GP won't provide medical letter for school

[cakedup]

DS (13) had been off school for 10 consecutive days and 3 more intermittent days soon after, due to chronic insomnia. Although I've been in constant contact with the school and they have been involved in trying to support DS' return, they have asked for medical evidence to authorise his absence in the form of a letter from the GP. They told me it is a requirement for all schools.

However, when I asked the GP, she insisted that GPs are no longer required to provide these and that the school should not be asking for this.

Who's right??

Fit notes from the gp generated on the computer are for people in work so sickness pay/benefits can be claimed. They are not suitable to use for children in school.

You can ask for the GP’s reception to write down the appointment time / date on an appointment card. Or take a photo of medication.

Yes schools do ask because so many parents lie and go on holiday or just let their kids have a day off for the tiniest sniffle. Obviously many don’t but 2 weeks off is a long time when there are only 39 in a school year.

DS' school requires a medical note after TWO days of absence! I won't be paying (not least because I can't afford it) for a private GP to write a note that the school needs.

I am in contact with DS' school regularly, due to his dyslexia, applying for a EHC plan, his anxieties around school etc. The SENDCO know DS and our circumstances well. I work full time (for the LA. While this was happening I was in the midst of organising a big event that included the school). They know how stressful this situation has been. I'd be very surprised if they decided to fine me on top of it all.

It's difficult enough getting a GP appointment. We all know the surgeries are overloaded. Imagine if every parent had to make an appointment every time they needed a sick note for their child, bearing in mind many ailments you can't even prove (how does the GP know whether DS has been sleeping or not?!).

I think schools just need to trust the fact that most parents want their children in school getting an education.

That’s why “medical evidence” isn’t necessarily a note from a GP. That’s why they accept photocopies of prescriptions or appointment cards.

Yes, “most” parents do, but there are some who aren’t hugely interested. Or are interested while they’re at work. Or when they aren’t planning a day off or a few days away. You only have to look at posts on here to know that there are quite a lot of parents who are happy to lie or recommend lying, in order to have a few days away etc. It means that everyone is asked for evidence because you can’t just accept one person and suspect another.

This becomes a circular argument. Successive governments decided to tackle poor attendance resulting in every parent getting caught up in a target driven drive to tackle those parents who don't ensure their child's good attendance. There are lots of 'dolphins' caught in the net with over zealous people in schools targeting perfectly reasonable absences alongside the parents who let their children staying at home for trivial reasons.
GPs are caught up in this as schools do tell parents to get medical notes - which of course over worked GPs are reluctant to do. I have no idea what the solution is as there is right on both sides.

DS2's school contract out the management of school attendance. As his attendance went under 90%, I was invited to a meeting with them. If I didn't attend, the letter said they would assume my child's attendance would improve and would send me a contract to sign as such.

So I went to the meeting. The attendance person did say he could see I had done all the right things; always reported the absence, DS2 had been to the GPx4, blood tests, referred on to a paediatrician, but they still wanted me to sign a contract. Part of the contract was a list of acceptable/unacceptable illnesses (for school absence purposes). I refused to sign it. His argument was it was advice produced by the NHS for schools/parents. My counter was that's based on a usually well child which DS2 currently isn't and a cold etc completely wipes him out (GP referred to paediatrics as concerned about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). I was told I'd receive a letter about our meeting but I've not heard anything since (was beginning December).

To be fair, It was the PE department that wanted a GP note, not the attendance people, though the took a copy.

One day off in every 10 must be very hard for him to cope with.

He's wrecked most evenings and weekend, which isn't much fun for him either.

Cauliflower, if a child has a chronic problem, pointing out to the parent how bad this will be for them or for their education doesn't actually make the problem go away. In fact, if the problem is MH-related, it may well exacerbate it.

If I had 20p for every time somebody had said to me "but this is unacceptable" re my child's condition as if that would somehow make my child more able to function, I'd have a nice little sum put away against the day when somebody does invent a cure for her condition.

OP, I would write to school and explain that you will get a letter if they can pay for it. Paper trail, paper trail, paper trail.

Speaking from bitter experience.

Can you just ask for a copy of his general medical records? According to the GDPR, he has the right to (free) access to them.
According to most employment contracts (I know school is different, but it can't be too different in terms of process), you can 'self-certify' illness for 3 days and then if you are absent or off-work longer, you have to provide evidence. I had to pay £10 last year (as I asked a week before the new laws came into effect!) when I had a week off work, but I just asked the receptionist to print off the relevant page of my medical records.

Sorry, on a different note, if it's an ongoing medical issue, then the school should be putting into place a learning plan of some sort for him. It may be worth meeting with the school to discuss moving forward (again, this should also happen in the workplace too).

RoseEduConsult - it's 1 week for adults for self certifying off work before a GP gives a sick note in the UK. There can be exceptions like if someone was on annual leave and unwell they can ask the GP to do a sick note to before the week is up. This is very different to the case of children where providing a sick note is not considered NHS work - please see reference in the early posts by other GPs for more explanations, you may have missed them. I am a GP too.

Why not email the Head and say that you're confused as the school has asked for this note, but you understand that Doctors specifically DONT provide these notes for schools - if you like, quote the BMA piece mentioned above in this thread. Say that you also understand it is possible to pay to see a private GP and pay for a sick note - ask if that is what the school requires and if the school would be willing to pay. Ask for clarification and say that you think it would be helpful for all staff and parents to receive clarification on this.

This can be a genuine enquiry and doesn't need to be passive aggressive. Clearly the school is asking for something which isn't possible/costs so it needs to be clarified for all concerned.