School asking for doctors note

[Gallyone]

4yo DS started school last Wednesday. That night he started vomiting, so I kept him off Thursday and Friday as the school rule is that children have to stay off for 48 hours. He went back in on the Monday just gone. Then last night unbelievably he started being sick again! I phoned the school to tell them and they said to bring him back per the 48 hour rule on Friday if he’s better.

Not long after I received a phone call from the school asking if I could email them a doctors note regarding DS absence. I told them I haven’t got one to which they said they’d appreciate if I could get one. I never took him to the doctors as I didn’t think you needed to be seen anywhere for vomiting (unless it was really bad) I know it was a stomach bug anyway as oldest DS had it a few days earlier after a play centre party.

Will the doctors give me one if I ask?

GPs don't provide this service to schools and your child isn't even compulsory school age so tell the school it's not possible.

He has just started at the school?

So they just want to get on top of this asap in case they need to be concerned

Imagine if we all took vomiting DC to the doctor’s!

I just say you don’t have one as it wasn’t necessary to seek medical advice.

@Juicymed Yes his first day was the 3rd

That is ridiculous. I would say that I am not wasting hard-pressed NHS staff time expecting a Dr to produce a sick note that s/he should not be producing as a/he has seen no evidence of the illness!!

I didn’t take my DS to the Dr when he was off for a week with chickenpox. I knew it was chickenpox and there is no way he should have been taken to the surgery.

So annoying! Tell them your doctors’ surgery would not appreciate a visit from a vomiting child and send them a photo of said child vomiting. Offer to take child into their office.

I know it probably looks bad as he’s only done 3 days since starting but stomach bugs are stomach bugs! They can come at any time and it was probably just hanging over him

They should only ask for evidence if they doubt the veracity of the illness. Tell them no.

Has your other DC been in everyday since the 3rd?

Yes he was poorly during the holidays

They have no right to ask you for this.

Doctors' time is far too valuable to waste on silly school admin procedures. Childhood sicknesses like vomiting and viruses need no medical attention and it would be a ridiculous use of nhs resources to require it.

There are numerous template letters, notices and policies on the internet that str specific to particular local authorities and GP practices stating all the reasons why this is an unreasonable request eg https://www.lmc.org.uk/resources/template-letter-requests-for-medical-certificates-for-school-children-during-term-time/ - you may be able to find one specific to your area to direct the school's attention to, or you can use the wording on this link to write to the school to tell them how silly they are being. It takes about 2 weeks to get a gp appointment unless it's urgent. A child with a self-limiting virus is not urgent and the limited number of same-day appointments are in desperately short supply for people who actually need them. It is totally irresponsible for the school to have such a policy.

I work in a GP surgery and there is absolutely no way a sick note would be provided for a child that had a 12/24/48 hour vomiting bug etc!

We don't want you to bring your potentially very contagious child in, and a phone call would be such a waste of time.

Only if children are off longer than a week would we consider writing a note.

Tell the school to jog on, your DV isn't compulsory school age and even if they were you wouldn't be able to get a note.

Please DO NOT waste precious NHS resources using up an appointment.

Also do let them know that in future you will be sure to take photos of every single pool of vomit and email it to them so that they have their "evidence"

Tell them no and that doctors don't provide sick notes for children with a stomach bug and not seen by the doctors and if they doubt your honesty they can come see the child at home to see that they are infact poorly.

Wow. I'd be feeling pretty negative about how the relationship with the school is going to pan out if this is how they are behaving now.

I'd ignore them.

My GP is explicit in their refusal to do this. Tell the school it simply isn't possible.

What’s the absence rate like for your other child?

This issue aside, what’s your relationship like with the school?

So you have another child who has been in everyday and they are hassling you?

I'd be sending a very strongly worded email.

You aren't some unknown entity, you are getting you non poorly child in everyday. It seems like someone hasn't connected the dots here.

The problem the school have is that the absence percentages are calculated based on the amount of the school year elapsed, rather than for the full year so any absence in September makes the attendance look terrible and is probably raising all sorts of flags that they need to be seen to be dealing with.

Doctors usually won't provide letters for schools and there would be a cost if they did.

All you can do is keep in good contact with them and send him back when he's better.

IN the past I've written to headteachers asking why... when we are trying to encourage people away from the GP with self-limiting illness etc .. they are asking for notes for tummy bugs etc.
I refuse, and point out we are not responsible for policing their absence policy.😡

They’re being ridiculous. Who on earth is calling the gp for a sick note for a 4 year old that threw up?! The surgery secretary will probably laugh at you for trying. Ridiculous

DS1 is in year 5 now and I never had anything like this with him despite him having a few stomach bugs over the years. On his school reports his attendance has always been in the “green”

And you rate the school highly and have a positive relationship with the school?

Tell the school that the statutory guidance is that medical evidence is NOT required in order to mark an absence for illness as authorised, and also says that medical evidence should not be routinely asked for.

Ridiculous of them to expect the GPs to waste their time on this.