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Original poster

if your child was refused their inhaler at school when they requsted it..

84 replies

misdee · 03/05/2006 19:17

and your child went on to have a full-on asthma attack, needing neduliser and steroids, how would u tackle the school?

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2006 19:18

With a flame thrower?

Angry
Katymac · 03/05/2006 19:19

I'm with F&Z

Or a tank?

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 19:19

dont give me ideaslike that! right now i want to pull her out altogether.

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2006 19:20

Who did this happen to, misdee?

FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2006 19:20

sorry x posts. This was your dd?

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 19:23

yes. theres a thread on education, lack of care. dd1 asked for her inhaler today at school, she was told to0 have a drink of water. i picked her up and she was wheezing. gave her inhalers as soon as we got in. also called the gp, she settled for about 30mins, by the time she was seen at the gp she was even worse. she needed a neb and has a perscription for a 3 day course of steroids.

have people really become so relaxed about asthma, that they forget how serious it can be?

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2006 19:24

"Told to have a drink of water"?????

Oh that is bloody marvellous.

Oh sue the fuckers misdee, go on Angry

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 19:28

i feel really let down. they insist that she has an inhaler on the premises but refused her access to it.

dd1 has grown up with hwer asthma, she has had it since she was under a year old. so she knows when to take it easy, when she needs her inhalers and is really good about it.

can i really trust them with my dd again? if this was a private nursery and dd1 was younger, i wouldnt hesitate to pull her out. she only moved to this school in oct, can i really move her again? do i give the school another chance? would you?

OP posts:
Carmenere · 03/05/2006 19:30
Shock
AbbyLou · 03/05/2006 20:58

The treatment she was given was. as you say, a lack of care. I teach in an infant school and we have many children with asthma. All the inhalers are kept in the office and administered by the Administrator. Children are given them whenever they request it. The only time it might be questioned is if a child has had it a lot in one day. In this situation it is given but the parent is rung and told that the child had had it a lot. Generally we know which children are worse and watch them like hawks. Your dd sounds like she really has a grip on her condition and is very sensible. I would ask to see the Headteacher and she what he/she has to say about it.

kama · 03/05/2006 21:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

katiebl · 03/05/2006 21:12

Not being funny but how can you trust a school with your child if they do things like this. I'd contact your local citizens advice bureau and ask them about it as it is very serious. Also get a note from your doctor to explain what happened. Also OH has just suggested going to your local paper with the story (though I would suggest speaking to school first). I have mild asthma but my OH has chronic asthma. He gets it badly enough without situations like this happening.

Let the school know that this is completely unaccpetable. Provide them with a letter from the doctor, tell them if you are considering legal action and warn them that as a result you may remove your child from their school.

You must be furious.

PanicPants · 03/05/2006 21:14

Had you filled in a health care plan with the school misdee? If not ask for one as soon as possible.

Then put your thoughts into a letter, why you were unhappy with the care your child received etc (remain calm but put your point across logically - with out apportioning blame or using emotion), and state how your child will ALWAYS have access to her inhalers in the future.

Did your child actually ask the teacher or the classes ta? Is it possible she asked a helper, or a student etc? who wouldn't really understand the situation?

You should arrange an appt to speak to the head rather than just go in an catch him ad hoc, it makes the occasion seem more official.

Hope all goes well xx

spinach · 03/05/2006 21:16

i would demand a meeting with the head teacher to ask how this could have happened. Explain that you wouldlike to know who is responsible and see if they can reassure youthat it wont happen again. I would ask for an explaination of why your dd was refused and if you are not happy with it I would write to the chair of governers.

jamsam · 03/05/2006 21:22

i would request a conference and lay down the fact that your d is now on a course of steroids..may not be entirely thier fault but duty of care stuff..etc...then threaten legal action...see how they respond, you might get something to change immediatly
good luck

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 21:23

katiebl, i am unsure about sending her back. but i will probably keep her off the rest of the week, and request a meeting with the head and her class teacher about the seriousness of the situation.

OP posts:
Filyjonk · 03/05/2006 21:23

i know nothing about schools, but that is serious.

not only does it show neglect, it also shows a fundemental lack of respect for your dd.

you need at the least to make sure this does not happen again, so I personally would get the lea involved. maybe also a newspaper?

personally i would be worried about leaving her with people who are this cavalier. does she like the school?

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 21:25

she loves the school. its a great school, or was till this happened. its half the size of her old school, and is a highly regarded local school. we had to wait for dd1 to get a place there.

OP posts:
mosschops30 · 03/05/2006 21:29

i would be up there 1st thing in the morning to see headteacher, regardless of what else she has planned for her day! Sit there and say you want to see her NOW!!

This is disgusting, although dd's school is a bit like this with medical things, has been the source of argument in the past

Good luck

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 21:31

its going to be a rough night. dd1 is still wheezing slightly.

i feel like i let her down. i shouldnt have sent her in today. i shouldnt have gone to the gp, should've gone straight to a+e, she might have got seen quicker.

OP posts:
Filyjonk · 03/05/2006 21:32

oh dear, that makes it very much harder then.

the thing is, my mum has severe asthma, I know its not a joke. no one would ever refuse her an inhaler, so I can't get my head round why a responsible teacher would be refusing a child theirs. I mean, nost teachers must know about asthma, surely? loads of kids have it.

jellyjelly · 03/05/2006 21:36

This is awful, they need to change their procedures,who was it that said they couldtn have it? Have you taught your dd? that she needs to keep asking for it? That could be a good plan.

My sister almost died of an asthma attack after beign made to run the 1500 metres in school even though she didnt have her inhaler, she then had to wait 45 minutes for the bus and then the bus ride to where we lived which was about 45 again and then to my mums place of work and not one person stopped until my mum got there where she almost passed out.

dont let it lie, things have to change, apologies have to be made and a guarantee that this must not happen to any child in the school. Such a lack of care and so negletful. I would maybe think about contacting ofsted so it goes on their file, yes mistakes happen but this could have really been a biggie with most serious results. You have to make a formal complaint not a verbal one, make sure they acknowledge it and not try to cover it over.

veNivIDiViCkiqV · 03/05/2006 21:39

Misdee, i think you should make a big fuss about this. Contact the school, let them know you are contacting the Local Council/Education Authority to allow them to investigate the matter as well and advise the school on best practise.

This is totally unacceptable.

MeAndMyBoy · 03/05/2006 21:40

I would be furious just at her being refused medication that she know's she needs. The fact that the situation has ended being as serious as it has is appauling. Why do so many places that deal with kids treat them like idiots?

I hope tonight isn't too stressful, don't beat yourself up, you haven't let her down at all - the school did.

Make an appointment tomorrow morning with the head for as soon as you can get there reasonably and find out how they are going to make sure that this doesn't ever happen again. It's a failure in their processes that has made your dd this poorly.

Good luck.

Original poster
misdee · 03/05/2006 21:56

dd1 knows that she needs her inhaler. she says she asked for it at least twice, but they told her to get water.

OP posts:
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