASC staff have limited access to the school site) so I would not be able to collect the medicine unless it was given to the ASC staff by the school receptionist at the end of the school day.

starrynight21 · 22/04/2021 02:58

Give 2 doses at breakfast and 2 doses at bedtime. I've done that with good results.

Fucket · 22/04/2021 03:11

Melj1213 I had this issue you describe, that’s why I gave measured doses in labelled syringes in a labelled cup to go in their fridge. Then each morning I took yesterday’s empties with me to work whilst I dropped off that day’s doses. The main bottle sat in my fridge at home. Apart from anything I didn’t trust them to keep it in the fridge or not lose it.

Fucket · 22/04/2021 03:13

Oh and the syringes I used were the ones you get in calpol bottles that I had collected in my cutlery drawer over the years and sterilised before I filled them with antibiotics.

melj1213 · 22/04/2021 03:28

For my DDs school they will only take medicines if they are in the original bottles/packaging with the dispensing sticker that shows exactly what it is (for record keeping purposes and so that, God forbid, another child got hold of it they would know exactly what they had taken), the doses required (to ensure that the child is given the correct and prescribed amount) and that it is a prescribed for the child in question (self explanatory, but it also made it easier to confirm that X bottle was medicine for Jack Smith and Y bottle was the medicine for Jane Jones when they both turned up at break time for their medicines)

Sirzy · 22/04/2021 03:38

A school agreed to give a child a syringe of an unlabelled and therefore unknown medication? Now THAT is a massive safeguarding risk!

Fucket · 22/04/2021 03:48

It was labelled

Sirzy · 22/04/2021 03:51

It wasn’t in its original packaging with the pharmacy dispensing label on it though.

Fucket · 22/04/2021 03:54

The school accepted it, I filled out a form, I went to work, my child had her medicine, life went on.

Why is it a safeguarding issue if I get my child to take her medicine in school? I can’t remember but they may have seen the original bottle/label before we agreed to this procedure.

Wheresmyshittingmeat · 22/04/2021 03:56

Google 'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions'. Make sure you're looking at the government website. Schools need to do everything they can to ensure that a student is able to attend if they have a medical condition. If they're not doing this you can put in a formal complaint

JSL52 · 22/04/2021 04:03

@noblegiraffe

It might also be a covid thing - if they are giving medication then they’d need to properly suit up in PPE.

Of course they wouldn't have to 'suit up'

Maggiesfarm · 22/04/2021 04:22

@starrynight21

Give 2 doses at breakfast and 2 doses at bedtime. I've done that with good results.

I thought the same.

MarchXX · 22/04/2021 04:49

@Slayerofmyth

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.

I clicked on this thread because I am the main medicine-giver-of at my school and wouldn't have a problem giving anti-b's (or any other officially prescribed medication) whenever prescribed. Baffled why it is a problem, to be honest. If parents want to give over-the-counter (not officially prescribed) medications, they are welcome to come to school any time to administer it themselves.

Our council guidance requires that the medication is properly labelled on the packet/bottle with the daily prescribed dosage , time scale, child's name etc. Medication purchased "over the counter, without prescription label" is not acceptable and neither is parent's dosage request (particularly if it doesn't tally with official label ).

Incredible as it sounds, very occasionally a parent will state that their child requires a larger dose of a drug more often than that stated on label .

Although I am main person responsible for medication at school, all members of management team are on hand to step in and offer assistance at any time.

OP's quote: The school policy is to only give medication for long term illness, like asthma etc. She is on these antibiotics for 10 days.

Did the school tell you this, or have you actually read the official Council policy which will cover all schools in the borough, OP?

This seems odd to me that general short-term officially prescribed medication is not to be administered by staff. You should be able to access your Council policy documents relating to administering medication, on-line.

For example, I have a copy of our Council policy relating to administering medications, in our medical room to refer to.

Just reading your comments about your DD having to change for gym in class with boys (at age 10) is shocking, to be honest. It does not ever happen in my school. Privacy is important for boys and girls.

Finally, some of the 'advice' from posters here about primary school children self-administering their own medications is laughable (but actually not funny at all). I hope you are able to work something out, OP .

MoppaSprings · 22/04/2021 05:13

If she does stay off school and go to her grandparent (who has dementia) how are you going to ensure your daughter takes the medication?

The grandparent could try and take it themselves, throw it in the bin, leave it out the fridge.

Your best option is to give a dose through the night.

The second option is to speak to your work and explain the situation and ask if they can let you take time out during the day.

