Mum in school bus medical emergency rule change plea

Pauline Wheeler said her daughter, Elisa, cannot get to school on the day she works

A mother has pleaded for changes to council rules barring school bus staff from giving medicine to her daughter in an emergency.

Pauline Wheeler told councillors at a Denbighshire council meeting that Elisa, 15, has to miss school as she cannot take her when she has to work.

Her daughter has cerebral palsy and epilepsy which causes seizures.

A senior councillor said discretionary arrangements can be put in place following an evaluation of needs.

Mrs Wheeler, from Corwen, said her daughter can have life-threatening seizures lasting up to half an hour.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Denbighshire council has told Mrs Wheeler that drivers on her daughter's one-hour bus journey cannot administer the medicine to combat the seizures.

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Instead, they would take her home or to school for somebody trained in administering the medication to do so or an ambulance would be called if they were between the two.

The meeting was held at County Hall, Ruthin, on Tuesday

Mrs Wheeler said: "Parents are not going to play Russian roulette with their children, putting them on the bus and sending them to school knowing there will be no help available."

She has been taking Elisa to school but she works on Thursday and Friday so her daughter has had to miss lessons in Wrexham.

Councillor Brian Jones, the lead member responsible for school transport, said its policy "allows for each specific case to be evaluated according to the pupil's needs".

Mrs Wheeler said that medication to help children with epilepsy should be included in its policy. Mr Jones has vowed to respond within seven days.

Mrs Wheeler said she has been told the council will provide a carer to travel with her daughter but she is concerned other students in a similar situation are also helped.