First Aid & Medical Provision

Reigate Grammar School endeavours to provide a secure environment for pupils, employees and visitors to the school. The school undertakes to promote good Health and Safety procedures commensurate with modern practice and advice within the context of a school and activities where there will be necessarily an element of risk.

First Aid and medical provision is made according to an assessment of the risk of each situation (classroom, playing fields, extra-curricular activities, trips, Science laboratories etc.) and will be reviewed and altered as far as is reasonably possible according to changes in information and the medical needs of pupils and employees.

In all instances of illness or accident, attempts will be made to contact next-of-kin, but if it is deemed that emergency action is required, the school undertakes to refer the patient to the appropriate medical professionals without prior consent.

First Aid provision
Each of the school office staff has undertaken a four-day First Aid at work course and they are able to deal with minor incidents and provide emergency First Aid. Other members of staff are First Aid trained appropriate to the qualifications required for the activity or area of the school for which they are responsible. A list of those who have been trained in First Aid is available from the school office.

The School First Aid Officer is Mrs Sheila Ferrier.

If necessary, individual treatment and emergency plans will be developed in conjunction with parents and medical professionals, for pupils with a particular illness.

No member of staff is a qualified paramedic or nurse and therefore all serious incidents will be referred to the Ambulance Service or pupils will be accompanied to hospital. A member of staff cannot give consent for an operation, if required.

First Aid Equipment
First Aid boxes are maintained and reviewed by the School's First Aid Officer; more extensive equipment is located in the medical room.

School Trips and Activities Off-Site
Those taking trips and activities undertake a thorough risk assessment and are equipped with a First Aid kit and a mobile phone in case of emergency. Staff have emergency contact numbers and pupils are briefed thoroughly and given emergency contact instructions for any unsupervised time.
Activities which are deemed to be dangerous (sea swimming for example) are not allowed without prior parental consent or the presence of a qualified instructor. With the exception of Duke of Edinburgh hikes, where pupils are required to be unsupervised for large parts of the day, all potentially hazardous activities are done through fully accredited organisations with qualified instruction.

It is a legal requirement for all Tour companies to provide a copy of their Safety Management System with which the school must be satisfied before the trip commences.

Medical Provision
Basic medical attention for minor ailments is given in the medical room, which is supervised by a member of the office staff under the supervision of the School First Aid Officer who is a member of the office staff. The staff are qualified First Aiders but are not state registered nurses. More serious ailments and injuries will be referred to a medical professional or the Ambulance Service. On occasions when parents cannot be contacted, one of the office staff will accompany a pupil to hospital, and stay with the pupil until a parent arrives.

In instances where teachers become concerned about the health of a pupil, the parents or guardian will be contacted.

Medical Information
The school will keep medical information about particular pupils and will ensure that all members of staff responsible for the pupil at any given time are made aware of his or her medical requirements. Forms requesting medical information and changes to existing information are sent out at the beginning of the academic year; separate forms are required for residential trips and outdoor education.

On all trips, members of staff are required to check the medical requirements of all those attending the trip and to carry the information with them.

It is the responsibility of parents to keep the school informed and updated of any changes to the health and medical requirements of their children in writing. The school cannot be responsible for any shortcomings in medical provision if this information is not forthcoming.

Administration of Medicines
Pupils who are required to have medicine about their person, such as insulin, epipens, or asthma inhalers, should be instructed in its administration by a medical professional. The school office will keep spare medication in case of emergency if requested.

For pupils under the age of 16, all other medication, including over-the-counter medication, should be handed into the office for safe-keeping and administration in the medical room. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that children take their morning medication and to ensure that pupils with insulin, epipens etc. have the medication with them when they leave for school. All other medicines should be carried to school by a parent or adult, not the pupil.

Acting on guidelines from the DfES, the school does not dispense paracetamol or other pain relief for occasional requirements, unless it has been provided by the parents of the pupil.

It is the responsibility of the parents to provide the school with medication for remedial pain relief for a regular medical condition such as menstrual pain or anti-inflammatories for sporting injuries.

On all trips, it is the responsibility of parents to liaise with the trip leader with regard to the administration of any medication. It is the right of any member of staff to decline the administration of any medication.

Vaccinations
'BCG' Vaccinations against tuberculosis (and meningitis, if instructed by the Sussex and Surrey Healthcare NHS Trust) are administered by the Sussex and Surrey Healthcare NHS Trust, using the school as a venue, only with the prior written consent of parents.

Parents are advised to consult with their own Doctors concerning appropriate vaccinations for their children, including those which may be required for overseas trips organised by the school.

General requirement
The school should be informed, via the pupil's Form Tutor and in writing, of any absence from school as a result of an illness or a medical appointment.