Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

Original poster

Administering Calpol

51 replies

CroweRhianna3457182943 · 02/02/2022 11:56

Not sure if any other mothers have experienced this recently..... I have a 13 month old!
He is teething and has had a high temperature on and off for around 3 weeks. We have had him in A&E twice and in the GP surgery to which have all confirmed there is nothing wrong with him appart from teething.
Therefore he has been in nursery half of the month and sent home 2 times now! In which we are still expected to pay for those absent days too.
The nursery refused to give calpol when his temperature was almost at 40 which in itself it's dangerous for the child in terms of chance of convulsion etc! They would only administer calpol once I said I will pick my son up! At A&E the doctor and the nurse were literally laughing at the fact that nurserys 'policy' was that they can only administer calpol throughout the day if the doctor prescribes calpol!? He said how can we prescribe an over the counter medicine, a prescription has never been heard of ''take this boy home there is nothing wrong with him'' were the doctors words.
So of course I sent my little boy back into nursery the following day for them to yet AGAIN send him home!
It's ridiculous and would not surprise me that they send children home for no reason regularly because of the fact that they are over staffed and to rinse money from the parents.
Fuming lol

OP posts:
Idontlikeworms · 02/02/2022 11:59

Teething or not, if his temp is going up to 40 he shouldn't be in nursery.

Ozanj · 02/02/2022 12:05

40 degrees is convulsive / deathly high. I work in a nursery and send my son to a nursery too - nobody in their right mind would give Calpol to a child with a temperature over 38 (this is NHS guidance because Sepsis / Meningitis fevers can often appear on the lower end at the beginning and be masked by Calpol). While I agree these things are frustrating and you want to believe medical professionals I think you should take some responsibility to do a little research yourself - anyone who did would have complained about the medical professionals comments. They should not be dismissing a child who regularly gets such high temperatures regularly.

LefttoherownDevizes · 02/02/2022 12:07

You are being ridiculous OP. A chilf with a temp that high needs to be at home not at Nursery. So if they are ill enough to require meds they are too ill for Nursery.

Was same policy 13+ years ago when mine were at nursery

MindyStClaire · 02/02/2022 12:12

Our nursery are great and will give Calpol and happily keep children who are in good form once a dose has kicked in. They judge on the child's form rather than a thermometer.

However, I would expect a call to pick them up long long before a temp got anywhere near 40. Indeed I'd be fairly unimpressed they hadn't noticed them going downhill as it's not like they're going to go from happily playing with a normal temp to the high 39s in the blink of an eye.

SheWoreYellow · 02/02/2022 12:14

I thought teething causing a temperature was an old wives’ tale?
I’m not sure what the latest thinking on it is, maybe have a google.

In any case, a temperature means they shouldn’t be at nursery.

SheWoreYellow · 02/02/2022 12:15

Nhs page says a mild temp, up to 38.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/teething/baby-teething-symptoms/

CatDogMonkeyPOW · 02/02/2022 12:16

You have my sympathy OP. My DD would get a temperature of 40/41 with every tooth. She would be fine in all other areas. She also gets a fever that high with every virus. It was her normal.

Unfortunately because of guidelines etc which are rightly in place for the protection of children, a temperature of 40 is generally considered serious and the nursery are right to be cautious.

It's just crap for those of us with these odd children who seem to deal with teething and illness in this somewhat extreme way.

PintOfBovril · 02/02/2022 12:17

Sorry but you are being unreasonable I'm afraid. You might be pretty sure the fevers are due to teething but what if one day it isn't? You can't expect nursery to triage and assess each fever to decide whether it's worth calling you or not? How would you feel if they gave Calpol and ignored a serious illness? Sorry but this is the stage we all go through, absence from nursery is tough to manage but the nursery have your child's best interests at heart.

DropYourSword · 02/02/2022 12:22

You seem to be arguing contradicting points!

