MANAGING MEDICAL
NEEDS POLICY
Policy Number
Version
Policy Date
Review Date
22
04
April 13
September 2016
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St JOHNS MEAD
MANAGING MEDICAL NEEDS POLICY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 2
2
STATEMENT............................................................................................................................................ 2
3
DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 2
3.1
3.2
3.3
SHORT TERM MEDICATION – ....................................................................................................................... 2
EMERGENCY SHORT TERM MEDICATION – ................................................................................................... 2
LONG TERM MEDICATION – ......................................................................................................................... 2
4
SCHOOL PROCEDURE .......................................................................................................................... 2
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
REQUEST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION........................................................................................................ 2
ASSESSMENT OF REQUEST ......................................................................................................................... 3
HEALTH CARE PLAN.................................................................................................................................... 3
NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS ......................................................................................................................... 3
RECORD OF ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................................................................... 3
REVIEW/REVISION OF HEALTH CARE PLAN................................................................................................... 3
5
STAFF LIABILITY .................................................................................................................................... 3
6
STAFF TRAINING.................................................................................................................................... 3
7
APPENDIX 1 – REQUEST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION FORM ..................................................... 4
1
INTRODUCTION
This policy is supplemental to the Council's Policy on the administration of medication and St John Mead's
School H&S Policy.
2
STATEMENT
The school policy is to try and accommodate requests from parents/carers to administer medication where
this is necessary for the child to continue to be educated at school.
To this end the following procedures must be followed to ensure that all concerned, staff, parents, pupils and,
where relevant health professionals are aware of the pupil's condition and what steps have been agreed
either to manage the condition or are in place should an emergency arise.
3
DEFINITIONS
3.1
Short Term Medication –
This is medication which is needed to allow the pupil to return to the school for a few days whilst completing
a course of antibiotics or whose administration is for a couple of weeks or less.
3.2
Emergency Short Term Medication –
This is medication which parents/carers may approve of for administration as part of a school trip.
3.3
Long Term Medication –
This is medication required to manage a long-term medical need, i.e. asthma, epilepsy etc., where the
medication will be required for extended periods.
4
SCHOOL PROCEDURE
4.1
Request to Administer Medication
The school will only administer medication where a "request to administer medication" form has been
completed by the parent(s)/guardian(s) of a pupil. No medication will be given unless this form is completed.
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The form is to be completed prior to the pupil starting at the school or, if already in attendance, as soon as
the condition is identified.
NB if a pupil simply turns up with medication it may be necessary to send the pupil home.
In the case of emergency short term medication (e.g. administration of travel sick tablets on a school visit),
parents are asked to sign an undertaking giving approval for their child to go on the trip, confirming the child
is fit for the trip and they are asked to indicate any particular needs of the pupil, whether medical, dietary etc.
Parents will be advised that the school can not administer medication to children aged 12 or younger without
written permission from the parents/carers, and information on what medication the child can have.
4.2
Assessment of Request
Following receipt of a "request to administer medication" form the Headteacher or designated person will
discuss with staff the nature of the request and whether or not they are willing to administer the medication.
The Headteacher or designated person will also identify whether staff are competent to administer the
required medication.
Staff are deemed competent to administer medication in tablet form orally or as medicine orally but must
have received training in for any medical techniques required, e.g. use of EPI-PEN for anaphylaxis.
4.3
Health Care Plan
A Health Care plan will be prepared for pupils with long term medical needs. This will indicate the date of the
request for administration and approval of the medication to be administered. It also will provide as much
information on the medical condition as is available. The health plan follows a standard format but will vary
dependent on the medical needs.
4.4
Notification to Parents
Parents will be notified that the school has agreed to administer the medication requested and a copy of the
health plan provided. Parents will be advised that it is their responsibility to notify the school of any changes
in the medication.
4.5
Record of Administration
In cases where medication is administered a record is to be made of the dose and time when administered.
This is necessary for all medicines administered but where it is a regular administration of medication this
can be by a simple checklist.
4.6
Review/Revision of Health Care Plan
This can occur quite often especially in the early stages when there is a degree of experimentation required
with medication to find out what is most effective. Equally information gleamed from experience of
administering medication at school can also have an effect on the plan. Generally the expectation is that it
will be for parents to confirm changes in writing to the school and it will be for the school to alter the plan to
reflect this information.
5
Staff Liability
See Appendix 3 of the Council's Statement of Policy on Administration of Medication.
6
Staff Training
First Aid training is provided for all staff. The school nurse also provides advice and training in the
administration of specific medication e.g. use of an EPI –PEN for the treatment of anaphylaxis.
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APPENDIX 1 – REQUEST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION FORM
St JOHN'S MEAD SCHOOL
REQUEST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION FORM
Parents/carers are advised that, unless you complete and sign this form the school will not administer
medication to your son/daughter/ward. The Headteacher and staff must still agree to administer
medication, as this is a purely voluntary act on their part.
DETAILS OF PUPIL
Surname______________________
Forename___________________________________
Home
Address___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth_____________
Class____________
CONDITION OR ILLNESS
Type of Condition or
Illness________________________________________________________________
Name & Type of
Medication________________________________________________________________
(as described on container)
How long will your child require the medication ____________________________________________ __
(ongoing or specific time span?)
FULL DIRECTIONS ON USE
Does the medicine need to be kept in a refrigerator? __________________________________
Dosage &
Method_____________________________________________________________________
Timing_____________________________________________________________________________
Special Precautions___________________________________________________________________
CONTACT DETAILS
Name of Parent/Guardian______________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________________________________________
Daytime Telephone Number____________________________________
Alternative Telephone Number__________________________________
I understand that 1 must personally deliver the medicine to Head/Secretary/Class Teacher and
accept that this is a voluntary service provided by the school.
Signature of Parent/Guardian ________________________________________Date_________
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