Schools agree charities' policy pack is crucial for supporting pupils with health conditions

Eight out of ten schools surveyed in England have created or amended their medical policies since receiving a policy pack created by charities Asthma UK, The Anaphylaxis Campaign, Diabetes UK and Epilepsy Action. The survey of school staff shows that the Medical Conditions at School: Policy Pack is helping schools across England to provide vital and potentially life-saving support for children and young people with medical conditions.

The pack enables schools to set up one overall policy to ensure children with medical conditions are protected at school. It provides comprehensive awareness information on four medical conditions that can have a major impact on a child or young person’s time at school: anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, and includes useful materials such as templates for healthcare plans, out of school visits forms and staff training records.

The four charities united to develop the policy pack in 2007 as Government legislation does not currently require schools to have a designated medical policy in place. This meant that many schools either did not have a policy at all, or where medical policies did exist, they were often basic and poorly maintained.

Click here to download the full release issued by Asthma UK 4 November 2009.