Your child was so ill you took them to A&E and the GP a number of times, but at the same time you felt they should have been able to stay at nursery.

Their temperature was so high you find it unbelievable that nursery wouldn't give them medication, but had to be persuaded to pick him up?

The doctors "laughing" are also being unnecessary - absolutely they can still prescribe an over the counter medication!

I don't think nursery have done anything wrong. They aren't doctors or nurses. Your child was ill and needed to go home.

Ozanj · 02/02/2022 12:23

@CatDogMonkeyPOW

You have my sympathy OP. My DD would get a temperature of 40/41 with every tooth. She would be fine in all other areas. She also gets a fever that high with every virus. It was her normal.

Unfortunately because of guidelines etc which are rightly in place for the protection of children, a temperature of 40 is generally considered serious and the nursery are right to be cautious.

It's just crap for those of us with these odd children who seem to deal with teething and illness in this somewhat extreme way.

I should point out some kids get temps this high during teething because they get eruption cysts. It’s rare in babies but not uncommon and makes them high risk for infections / sepsis. That means you have to take them to a GP every single time. DS had horrible ones as his teeth came in and while it was ‘normal’ for him there’s always the chance that him licking and chewing everything in sight could result in serious infection so I got him checked out every time.
Original poster
CroweRhianna3457182943 · 02/02/2022 12:24

I picked him up when his temperature was that high and went straight to A&E in which the doctor confirmed there was nothing wrong with him and assured us there is no such thing as a prescription from the doctor, which his GP surgery also said the same.
They physically will not give us a prescription for calpol....

OP posts:
Ozanj · 02/02/2022 12:27

@CroweRhianna3457182943

I picked him up when his temperature was that high and went straight to A&E in which the doctor confirmed there was nothing wrong with him and assured us there is no such thing as a prescription from the doctor, which his GP surgery also said the same. They physically will not give us a prescription for calpol....
My GP prescribed paracetamol suspension just last week for DS’ teething. They won’t prescribe Calpol as it’s a brand.
Hugasauras · 02/02/2022 12:27

He has a high temperature and nursery are totally right send him home, not just dose him up with Calpol to drop it. I presume they only agreed when you said you would pick him up so they didn't have a child with a 40-degree temp being left there all day, which sounds like what you wanted to happen?

Sucks if you have a child prone to temperatures but that's just the way it is right now.

Original poster
CroweRhianna3457182943 · 02/02/2022 12:29

@DropYourSword

You seem to be arguing contradicting points!

Your child was so ill you took them to A&E and the GP a number of times, but at the same time you felt they should have been able to stay at nursery.

Their temperature was so high you find it unbelievable that nursery wouldn't give them medication, but had to be persuaded to pick him up?

The doctors "laughing" are also being unnecessary - absolutely they can still prescribe an over the counter medication!

I don't think nursery have done anything wrong. They aren't doctors or nurses. Your child was ill and needed to go home.

I picked him up as soon as they called with this information, never did I say I expected a child with a temperature at convulsion level to be able to stay in nursery! My point is not what you are saying at all. A&E doctor as well as his GP surgery will not and have confirmed in writing that they will not prescribe calpol. In which I have forwarded to the nursery obviously! I would suggest that you check your facts
OP posts:
Hugasauras · 02/02/2022 12:30

They would only administer calpol once I said I will pick my son up

So they will administer it, they just wanted assurance you were coming to get him first. What's the problem?

letsgetbackto2019 · 02/02/2022 12:32

You are lucky that they didn’t send your child on isolation until a negative PCR (this is still my DS’s nursery policy!)

They also refused to administer him eye drops for conjunctivitis as no prescription, where the NHS website suggests that for over 2 they can be obtained over the counter.

I sympathise. But I would have wanted to be informed before actually reaching 40!

INeedNewShoes · 02/02/2022 12:32

If he was ill enough that you took him to A&E then you must have thought he was seriously unwell.

