Phone call from school; they’re ’not medically trained’ ?!

[mommalaulau]

Dd1 (13) went to school this morning as normal. All fine.

Phone call around 11 from the first aider to say she had “spots on her left cheek and they’re itchy”. I asked if it was hives, they said no. They wanted me to go up, get her, take her to the chemist to “get her checked and give her some antihistamine” and then bring her back to school.

I got there just expecting her to have literally a spot or two and her being over dramatic, she’s a teenager! But she has a cheek of hives and it’s also behind her ears, bottom of her neck and on her forehead. I immediately said to the first aider that it was hives, and she just gave me a smug look as if to say “you’re not trained what do you know”.
I took her straight to the chemist and he said it was definitely hives, for her to take some antihistamine immediately (which he actually went out and got and dosed and gave her) and to keep and eye on her for the rest of the day as she doesn’t know what caused it. He also said it is very concerning the school first aider couldn’t recognise hives and I should question that.

I called school when we returned home to let them know she wasn’t going back in for the afternoon as I was going to be keeping an eye on her, and whoever answered the phone said “yes of course that’s completely understandable”.
I then mentioned I was concerned that I was told it wasn’t hives. I said if a child with a known allergy presented with hives as their first reaction before anaphylaxis and a first aider didn’t recognise it that’s extremely worrying. I was told that they’re “not medically trained” but they’ll pass the message on. When they told me this I said surely, for allergy reasons, they must know how hives present? And I just kept getting that they’re “not medically trained”.

Does anybody think I need to take this any further or should I just leave it at this with whoever I spoke with? My DD is luckily ok and her itching has gone down but the hives are still slightly up, we have no idea what’s caused it.

Except they are very expensive for schools to buy and then they expire and get thrown out. I have pupils with EpiPens - current guidance states they should have two pens in school, their GPs will only prescribe one for home and one for school and often the parents have a real fight to get replacements when they expire. WE HAVE NO MONEY! We have three qualified first aiders - two of them are literally on minimum wage. We used to have four but one refused to do the refresher training because she was worried about the accountability on minimum wage!

School first aiders are not medically trained. The school nurse should be medically trained and able to recognise an allergic reaction.

We don't know that this isn't exactly what happened.

What the hell is this mythical “school nurse”? No school I’ve ever worked in, attended or had my DCs attend has had an on site school nurse. We have access to a “School Nurse Service” they will come in and give puberty talks etc. FOR A FEE. They will come and meet with the first aiders in the event of an unusual medical care plan (eg I had specialist training for a child without a body warm insulin pump) but they aren’t sitting in school.

It's outrageous that schools have to pay for an epipen, as well having to pay for anaphylaxis training. Especially considering the difficulties there have been in obtaining epipens.

Your school has a stock of pain medication and antihistamines? We can only give medication brought in from home that parents sign to say can be given.

They’re school staff not doctors or pharmacists!

Do you usually criticise the school?

That photo looks like it could be any number of things: hives, a rash, eczema, acne flare up ...

Being angry that a poorly paid TA who has minimal 1st aid training so they can apply plasters to cuts and provide ice packs for 'bumps' and otherwise call parents is unfair and unreasonable.

Your child had 'a rash' 'red spots' 'hives' 'something going on' and they called you because they were concerned and you're the parent.

I agree

I was expecting an awful big rash on her face. I’d have barely noticed that!

The school did the correct thing. What else should they have done??

I would at least suggest she gets better training . Recognised hives is a very basic knowledge that she should have .

That photo just looks like a spotty teenagers skin to me, it doesn’t immediately and obviously look like hives.

This. Dh is a first aider. The courses focus on emergency situations, clearing airways etc. This sort of thing isn't covered and in any case doesn't look like obvious hives.

Honestly I just think you’re just raging that she gave you the good old stink eye.

cos she’s sone nothing wrong IME

From what you state happened, it sounds like the school acted in the best interests of the student. They contacted you and asked you to take her to a pharmacy for antihistamines. They’re not going to diagnose. In addition, it is worth noting that schools are very busy places, likely short staffed and stretched. Staff are first aid trained but will also be doing this in addition to other roles and responsibilities. So many posts on here at the moment criticising and wanting to report staff members. Rarely a positive word to say. Speaks volumes about todays state of affairs.

Are you annoyed you had to pick your dd up? It seems like you had it in for the staff from the get go over a pretty mild rash and were trying to make a drama out of it with the school.

They aren't trained to identify skin diseases. In any case they could get it wrong. You're being ridiculous.

What better training would you suggest?
The first aider will have done a recognised paediatric first aid course as required to be a first aider in school. I can't imagine many 12 hour blended first aid courses go into the details of recognising different allergy induced rashes (especially as they can present differently in different people and can be confused with other rashes)

I'd call it a potential allergic rash as they did

Like other posters, to me hives would be significantly more raised and smoother.

I don't really see why it matters whether you call it hives or a rash when also pointing out antihistamines are needed.

It's a bit like saying school said my daughter may have broken arm but it's fractured. It's the same thing in the context and they can't see what's going on in any more detail than 'needs looked at' which is what they did here.

Why have you put up a full picture of your child's face? She deserves privacy and not for her face to be on Mumsnet.

I don't know if you would be allowed to edit the pic just to see the rash but not the rest of her face.

Yes, hide your poor daughter's face and stop being so bloody petty and ridiculous. Along with far too many parents these days, you are failing to realise that you are the parent and you need to parent properly.
What the hell were the school staff supposed to do? They felt something needed further investigation, so they called you.

Honestly I despair. I work in a primary school and one morning a mum came in with her child covered in spots. She asked me what was wrong with him and could he come into school. Er, how the hell should I know? Have you considered going to the doctor's or a pharmacy?
You will be seen by the school as one giant ball ache.

When I last looked into getting one for school it was £75.00! I believe they are nearer £90 now.
And of course they are very unlikely to be used. I have NEVER used an auto injector “for real” and I have close friends and relatives that carry them (and never had to use them) as well as having had quite a few pupils with them.

On the other hand, when I had an anaphylactic episode at a particular boarding school, the nurse at the san whipped out one of the kids' epipens and jabbed me. No idea who paid for that, as I was out to it at that stage. The kids thought I had died.

I would absolutely do that if I had someone present with anaphylaxis. I’d worry about how I’d replace the auto injector once I didn’t have someone in a life threatening condition.

Personally I think schools should have “epi pens” (other auto injectors are available) and inhalers provided by the local health authority. We can get free sanitary products by the bucketload but not potentially life saving equipment.

We have an AED but the pads will need replacing soon (expiry date) the whole first aid budget is £100 per year so I’m not sure where the money will come from……

She was annoyed at the inconvenience of having to getting off her arse and take her child to the pharmacy, I reckon. My idea of a nightmare parent.

Exactly what I was thinking. If OP were that protective of her child, she wouldn't be exposing her like this. I wonder if she even asked her daughter's permission? Mortifying for a teen.