Medical Centre Staff
The St Bees School Medical Centre provides cover Monday to Thursday from 08.00 - 17.30. Fri cover is from 08.00 – 16.00. Medical cover is provided by Housemaster/Mistress after these hours. Weekends cover is provided by the Housemaster/Mistress on duty.
Cover is provided on Saturdays at times when Home Matches are being played.
Staffing is supplied by two School Medical Officers, one nurse and two part-time first aiders.
Medical Officers: Dr Graham Ironside,
Dr Suzanne Megan
School Nurse: Mrs Katy Heap
First Aiders: Mrs Barbara Barwise,
Mrs Helen Reid
Aims
The Health Centre Staff work together to achieve the aims and objectives as follows: -
1. Provide a professional medical and nursing service of the highest quality in a caring, supportive and confidential atmosphere.
2. Provide a system to support health promotion, providing knowledge and guidance, to ensure a healthy school community, influencing physical, social and mental wellbeing.
Students can visit surgery at any time during the hours that it is open; they are encouraged to come at break times for anything that is not deemed an emergency.
Confidentiality will be maintained at all times.
If a boarding pupil, in the view of the doctor or matrons, is unfit to participate in Games lessons, they can collect a “leave-off” slip from the Matron – preferably before 11.00. This gives permission for the student not to take part in physical exercise on the date(s) stated.
Day pupils who are not able to participate in physical exercise are expected to bring a letter from their parents to excuse them from such activity.
Communication
Communication is a vital part of the Health Centre's role.
If a day pupil should become ill during school hours, they are, in the first instance, cared for in the Medical Centre. The School Office is informed of any day pupils in bed during the day. If the day pupil's condition does not improve, we attempt to contact their parents, and if possible the pupil returns home. The Office is then informed that the student has gone home.
If a boarding pupil should become ill during school hours, they are cared for initially in the Medical Centre. The School Office is informed that a pupil is in the Medical Centre. The relevant House-staff will be informed of any student who has been unwell all day. The House-staff will be informed before the student returns to the House and advised of any medication the student has received and required during the evening. In the case of severe illness whenever possible the Matron on duty will inform the parents and advise the House staff accordingly, otherwise the House-staff are responsible for informing the parents of any boarding pupils who are unwell. Mr Williams can be contacted to liaise with non-English speaking Chinese parents.
Boarding pupils, who are ill on House, are visited by a Matron as early as possible during the day. The House-staff are responsible for informing the Matron on duty as early as possible in the morning.
Communication between staff within the Department is vital. When shift changes take place a verbal report is given of any student who is unwell in the Department or on the House.
Pupils who receive treatment in the Medical Centre have their treatment/medication and time of visit recorded in the file in Matron's surgery. This provides a useful reference for staff on duty later in the day.
All appointments and meetings are written in the diary. Reminder slips are sent out to the Houses the week before appointments are due. The evening before an appointment, a telephone call is made to the Houses to remind students of appointments the following day.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality between the student and anything discussed with the School Nurse/School Doctor will be maintained.
In accordance with the school doctor's and nurse's professional obligations, medical information about pupils, regardless of their age, will remain confidential. However, in providing medical and nursing care for a student, it is recognised that on occasions the doctor and the nurse may liaise with the Head teacher and other academic staff, boarding staff and parents/guardians, and that information, ideally with the student's prior consent, will be passed on as necessary. With all medical and nursing matters, the doctor and nurse will respect a student's confidence. However on very rare occasions when, having failed to persuade that student to give consent to divulgence, the doctor or nurse considers that it is in the student's best interests or necessary for the protection of the wider school community, to breach confidence and pass information to a relevant person or body.
Immunisations
These are arranged by the Community Nurses based at Flatt Walks Health Centre in Whitehaven.
The St Bees Medical Centre has responsibility for sending out the required forms for parental consent and arranging for the forms to be returned to the nurses at Flatt Walks.
Inform School of the date immunisations are to be carried out, the room to be prepared with tables and chairs and pupils collected at the appropriate time.
Coffee is provided by the School Kitchen and this needs to be ordered the week before.
Collect list from Community Nurses on the day – enter on pupils' file the immunisation received and the date.
Counselling
There are no professional counsellors within the medical department, however the matrons have had some basic training in counselling and are very capable of talking through people's issues and concerns. Professional counselling is available through referral from the school GP.
Counselling is conducted in a quiet private place where interruptions will not occur.
Self-referrals for counselling can also be made by any student or member of staff.
Complete confidentiality is preserved except where statutory requirements must be upheld as in Child Abuse.
If Child Abuse is suspected, the nurse will always consult with the Senior Medical Officer before proceeding on any course of action. The procedure guidelines for Child Abuse should be followed.