The staff at Cullercoats Primary School are committed to educating all children in a safe and happy environment and the Admission of Medication Policy contributes to school structures and processes that ensure the wellbeing of all children is safeguarded at all times.

Medicine Policy

This policy has been written following Local Authority Guidelines and contributes to the First Aid policy in accordance with the most current guidance from the Department of Education:

•  “Teachers and other School staff in charge of pupils have a common law duty to act as any reasonable prudent parent would to make sure that pupils are healthy and safe on school premises and this might, in exceptional circumstances, extend to administering medicine and/or taking action in an emergency. This duty also extends to teachers leading activities taking place off the school site, such as educational visits, school outings or field trips. Section 3(5) of the Children Act 1989 provides scope for teachers to do what is reasonable for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting children’s welfare. This can give protection to teachers acting reasonably in emergency situations such as a school trip.” ‘Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs in School 14/96’ DfEE
• Employees working under the School Teachers’ Terms and Conditions of employment have no contractual obligation to administer medicines. Any agreement so to do can therefore only be a voluntary act by an individual person.
• Where staff agree to administer medication in accordance with the Local Authority and School Guidelines, they are included within the Council’s insurance provision in the event of any legal action by parents on behalf of their child.
• The School will not be responsible for the administration of medication where the timing of its administration is crucial to the health of the child or, where technical or medical knowledge and/or training is required except in emergency treatment situations.

Procedure

Short Term Medication

School Office staff have agreed to administer medications in accordance with the Local Authority and School guidelines. Where a child is recovering from a short term illness and is well enough to return to school, but has been prescribed medication.

Long Term Medication

Medication Prescribed on a Regular and Repeat Basis. A member of staff is under no obligation to administer this medication to a child (unless a person has been formally appointed for this specific purpose). The following directions refer to when a member of staff has volunteered to administer the medication.

The Administration of Medication Policy will be issued to the parents together with the medication form. The parent will be asked to give information on this form regarding the name of the medication and the time of day that it is to be taken, if this is on a regular basis. It is the responsibility of the parent to renew information regarding the dosage and medication prescribed.

The medication should be in the original container provided by the pharmacist, bearing the child’s name and the daily dosage. Parents will be asked to request from the pharmacist separate medication, which is to be stored in school.

• A parent should complete this online Medication Form

Asthma

We recognise that asthma is a condition affecting many school children. The school encourages and helps children with asthma to participate fully in all aspects of school life and will ensure that immediate access to inhalers is possible at times.

It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that, if their child suffers from asthma and could experience an asthma attack in school, they have provided a current inhaler for use within school for their child. The inhaler must be in the container provided by the pharmacist, labelled with the child’s name and when (except in the case of an emergency) the inhaler should be used. A child who needs to use an inhaler should be encouraged to administer this themself with a minimum of supervision.

A parent is responsible for changing an inhaler on the date of expiry. 

Inhalers for children will be kept within a cupboard in the child’s classroom, a spare will also be kept in the school office.

• A parent should complete this online Asthma Form

Diabetes

The handling of a child’s diabetes will be agreed between School and parents/carers. This agreement will be written down and kept in the child’s records, it will also be displayed in the staffroom and a copy kept in the class register to ensure that any teacher taking the class is aware of the child’s needs.

Medical Conditions requiring Emergency Treatment

“The Medicines Act 1968 places restrictions on dealings with medicinal products, including their administration. In the case of prescription–only medicines, anyone administering such a medicinal product by injection must be an appropriate practitioner (e.g. a doctor) or else must act in accordance with the practitioner’s directions. There are exceptions for the administration of certain prescription–only medicines by injection in emergencies (in order to save life).”

‘Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs in School 14/96’ DfE

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction of rapid onset with circulatory collapse and hypotension and is life threatening. If a child appears to demonstrate symptoms the school must call emergency services immediately, and request a paramedic stating the patient has ‘apparent anaphylactic reaction’. Details of children who may suffer possible symptoms of anaphylaxis are displayed in the staffroom with their name, an up to date photograph and details of what to look for and how to treat the situation as provided by the parent. The child will also be identified in the appropriate class file to ensure that any teacher who may take the class is aware of the situation.

Staff will require training to enable them to administer such treatment. This training will be organised in consultation with the Local Authority Health Centre. A member of staff is under no obligation to attend such training or to administer the medication to a child (unless a person has been formally appointed for this specific purpose).

It is the responsibility of parent to ensure that they have provided the correct medication for use within school for their child. The medication must be in the container provided by the pharmacist, labelled with the child’s name and when (except in the case of an emergency) the medication should be used.

The following directions refer to when a member of staff has volunteered to administer the medication.

The Administration of Medication Policy will be issued to the parents together with a Medication Form to complete. The parent will also be asked to give information, on this form, regarding the name of the medication, time of day to be taken if this is on a regular basis. The parent is responsible for changing ‘a pen’ on the date of expiry.

• A parent should complete this online Medication Form

Storage of Medication

The school does not have facilities for the storage of any medication that needs special requirements.

All medication (other than inhalers – see above) will be stored in an appropriate container either within the school office, and/or the classroom. No more than one month’s supply of any medication for any child will be stored in school. A parent will be responsible for delivering the medication to school in the original pharmacist’s container, giving the name of the child, name of medication, dose and time it is to be administered.

All medication must be collected by the responsible adult. Any uncollected medication at the end of a school year will be disposed of accordingly by the school administration team.

Volunteer staff must follow the following procedures when administering medicine to children.

Two members of staff must be available for this process.

• Two members of staff to check date and time of last medication (Initial appropriate record for child)
• The first member of staff will remove the medication from the point of storage at the appropriate time (initial and date to verify appropriate record for the child).
• The medication will be verified by a second member of staff as the correct medication for that child. (Initial appropriate record for the child) 5
• Where possible, the medication will be given to the child to take/administer themselves.
• The first member of staff will initial and date the appropriate record for the child.
• The second member of staff will also initial the child’s record indicating that he/she saw the medication being given to the child.
• A record will be kept until a date the child completes his formal education.
• The medication will be administered as discreetly as possible to a child.

Illness During the School Day

Staff should not administer medication to children who fall ill during the school day. Parent and emergency contact numbers for a child are kept in files within the main office. Parents will be asked via the school newsletter to update their child’s records immediately of any changes in contact details.

When a child becomes seriously unwell or is injured an ambulance will be called immediately and parents contacted as soon as possible. If a parent is unable to come to school before the ambulance arrives a member of the staff with whom the child is familiar will accompany the child to the hospital.

Regular updates of this document will be made, as necessary e.g. if a child is admitted to the School and has a specific medical problem that is not covered above.

All original (not copies) correspondence between parents and school will be kept in the child’s records.