Am I over reacting - sorry it's long

[Mumlifedc]

Hi, just checking if I'm going ott or not.
My child has a peanut allergy, for which there should be medication kept in school in case it's needed.
Recently another child has been bringing in peanut butter sandwich for lunch, my child and a friend of theirs told a staff member.
Well it seems the school panicked, they didn't follow the allergy care plan that was set up when my child joined the school. It came to light they had none of the medication, we rushed to the school and have left the medication there so it's available today.
We will buy more medicine for at home, luckily he has never been hospitalised due to his allergy but that's could happen as each reaction can present differently.
School have no allergy management policy.
This is partly my fault as I had not given the school the piriton, but they had not told me they had none. Previously when it's gone out of date they have told me and I've replaced same day.
School response was a text message to politely request no peanut is sent in to school and tell me staff are epi pen trained
I have sent in a complaint
I want them to follow his allergy plan and to know what that is. He doesn't have an epi pen ( allergy clinic drs won't prescribe unless he has an anaphylactic reaction)he should have piriton straight after exposure and be monitored as reaction can occur upto 2 hours after exposure and can go from mild to serious in that time. If piriton doesn't work and symptoms worsening they should call 999 and state anaphylaxis.
So have I over reacted by sending a formal complaint?
I am looking at other schools but my husband has said that he's safer where he is due to the fear factor they won't let this happen again.

On the face of it, I think you are overreacting, but understandably as it was a worrying event.

It does seem that they tried to follow the care plan, as they discovered that you, the parents, hadn't provided them with the piriton. They contacted you in a seemingly timely fashion, although you don't specify so it is just an assumption. (It happened at lunchtime, they called, you rushed over with the piriton. You don't say when, but presumably you got the medication there within an hour or so, otherwise it would have been approaching the end of the school day.)

The initial failure in the chain seems to be that you, the parents, had failed to follow the care plan by not providing the medication. What is in your complaint that you expected them to have done, that they didn't do?

As I said above, I understand you being upset and worried, but from the info provided, I think YABU.

With severe allergies it's better to over react than under react. The former may annoy people; the latter could be life threatening.

BTW, my child carries antihistamines and an EpiPen, so I am familiar with completing school care plans. (It's not a nut allergy and they've thankfully never had anaphylaxis but are prescribed epipens.)

I have also worked in my children's "nut-free" school as a lunchtime supervisor, so have flagged to senior staff when nuts were found in lunchboxes, so the protocol can be followed.

I've also received the reminders sent to all parents, which has similarly been a text message or a paragraph in the newsletter.

This

Why don’t school have any medication?

Our allergy plans state it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure the medication is in school. Did you provide it at the start of the half term? Is there an allergy plan written by the allergy nurse at your practice?

I am a school first aider and whilst I understand your worries it is your responsibility to ensure that your child has in date medication in school . I try to help parents out by reminding them when medication is going out of date but I have a lot of pupils and it’s not actually my role to do this . Perhaps when you send more in you could make a note on a calendar for when it will need to be replaced ? We have a protocol for each child , I can’t memorise each one as so many , but they are readily accessible. I know it’s scary but we do try our best !

Thanks for all your replies, I guess what I had wanted was to follow the agreed plan including the allergy UK's school allergy management policy as we had agreed. This was that I would be told when medication had run out. Which is what had happened previously so I assumed they still had some of the medication in school.
I did send the medication in but there was none left, I did not know that it had been used I was not told about any time it was used no slips, calls or texts.
I know how badly I failed my child, so I will in future send the medication in his bag daily then I know they don't have an empty bottle.
Then I can be sure this won't happen again.

OK, so this update reads very differently from the original post. If they have given your child an entire bottle of piriton without informing you on any occasion, that is a serious issue. Surely the plan includes notifying you when they have administered each dose? Does your child have the piriton for other allergies too or have they been exposed to peanuts that frequently at school? Is the school nut-free - presumably so if they sent out a text?

Also, it is unlikely that you will be allowed to send in the bottle daily. It will probably need to be handed directly into the office by the adult.

It is not acceptable that your child has been given this medication and you have not been told. So I think a formal complaint is correct.

I did send the medication in but there was none left, I did not know that it had been used I was not told about any time it was used no slips, calls or texts. Who is giving the medication, for what, what happened? This is vital information you have not been provided.

I only found out the additional information from a call this morning, I've asked for how often he's be having the piriton in school a whole bottle since September seems a lot. I've asked to be told each time, if it's all been used I'll need to discuss with the allergy clinic as it does seem a lot.

This warrants a formal complaint, for sure.

Sorry you have had this shock, allergies are scary. Difinitely you can improve your practices but school has been negligent not informing you they have given medication. They must have a record and you can request it. If they don't have a record, they are really out of order.

I think the school are at fault here and a complaint is warranted. Better to be complaining now so that it is sorted out formally than keep being 'nice' and end up with hospitalisation or worse. I doubt they have given medicine without telling you. More likely lost it and that in itself needs investigation.

I've asked for the record it will be very helpful for the allergy clinic to see. Interested as to how I can improve my practices I can't face letting him down so badly again. I sent a whole bottle of piriton in to school in September and didn't know any was used, yesterday now it's all gone. A new bottle daily handed to staff ?

Not telling you that they have given PRN (as required) medication to your child is not acceptable. What if you had given further medication at home within a short time frame? There needs to be a form or note in home school book if medication has been administered. It's different if they're giving regular prescribed medication but ad hoc doses need to be advised.

I just meant you can stop assuming they have told you all you need to know - you clearly need to check up on them

YANBU they sound shambolic.

Yes your right can't trust them in the same way now, will ask daily at pickup if more is needed, how much has been used and when that day and have a spare bottle to give them at all times. pickup is busy but needs must, I will have to be that parent always needing to speak to staff.( I don't drop off they go to breakfast club)

I don’t understand anyone saying YABU. You did everything as originally agreed with the school. They did not. Definitely keep hounding until you get answers to your questions. What a fuck up

How have they used a whole bottle since September? That’s seems an awful lot to me. How old is your ds?
Have they been dishing out your meds to others?

Very odd school is giving piriton so regularly. I'd want to know why. Your child should have an allergy plan which you sign of at least once a year. My DS carries an EpiPen (not for peanut allergy) and school also has one for him and prescribed antihistamine. I'm amazed your school accepts shop bought piriton. My experience is that school will only accept prescribed medication and need a letter from the consultant to verify what I've told them. Also my DS has never had anaphylaxis but is prescribed an EpiPen.

This is partly my fault as I had not given the school the piriton, but they had not told me they had none. Previously when it's gone out of date they have told me and I've replaced same day.

I'm a bit confused, did you mean you had given them the piriton here, as you said later you gave a bottle to them in september.

YANBU by the way. But I think my major concern here would be that your dc has been given an entire bottle of piriton since september and you know nothing about it! Surely they should inform you of each and every incident he is giuven it and for what reason? I would most definitely be complaining and getting the dates/times off them and reason why he has been given it so often.

I had assumed this.

Does DS ask for medication at school now and again? If not, it sounds like the staff are using the Piriton for themselves or giving to other kids.