Summary of responses to questions
| Question | Response | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| *47% of the original cohort; **30% of the original cohort. | |||
| †Open question. The answers were categorised by the investigators (one teacher and one pharmacist). | |||
| ‡Some schools reported more than one designated person as responsible for the task. | |||
| §Supporting staff includes secretary, administrative officer, office manager, welfare officer/assistant, and lunch time supervisor. | |||
| ¶Teaching staff include: teacher, special education needs co-ordinator (SENCO), SENCO assistant, learning support assistant, and teaching/class assistant. | |||
| Not applicable, question does not apply to respondent; PGCE, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (UK official teaching qualification). | |||
| A) School documents and policies regarding supporting pupils with medical needs and medication administration | |||
| 1) Are you aware that the Department for Education and Skills has produced | Yes | 73 | 67 |
| a document called Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs? (n = 109 respondents) | No | 36 | 33 |
| 2) If answer to question (1) is Yes: Have you read the above | Yes | 52 | 74* |
| document? (n = 70 respondents) | No | 18 | 26 |
| 3) If answer to question (1) is Yes: Are you aware of any other | Yes | 33 | 45** |
| member of staff who has read the document? (n = 73 respondents) | No | 40 | 55 |
| 4) Does your school follow any policy or procedure in caring for | Yes | 105 | 95 |
| the medical needs of pupils? (n = 110 respondents) | No | 5 | 5 |
| 5) Name of the organisation who drew up the policy† (n = 98 respondents) | School governing body | 76 | 78 |
| Special Education Needs Co-ordinator | 4 | 4 | |
| Local Education Authority | 6 | 6 | |
| Health and safety committee of local borough | 8 | 8 | |
| Local school medical service | 2 | 2 | |
| DoH/DfES guideline | 1 | 1 | |
| Primary Care Trust | 1 | 1 | |
| B) Responsibility for the medical needs of pupils and medication access | |||
| 1) Does your school have a designated member of staff who handles | Yes | 98 | 92 |
| the medical needs of the pupils? (n = 107 respondents) | No | 9 | 8 |
| 2) Who are the designated staff responsible for medical | Supporting staff§ | 77 | Not applicable |
| needs†‡ (n = 98 respondents) | Teaching staff¶ | 20 | |
| Head teacher/deputy head teacher | 9 | ||
| First aider | 18 | ||
| School nurse | 3 | ||
| 3) Is there a member of staff who handles access to stored | Yes | 102 | 94 |
| medicines? (n = 109 respondents) | No | 7 | 6 |
| 4) Who are the designated staff responsible for handling access | Supporting staff§ | 84 | Not applicable |
| to stored medicines†‡ (n = 100 respondents) | Teaching staff¶ | 10 | |
| Head teacher/deputy head teacher | 7 | ||
| First aider | 15 | ||
| School nurse | 1 | ||
| 5) Does your school keep written health care plans for the individual | Not applicable | 28 | 27 |
| child with epilepsy? (n = 105 respondents) | Yes | 51 | 49 |
| No | 25 | 24 | |
| Not sure | 1 | 1 | |
| 6) Does your school keep written health care plans for the individual | Not applicable | 30 | 29 |
| child with diabetes? (n = 105 respondents) | Yes | 47 | 45 |
| No | 27 | 26 | |
| Not sure | 1 | 1 | |
| 7) Does your school keep written health care plans for the individual | Not applicable | 3 | 3 |
| child with asthma? (n = 108 respondents) | Yes | 59 | 55 |
| No | 45 | 42 | |
| Not sure | 1 | 1 | |
| C) Acceptance of instructions from parents and records keeping | |||
| 1) Does your school accept verbal instruction from parents regarding | Yes | 17 | 16 |
| the administration of medicines in school? (n = 107 respondents) | No | 90 | 84 |
| 2) Does your school have a written record of medicine administered to | Yes | 82 | 76 |
| pupils? (n = 108 respondents) | No | 26 | 24 |
| D) Staff training | |||
| 1) Does your school provide training to staff about the medical | Yes | 93 | 86 |
| needs of pupils? (n = 108 respondents) | No | 15 | 14 |
| 2) In your opinion, do you think there is sufficient training for in-service teachers | Yes | 48 | 49 |
| to help pupils in administering their medicines while they are in school? (n = 98 respondents) | No | 50 | 51 |
| 3) In your opinion, do you think that the PGCE programmes | Yes | 9 | 9 |
| provide sufficient training to equip future teachers in helping pupils to | No | 41 | 40 |
| administer required medicines? (n = 102 respondents) | Not sure | 52 | 51 |
| 4) Would you be interested in having a pharmacist to train staff regarding | Yes | 40 | 39 |
| the administration of medicines to children in school? (n = 102 respondents) | No | 61 | 60 |
| Not sure | 1 | 1 | |
| E) Administration of intimate and invasive treatment in emergency | |||
| 5) Are there any children in your school who have been prescribed | Yes | 83 | 75 |
| the EpiPen? (n = 110 respondents) | No | 25 | 23 |
| Not sure | 2 | 2 | |
| 6) Does your school have trained staff to administer the EpiPen to | Not applicable | 5 | 5 |
| children in an emergency? (n = 98 respondents) | Yes | 80 | 82 |
| No | 13 | 13 | |
| 7) Are there any children in your school who have been prescribed | Yes | 15 | 14 |
| rectal diazepam? (n = 108 respondents) | No | 91 | 84 |
| Not sure | 2 | 2 | |
| 8) Does your school have trained staff to administer the rectal diazepam | Not applicable | 32 | 36 |
| to children in an emergency? (n = 90 respondents) | Yes | 12 | 13 |
| No | 46 | 51 | |