Lifeispassingby · 22/04/2021 05:19

Having worked in child care and school settings for 20yrs this school policy (which by the way hasn’t actually been seen) sounds like madness to me. Given the disruption to education in the last 13months, expecting a child to be off school for 2weeks who is well enough to be at school is ridiculous. The school should be facilitating all children to attend unless they are too ill to do so (which OPs child isn’t). Expecting a single parent to take time off work, threatening her with fines for keeping her child off school to administer medication that a GP has said the child needs is disgusting. I understand fully that school staff are too busy and overstretched but that is not the child’s fault. Not giving the medication that a child needs and which will only take minutes to do is crazy. What happened to schools putting children’s needs and education first? OP I would be contacting the governors ASAP and making my feelings clear

BoomBoomsCousin · 22/04/2021 05:52

@melj1213

The OP has said she asked the school to administer the doses within the school day, not the breakfast club nor the after school club.

I know that, but how exactly is the medicine going to get from home to school every day when the OP is dropping her DD at breakfast club and collecting her from after school club, so never directly interacts with the school?

Even though the breakfast club and after school club don't need to administer the medicine they may still need to be responsible for it. At my DDs school I would be able to drop medication off at reception when I drop her at breakfast club as it is open then, but by the time the after school club is finished the reception is closed (and the ASC staff have limited access to the school site) so I would not be able to collect the medicine unless it was given to the ASC staff by the school receptionist at the end of the school day.

That's a fair point melj. Sorry.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 22/04/2021 06:09

ask the gp to change it to 3 times a day.
school told me they couldnt give antibiotics.
give her at breakfast, tea and bed

itsgettingwierd · 22/04/2021 06:25

Schools generally only give 1 dose of its 4 times a day. They don't do it when it's 3 times a day.

As for the fine - they are talking crap!

Just ring her in Ill with a skin infection requiring antibiotics and send an email saying the same thing.

Dear X

Dd is off school as she has a skin infection requiring antibiotics 4 days a day.

Regards

X.

The school then can either respond and say they don't agree a sense in which case you can reply "are school able to administer it then?" or accept it.

If they try to get a fine (they won't!) you have a paper trail.

Da school once refused to authorise an absence when he attended a GP appointment due to anxiety (he attempted to take his life over school failing to protect him). He then remained absent due to anxiety. They did it to try and cover themselves and wanted to refer to fine and EWO - who told them to authorise it as educated at home and send work home for him as it was genuine!

InMySpareTime · 22/04/2021 06:30

Take half days at work, 9am-1pm, give meds at 7am, pick her up from school after afternoon registration (which will have happened by the time you get to school after finishing at 1) and she won't lose any attendance marks.
You can work it out so 10 days has 2 weekends in, and the Bank Holiday, so you'd only need to do this for 5 school days.

MonsterKidz · 22/04/2021 06:33

Mmm this is a really tricky one.
I’m surprised the school won’t give at least one dose during the school day at lunch.
Usually if it’s a course of antibiotics they will do this with signed daily permission.

If not, your options are/
Keep her off with you also needing to take the time
off. Risk or pay the fine.
Send her in to school, you take leave from work and go in at lunch to give her one dose and collect her from school (so no after school club) for second dose.
Could you speak to the doctor again and explain the situation and ask if there is any different medication that has a different dosage.
Check the timings on the medication - do doses need to be evenly spaced?

Restlessinthenorth · 22/04/2021 06:35

OP whilst the most practical thing to do would be to see if you can get an altered prescription, my goodness this thread enrages me. We are constantly told that teachers care so much about children and their education, yet some aren't prepared to give a spoonful of medication either because it is a) too much effort or b) are worried they might get it wrong. Outrageous. In either scenario we should be considering if these people are morally appropriate(too much effort) or cognitively competent (worried about getting it wrong) to be in charge of small children.

Thank god so many of you say it would happen in your school without a fuss. Surely the bottom line is keeping all kids in school in a healthy state (and DEFINITELY not) being repeatedly woke in the night! The world has gone mad

Restlessinthenorth · 22/04/2021 06:37

And also.....Iet them fine you. Ensure you've documented everything in emails with the head and have your day in court. It would be laughed right out of there

Whinge · 22/04/2021 06:40

@Restlessinthenorth

OP whilst the most practical thing to do would be to see if you can get an altered prescription, my goodness this thread enrages me. We are constantly told that teachers care so much about children and their education, yet some aren't prepared to give a spoonful of medication either because it is a) too much effort or b) are worried they might get it wrong. Outrageous. In either scenario we should be considering if these people are morally appropriate(too much effort) or cognitively competent (worried about getting it wrong) to be in charge of small children.

Thank god so many of you say it would happen in your school without a fuss. Surely the bottom line is keeping all kids in school in a healthy state (and DEFINITELY not) being repeatedly woke in the night! The world has gone mad

It would be very unusual for a teacher to give medication. It's usually a member of the office staff or a TA.

IcyPenguin101 · 22/04/2021 06:46

Hi, I’ve not read the full 14 pages of this thread so not sure if it’s already been suggested but you mention a possible tablet option but your DD can’t take tablets. I was the same as a kid so my mum used to crush the tablets and put them in a little mashed banana. Not sure if that is an option? Ask the school to allow your DD to eat the mashed banana at the relevant times. It sounds like a very frustrating situation.