§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health under what conditions(a) school nurses and (b) other school staff may administer (i) aspirin, (ii) MMR vaccine, (iii) other vaccines and (iv) the morning after pill without parental consent. [35223]
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Dates Companies seconded from: Civil service grade Job title Section seconded to: Summary of work undertaken November 1995 to November 1997 Nabarro Nathanson The secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive are equivalent to civil service grade IP4 and titled 'Consultant' except the secondee from Tarmac who was equivalent to civil service grade SCS and was Head of the Private Finance Unit Secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive advise NHS Trusts on legal and financial aspects of PFI contracts July 1996 to July 1997 Walker Morris June 1996 to March 1997 Secta Group Ltd. December 1996 to January 1998 Tarmac plc January 1997 to September 1997 Private Finance Panel Executive (3) February 1997 to January 1998 Private Finance Panel Executive (3) April 1997 to July 1998 Private Finance Panel Executive (3) July 1997 to July 1998 Pinsent Curtis September 1997 to August 1998 Deloitte & Touche September 1997 to September 1998 Beachcroft Stanley January 1998 to July 1998 Dickinson Dees May 1998 to May 1999 PricewaterhouseCooper June 1998 to June 1999 Ward Hadaway July 1998 to June 1999 Lloyds Bank plc February 1999 to November 1999 Hempson March 1999 to January 2000 Berwin Leighton
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 11 February 2002]: The guidance "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs" issued by the Department for Education and Skills covers circumstances in which medication may be administered, and underlines the need for a clear policy to be set out, drawn up in partnership with parents. School staff should generally not give aspirin to pupils and never to a child under 12 years of age, unless prescribed. Parents must give consent to their child's participation in any immunisation programme, for which school nurses are responsible. Other school staff do not conduct immunisation programmes.
School nurses may provide prescription only medicines, like the morning after pill, to pupils within the legal framework and arrangements set out in Patient Group Directions. There are no circumstances in which other school staff may supply emergency contraception. The necessity for parental consent to these measures depends on whether or not a child is considered to be competent to give consent. Children and young people are often able to provide their own consent for medication—where they are considered to be competent under the Frazer Guidelines set out in 1985. Involving parents is recognised to be good practice but the primary duty is to the child's best interests.