14. Sickness and Illness
Children should not be left at nursery if they are unwell. If a child is unwell then they will prefer to be
at home with their parent(s) rather than at nursery with their peers. We will follow these procedures
to ensure the welfare of all children within the nursery:
•
If a child becomes ill during the nursery day, their parent(s) will be contacted and asked to
pick their child up as soon as possible. During this time, the child will be cared for in a quiet,
calm area with their key person or a person they are familiar with
•
Should a child have an infectious disease, such as an eye/ear infection or sickness and
diarrhoea, they should not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 48 hours
(see appendix 1)
•
It is vital that we follow the advice given to us by our registering authority and exclude
specific contagious conditions, e.g. sickness and diarrhoea, conjunctivitis and chicken pox
to protect other children in the nursery. Illnesses of this nature are very contagious and it is
exceedingly unfair to expose other children to the risk of an infection (see appendix 1)
•
If a contagious infection is identified in the nursery, parents will be informed to enable them
to spot the early signs of this illness. All equipment and resources that may have come into
contact with a contagious child will be cleaned and sterilised thoroughly to reduce the
spread of infection. The Care Inspectorate will be notified if the infection affects the daily
running of the nursery.
•
It is important that children are not subjected to the rigours of the nursery day, which
requires socialising with other children and being part of a group setting, when they have
first become ill and require a course of antibiotics. Our policy, therefore, is to exclude
children on antibiotics for the first 48 hours of the course.
•
The nursery has the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. This decision will be
taken by the manager on duty and is non-negotiable. This is for the benefit of other service
users and children in our care.
•
It is a regulation that information/posters about head lice are readily available and all
parents are requested to regularly check their children’s hair. If a parent finds that their child
has head lice, we would be grateful if they could inform the nursery so that other parents
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
can be alerted to check their child’s hair. This will be confidential and only disclosed to the
room in which this has occurred.
Meningitis procedure
If a parent informs the nursery that their child has meningitis, the nursery manager should contact
the Infection Control (IC) Nurse for their area and Care Inspectorate. The IC Nurse will give
guidance and support in each individual case. If parents do not inform the nursery, we will be
contacted directly by the IC Nurse and the appropriate support will be given.
Transporting children to hospital procedure
•
If the sickness is severe, call for an ambulance immediately. DO NOT attempt to transport
the sick child in your own vehicle.
•
Whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent and arrange to meet them at the
hospital.
•
A senior member of staff must accompany the child and collect together registration forms,
relevant medication sheets, medication and the child’s comforter. A member of the
management team must also be informed immediately of the incident.
•
Remain calm at all times. Children who witness an incident may well be affected by it and
may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff should therefore be aware that they are
professionals and have a duty of care to not only the child effected but to the other children
within the room setting.
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
Appendix 1 Exclusion Criteria for Communicable Diseases
Disease/Illness
Exclusion period
Notifiable
disease
Additional information
Antibiotics prescribed
48 hours
No
*48 Hours if not previously administered at
nursery. If prescribed medication has been
previously administered at the nursery, then
the child is excluded for the first 24 hours.
Athletes foot
None
No
Treatment is recommended.
Campylobacter
48 hours symptom free.
No
Practice good hand hygiene.
Chickenpox
Min of 5 days from onset of
No
rash.
Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
children (those with reduced immunity) and
pregnant staff/visitors who have not already
had chickenpox.
Cold sores
None
No
Avoid kissing and contact with the sores.
Conjunctivitis
24 hours after treatment
begins
No
If unwell and a serious infection stay off until
eye no longer inflamed and infected.
Cryptosporidiosis
48 hours from last episode.
No
No swimming for 2 weeks after diarrhoea
subsides. Practice good hygiene – follow up
by Environmental Health/HPT.
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting
Until clinically recovered
and 48 hours from last
No
Practice good hygiene.
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
episode.
Diptheria (very rare in UK)
2-5 days. Investigation by
HPU
Yes
E-Coli
Notifiable.
Follow up by
HPT/EHO. Practice good
hygiene.
No
Until recovered.
