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Managing Medicines and Medical
Needs in St Oswald’s School
January 2011
C:\Users\Ian\Desktop\Websites\St Oswalds\New Website Design\Documents\School Information\Polciies\MEDICINES\Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald.doc Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald’s School.

Please note:
In this document the term ‘child/children’ will be used to refer to children and
young adults. The term parent(s) is used to refer to parents and legal
guardians or carers.

Rationale
There is no legal or contractual duty on school staff to administer medicine,
supervise a child taking it, or carry out personal care tasks required to support
children with medical needs. Teachers’ conditions of employment do not
include these tasks.
However, teachers and other staff in schools have a common law duty
to act as any reasonably prudent parent would to make sure that
children are healthy and safe in school. In general, the consequences of
taking no action are likely to be more serious than those of trying to
assist in an emergency.
Medicines should only be taken to school where it would be detrimental to a
child’s health if it were not administered during the school day.
Sometimes, to minimise the time children need to be off school, it may be
necessary for a course of antibiotics, for instance, to be taken in school or for
a cream or lotion to be applied.
Whenever possible, parents / carers should be encouraged to ask doctors to
prescribe medication in dose frequencies which can be taken outside of
school hours.
Long Term Needs
It is very important for school to have sufficient information about the medical
condition of any child with long term medical needs. We should know about
the child’s medical needs before they start school or when a child develops a
condition.

Non-Prescribed Medication
No child under 16 should ever be given aspirin or ibuprofen unless
prescribed by a doctor

We do not administer any medication that is not prescribed for a child, such
as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin. There are legal and insurance
implications regarding the administration of non-prescribed medication.
C:\Users\Ian\Desktop\Websites\St Oswalds\New Website Design\Documents\School Information\Polciies\MEDICINES\Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald.doc School staff will not administer non-prescription medicines. These can be obtained on prescription; therefore if a child suffers regularly from frequent or acute pain the parents should be encouraged to refer the matter to the child’s G.P. There may be rare occasions when school decides to administer non-prescription medicines due to individual circumstances. In these cases the guidelines below will be followed: • The head teacher must give prior written authorisation • This should only be done on the request of the parent/carer • The parent/carer must o provide specific prior written authorisation o provide written instructions, detailing when their child last took the medication, what dosage is required and when they should take the next dose. o supply the appropriate medication for their child’s use • Staff supervising the taking of such medication should notify parents/carers in writing on the day the medication is taken, detailing time and quantity taken. • The administration of the medication must be recorded on an • Particular care should be taken, as staff may not be aware if the child has previously taken non-prescription medication and the effects this may have if the child is already taking other prescribed medication. • Adequate insurance cover must be in place Prescribed Medication

No child will be given medication without the parent / carer’s prior written
consent

Form 3B must be filled in and handed to school before any medication
can be administered.

It is parent’s/carers responsibility to:
• ensure medication is in a suitable container • ensure it is dated and labelled with: o the name and strength of the medication Staff who receive the medication need to be satisfied with the container and labelling. They should: C:\Users\Ian\Desktop\Websites\St Oswalds\New Website Design\Documents\School Information\Polciies\MEDICINES\Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald.doc • ensure the correct child’s name is stated. • ensure that they understand the instructions, including written instructions from the prescriber (This could be a doctor, dentist, nurse, or pharmacist) • check the prescribed dosage on the pharmacist’s label and the expiry Each time they administer or supervise the taking of medication staff should: • complete and sign record cards/sheets • ensure that the child has actually taken the medication If there is any doubt, staff should check with parents / carers or a health
professional before taking further action.
Self-Management/Administration
It is good practice to encourage children, where appropriate, to manage their
own medication from a relatively early age. If children are able to self-
administer, school staff only need to supervise.
Refusal to Take Medication
If a child refuses their medication, they should not be forced to take it. The
school will inform the child’s parents / carers as a matter of urgency.
Appropriate recording of the refusal should be made, identifying the
subsequent action taken, by whom and at what time.

Record Keeping
Schools will keep a record of medication given to children and of the staff
involved. (See form 5B)
School will always keep a record of all medication received, even if they do
not subsequently administer it.
It is the responsibility of parents / carers to supply written information about
the medication their child needs to take in school and to let us know in writing
of any changes to the prescription or its administration or to the support
required.
Parents or a doctor should provide the following details as a minimum:- • Name and strength of medication • Dosage • Time, frequency and method of administration • Length of treatment • Date of issue • Expiry date • Possible side-effects • Storage details • Other treatment C:\Users\Ian\Desktop\Websites\St Oswalds\New Website Design\Documents\School Information\Polciies\MEDICINES\Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald.doc However, should a medicine need to be refrigerated, it must be in a clearly
labelled, locked, airtight container.
• supplied to the school in the original dispensed container and not o the name and strength of the medication o the time, frequency and method of administration o the date of issue, the medication should have been dispensed within the previous three months. Where children have more than one prescribed medicine, each should be in a separate container. Children should know where their own medication is stored and who holds the key. A few medicines, such as asthma inhalers and epi-pens, are readily available to children, should the need arise. We do allow children to carry their own inhalers. Other medicines will be kept in a secure place, not accessible to children. Disposal of Medication
School staff should not dispose of medication. This is the responsibility of
parents / carers. Date expired medication or any medication no longer
required by the child should be returned to the parents / carers. This should
be done at least at the end of every term. Left over medications should not be
stored over holiday periods in schools or other centres.
Hygiene/Infection Control
All staff should be aware of basic hygiene precautions for avoiding infection,
such as washing and drying hands before and after the administration of medication.
Staff have access to protective, disposable gloves and take extra care when
dealing with spillages of blood or other body fluids and when disposing of
dressings or equipment.
Co-ordination and Dissemination of Information
The Head teacher is responsible for obtaining parents’/carers’ permission to
share information about a child’s medical condition with other staff members. C:\Users\Ian\Desktop\Websites\St Oswalds\New Website Design\Documents\School Information\Polciies\MEDICINES\Managing Medicines and Medical Needs in St Oswald.doc Staff who need to deal with an emergency will need to know about the child’s
medical needs and the procedures to follow.
The head teacher will make sure supply staff know about any medical needs.
Confidentiality

The head teacher has responsibility for safeguarding the confidentiality of
information regarding the health and medical treatment of children, and their
right to privacy. Medical information will be treated in confidence, with regard
to the Caldicott Report (1996), the Human Rights Act (1998) and the Data
Protection Act (1998).
Agreement will be reached with the parent/carer or the child (where
appropriate) about who else should have access to information and/or records. However, if information is withheld from staff, they will not be held responsible if they act incorrectly in giving medical assistance, but acted otherwise in good faith.
School Trips
School will encourage children with medical needs to participate in school
trips. Reasonable adjustments will be considered to ensure the inclusion of all
children.

It will be necessary to undertake a further risk assessment or to take
additional safety measures, particularly for outdoor visits or activities.
Staff on school trips will be made fully aware of the medical needs of children,
the procedures for administration of medication, care and intervention, and
the relevant emergency procedures
Emergency Procedures

All staff know how to call the emergency services. The Head Teacher is
responsible for ensuring that this happens.
Any child taken to hospital by ambulance will be accompanied by a member
of staff, who will remain until a parent/carer arrives. Health professionals will
be responsible for any decisions on medical treatment when parents are not
available.
Staff will not take children to hospital in their own car in an emergency.
This can hinder emergency treatment. An ambulance will always be
called.
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Source: http://www.stoswalds.newcastle.sch.uk/Documents/School%20Information/Polciies/Managing%20Medicines%20and%20Medical%20Needs%20in%20St%20Oswald.pdf