If he was unwell enough for it to constitute an emergency I don't understand how you can possibly think it's appropriate to expect nursery staff to care for him.

Icantgetalifeifmyheartsnotinit · 02/02/2022 12:37

A GP can and will prescribe paracetamol suspension. I was prescribed paracetamol recently for pain as I can't take ibuprofen - I declined and said I would buy my own but if I had accepted I would have been prescribed it!

DropYourSword · 02/02/2022 12:38

I picked him up as soon as they called with this information, never did I say I expected a child with a temperature at convulsion level to be able to stay in nursery!
My point is not what you are saying at all.
A&E doctor as well as his GP surgery will not and have confirmed in writing that they will not prescribe calpol. In which I have forwarded to the nursery obviously!
I would suggest that you check your facts*

So...what's the issue then?! You were happy to pick up your son as you recognised they couldn't stay in nursery. They gave the calpol when you confirmed you were picking him up. GPs most certainly can prescribe paracetamol, not sure why yours is denying this, but even if they couldn't you've stated you wouldn't expect him to stay at nursery with this temperature.
It sucks to pay fees when they're not even there, I agree, but I can't actually see that nursery has done anything wrong here!

Tinkles78 · 02/02/2022 12:40

I made a point of asking the nursery before we chose to send our son there what their calpol policy was, and they said they would be happy to give calpol/nurofen and wouldn't automatically send a child home without at least one dose if they were otherwise well in themselves! Also don't need to send in our own calpol, they keep stock to use.

I think the issue is maybe how high the temp was, they probably don't want to risk your child convulsing. Bit silly they won't administer calpol without a prescription when it's an off the shelf product!

Hugasauras · 02/02/2022 12:43

But they did administer it? I assume they just won't administer it routinely/repeatedly for a child with a temperature and allow them to stay at nursery after unless a doctor has prescribed it. Which seems fair enough. If you're having to give it to a child with a temp of 40 multiple times a month, I would want covered by a doctor's note too. Seems sensible.

CPDubs · 02/02/2022 12:45

Our nursery will not administer calpol but will administer other meds (ie antibiotics etc) with prescription.

They state if the child is poorly enough to need painkillers they should be with their caregiver. I agree.

Original poster
CroweRhianna3457182943 · 02/02/2022 12:46

@INeedNewShoes

If he was ill enough that you took him to A&E then you must have thought he was seriously unwell.

If he was unwell enough for it to constitute an emergency I don't understand how you can possibly think it's appropriate to expect nursery staff to care for him.

I do not think nursery should be caring for a child with a temp at convulsion level, my point is the fact he was seen by medical professionals on 3 different occasions including A&E to which all confirmed he is ok. It is the fact nursery will not administer calpol unless prescribed by a doctor although they do not supply prescriptions for this and never have. Therefore the nursery's policy is not correct. They only administer calpol once we are on our way to pick them up. Rather than when they actually need it!
OP posts:
Original poster
CroweRhianna3457182943 · 02/02/2022 12:47

@Hugasauras

But they did administer it? I assume they just won't administer it routinely/repeatedly for a child with a temperature and allow them to stay at nursery after unless a doctor has prescribed it. Which seems fair enough. If you're having to give it to a child with a temp of 40 multiple times a month, I would want covered by a doctor's note too. Seems sensible.
I do not think nursery should be caring for a child with a temp at convulsion level, my point is the fact he was seen by medical professionals on 3 different occasions including A&E to which all confirmed he is ok. My point is the fact nursery will not admisniter calpol unless prescribed by a doctor although they do not supply prescriptions for this and never had. Therefore the nursery's policy is not correct. They only administer calpol once we are on our way to pick them up. Rather than when they actually need it!
OP posts:
DropYourSword · 02/02/2022 12:49

It is the fact nursery will not administer calpol unless prescribed by a doctor
They only administer calpol once we are on our way to pick them up.

So, they have administered it without a prescription.