Flu (Influenza)
Immunisation
In some
cases seek Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
advice from children (those with reduced immunity).
HPT
No
No return until temperature is stable and
cleared of infection by GP.
German measles (rubella)
Until clinically recovered
but AT LEAST 6 days
from onset of rash.
Yes
Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
children (those with reduced immunity) and
pregnant staff/visitors.
Glandular fever
Until clinically recovered.
No
Hand, foot and mouth
While acute lesions
persist-generally children.
No
Contact HPT if large numbers of children are
affected. Practice good hygiene.
Head lice
Until treatment.
No
Treatment is recommended.
Hepatitis A
7 days from onset of
jaundice or from other
symptoms onset if no
Yes
Seek advice with HPT if outbreak occurs.
Fever
24 hours
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
jaundice.
Hepatitis B and C
None
Yes
All bodily fluid spills must be cleaned
immediately, wearing PPE, dispose of waste
such as paper towels as clinical waste.
HIV/AIDS
None
yes
As above
Impetigo
Until lesions are crusted and
healed or 48 hours after
No
commencing antibiotic
treatment.
Measles
Report outbreaaks to HPT.
Practice good hygiene.
Yes
Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
children (those with reduced immunity) and
pregnant staff/visitors.
4 days from onset of rash.
Meningococcal meningitis/
septicaemia
Until recovered.
Yes
Seek advice from HPT.
Meningitis – bacterial
Until recovered.
Yes
Seek advice from HPT.
Meningitis – viral
None
Yes
Molluscum contagiosum
None, but lesions covered if No
possible.
MRSA
None
No
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
Mumps
5 days from onset of
swelling
Norovirus-Winter
vomiting bug
Until clinically recovered
and 48 hours since last
episode.
No
Practice good hygiene. Contact HPT if
outbreak suspected.
Ringworm
None
No
Treatment is required.
Roseola (infantum)
Salmonella
None
Yes
Inform HPT if outbreak occurs.
No
Pre school children
require 2 negative stool
samples 24 hrs apart and
Yes
must be cleared to return
by Consultant in Public
Health Medicine (CPHM).
Scabies
After first treatment.
No
Scarlet fever
24 hours after commencing
antibiotics.
Yes
Shingella/dysentery
Pre school children
require 2 negative stool
samples 24 hrs apart after
clinical recover and be
cleared to return by
Yes
Follow up by HPT/EHO.
Practice good hygiene.
Close contacts require treatment.
No swimming for 2 weeks after diarrhoea has
subsided.
Practice good hygiene. Follow up by
EHO/HPT.
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
CPHM.
Shingles
Only if rash is weeping and
cannot be covered
otherwise 7 days after
lesions appear.
No
Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
children (those with reduced immunity) and
pregnant staff/visitors who have not already
had chickenpox.
Seek advice with regards to vulnerable
children (those with reduced immunity) and
th
pregnant staff/visitors before the 20 week
of pregnancy.
Slapped cheek/fifth
disease/parvovirus B19
Until clinically recovered.
No
Threadworms
None
No
Tonsilitis
None
No
Seek advice from HPT.
Yes
Typhoid/paratyphoid/ent
eric fever
Seek advice from HPT.
Yes
Warts and verrucae
None
No
Should be covered in swimming pools and
changing rooms.
Whooping cough
5 days from commencing
antibiotic treatment or 21
days from onset of illness if
Yes
Investigation by HPT.
Treatment is recommended.
Tuberculosis
Until declare free from infection by GP.
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
no antibiotic treatment.
Internal use only
This policy was adopted on
Version 2 – 07.02.2013
This policy was previously reviewed on
14.10.2015
This policy was reviewed on
19.01.2016
Signed on behalf of the nursery
Elizabeth Merritt
Disseminated to staff on
20.01.2016
Date for review
19.01.2017
Edinburgh Independent Nursery & Pre-Schools Ltd Company No. 7358189
Trading as “Bonnington House Nursery” 159 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4QA
Tel. 07939 969901 admin@bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk
www.bonningtonhousenursery.co.uk