This information is based on Department for Education guidance about supporting pupils at school with medical conditions.
Types of medical condition
There are many types of medical conditions which can result from illness or injury.
Medical conditions can include physical health needs, for example:
- diabetes
- epilepsy
- asthma
- heart conditions
They can also include mental health needs like anxiety and depression.
Medical conditions can sometimes affect a child's ability to learn as they might not be well enough to attend school at times.
Sometimes medical conditions can affect a child's confidence or self-esteem. They can also make it difficult to keep in touch with friends.
How the law protects pupils with a medical condition
Schools must make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. This is a requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014.
This is to make sure these pupils can:
- take part in all school activities, including school trips and PE
- stay healthy
- do well in their school work
Schools must also have a policy explaining how they will support pupils with medical conditions.
Some pupils with medical conditions may also be disabled. Where this is the case, the school must follow their duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Read about schools’ duties towards pupils with a disability.
What the schools policy should include
The school's policy should include:
- what they will do when they're told a pupil has a medical condition
- how they will organise training for their staff
- who will develop individual healthcare plans
- how they will help pupils to manage their own health needs (where appropriate)
- how they will store medicines and keep records of these being administered
- what will happen in an emergency
- how someone can make a complaint
Supporting individual pupils
Every child or young person is unique. As such, how the school supports them will depend on individual needs.
Schools should start by talking to the pupil and their family about how they want to be supported.
Schools should also ask healthcare practitioners, such as specialist nurses about how to best support individual pupils.
Some pupils might need support from a member of staff throughout the day or at specific points. They may need help to take their medication or to keep them well.
Other pupils might need medicines given to them in emergency situations. Staff may need training from medical professionals to make sure they can do this.
Schools should develop an individual healthcare plan for pupils who need medical support during the school day.
Individual healthcare plans
An individual healthcare plan (IHP) sets out:
- what medical condition a pupil has
- what needs to be done to help the pupil at school
- when this help needs to happen
- who should provide the help
A group of people write the IHP together, including:
- the pupil (where possible)
- their parents or carers
- someone from the school
- a relevant health professional, such as a specialist nurse
The school will finalise the IHP and review it every year, or sooner if there are any changes.
Intimate care plan
Some pupils might need help to go to the toilet when they're at school. In these cases the school writes a slightly different plan called an intimate care plan.
If a pupil already has an individual healthcare plan and needs help to go to the toilet the school does not need to write a separate intimate care plan. They can combine the two.
Medical risk assessments
Sometimes, a school may need to undertake a medical risk assessment. This might be when developing the IHP. Or it could be a separate process.
Medical risk assessments look at what might cause harm to a pupil and decide what can be done to:
- prevent any harm occurring, or
- reduce the risk to an acceptable level
Risk assessments make sure that pupils with medical conditions are safely included in school life. They are often used to plan school trips.
A group of people undertake the risk assessment together, including:
- the pupil (where possible)
- their parents or carers
- someone from the school
- a relevant health professional, such as a specialist nurse
Medicines in school
Schools can administer medicines at school if the pupil needs these. But schools can only give medicines if they have written parental permission.
Parents must provide medicines for the school to use. They must be:
- in date
- labelled
- in their original container
- provided with instructions for administration, dosage and storage
Schools must store medicines in a safe place. Pupils should know where their medicines are and be able to get to them quickly.
Controlled drugs must be stored in a special container. Only certain staff can have access to these medicines.
Schools must keep a written record of all medicines they have administered.
Older pupils can look after their own medicines where they are able to do so.
Arrangements for school trips
Pupils with medical conditions should be able to go on school trips. Schools should plan ahead to make sure this can happen. They may need to provide extra staffing for the trip. Schools can use a medical risk assessment for this purpose.
Sometimes a health professional, such as a GP might say it's not possible for a pupil to take part in a trip or activity. If this happens the school must follow their advice.
More information about supporting pupils with medical conditions
Read more about supporting pupils with medical conditions at school.