School has lost DD’s medication for the second time

[Soubriquet]

Dd has asthma. Luckily she hasn’t had an attack in years but in cold wet weather, she gets a really bad wheeze and needs to use her inhaler.

She went to the office to get it to discover they had lost her inhaler. Again.

Then, instead of ringing us to discuss it, just sent her back to her classroom. She’s 9.

I wasn’t happy at all.

Today, I’ve sent her in with her inhaler and spacer in her bag minus the box so that they can’t take it off her and send it to the office.

I was already cross at inhalers being kept in the office to begin with. Minutes can spell the difference between carrying on and desperately needing an ambulance.

Other children wouldn’t be harmed by using an inhaler, it’s not like it’s a painkiller.

They will if they have an allergy to any of the ingredients, or if there are medication interactions with anything else they are taking. What an ill-thought out comment.

Sorry but a good primary school wouldn’t allow to let children keep medications in their bags. What that medication is is immaterial. Secondary maybe but I understood this was a child of 9. It would be very interesting if the OP got a copy of the schools policy on medications in schools which they must, by law, have.

If the whole class can access them in your desk, how is that any "safer" than in DD's bag?

The whole class can’t “access” them! They know they are there in case the child has such a bad attack they can’t speak. The adult that is helping gets them. And fills the paperwork in and gets a second adult to witness it.

Please tell me that you don't wait for a second adult to actually give emergency medication like an inhaler or epipen?

No, of course not. But the paperwork has to be countersigned by another member of staff.

School general use inhalers

I wish every school did this. Such a small item could save a life. You just never know

Also, it shows that the school is aware of asthma. Many people aren't aware that its so deadly (as proven by idiotic PP)

I think awareness is the key x

The school I worked in had general use inhalers. I thought all schools had to do this, same with epipens.

Does she have pockets?

I was horrified when my daughter told me that after they'd done bleep tests in PE, someone had to be sent to the office for the inhalers belonging to her class. I can't imagine why they hadn't been collected before the start of the lesson, especially as it's quite a large site.

Your DD's school need to sort their system. I think some schools send all medications/inhalers home at the end of the school year (a good opportunity for parents to check the dates) - did you miss an instruction to collect it? Someone ought to be checking through the forms at the start of September and making sure they have everything they should have, and that everything is correctly stowed.

No she doesn’t have pockets so we are going to do what a pp said and get a bum bag

That is an outrageous dereliction of duty. I'm not exaggerating saying that. Absolutely a complaint and your daughter will be carrying her own medication no ifs no buts.

I agree too polite.

They have a duty of care to your DD while she is in school. And being the cynic I am I would point out that this could cause them to lose money. Unfortunately some organisations think this is more important than the child.

This link is to a commercial organisation but has quite a good definition.

www.educare.co.uk/news/what-is-duty-of-care

And extra hugs to your DD.

What an utterly ridiculous policy. I hope they change it after you've spoken to them. Good luck

I would be angry she was sent on her own, what would happen if she became worse on the way and no one knew she needed help? Completely unacceptable on so many levels

This is outrageous; a pupil needed their medication and the school said they've lost it and just sent her back to class?

I think your letter needs to make more of this situation. You're almost too nice. I'd be raising merry hell with the head and the governors. As a pp said, what if this had been an epipen that had gone missing and when someone went to fetch it to administer were told "oh sorry, can't find it"? Just because at that moment it wasn't life or death for your dd doesn't mean that it's not important. Schools have a duty of care and they failed spectacularly.

And OP, you probably know already, but get a green bumbag as all medical kits and bumbags I've used are all green - it'll be more obvious to a first aider if your dd needs their help that it contains medicine.

A child died outside a classroom some years ago, despite the other children in the class begging the teacher to get his inhaler. There must be written reports of that tragedy that could be sent to the HT and governors of this school.

I cannot believe they sent a child with asthma currently experiencing breathing difficulties backwards and forwards, alone as well!

I never get arsey with schools and such but this I would raise absolute hell over. I would come down on them like a ton of bricks, what were they thinking?

Well yes, obviously if they have an allergy. But in general. You could say that about a chocolate biscuit too.

Something like this, with First Aid written on it. www.firstaidwarehouse.co.uk/products/empty-green-first-aid-bum-bag-with-2-compartments

OP

I also wanted to ensure you have told your daughter that she absolutely must ask for help in the future, and not let this piss poor performance put her off asking for help and thinking she has to manage it herself.

Just something I was thinking a bit earlier on.

I have got some brilliant inhaler and medication bags for my son from Allergy Buddies

@Soubriquet
That's outrageous! They sent her back to class & that was just it?? My God, she could have been seriously, potentially fatally, ill!! I say this as a Primary School Teacher & a parent of an asthmatic child!!

Well done on the email - be interesting to see what their response is.

Every school should have an asthma policy & at our school, we have asthma info. cards for every child, which we get the parents to complete/update/check every year. They're kept in the office, along with an inhaler, but then the class teachers also have the info. & another inhaler, all of which is checked regularly. We're also more than happy for the older children to carry extra inhalers in their bags etc. These get taken outside for PE lessons & every single trip or local visit etc.

If we felt it necessary, we'd call a parent during the school day to let them know their child was struggling with their breathing & offer for them to either come & collect them or at least come & check them to see if they'd be happy for us to continue monitoring them for the rest of the day. Regardless, we'd definitely tell any parent at pick up time if their child had needed to use their inhaler that day.

We also make sure that as many adults as possible in each year group are able to confidently supervise &/or assist a child with using their inhaler/spacer - particularly the younger ones.

All of this is part of the school's duty of care. Stick to your guns & make sure they step up properly - they have most definitely failed your child so far! As a parent of asthmatic child, it's a long, stressful Winter at the best of times - you need to have confidence in the school.