Back to school health tips | News and events

As children across the county return to school this week, the local NHS are giving parents and carers their top five tips for keeping kids healthy at school.

Returning for the new school year brings lots of children together again and with it lots of bugs and germs. NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough's top five returning to school tips for parents or carers to keep your children and family healthy are: 

1. Remember hand hygiene - Continue to encourage children to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating.
2. Check prescription medicines - Check any prescription medications that they have at school are up to date, and order more if needed.
3. Keep up to date with childhood vaccinations - Make sure your child is up to date on any childhood vaccinations. If you’re not sure if they’ve had all their vaccines, contact your GP practice to check. Be sure to sign the consent form for your child to have their flu vaccine when you’re sent it by your child’s school.
4. Help stop the spread - Keep children off school if they have a contagious illness such as vomiting and diarrhoea and chickenpox.
5. Stock up your medicine cabinet – Please stock up your medicines cabinet so you can treat common conditions such as colds, coughs and tummy bugs at home, saving you time and helping your children feel better quicker. 

Kath Rowe, Deputy Medical Director, at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said, “Returning to school is a good prompt to make sure you have everything sorted for your child’s health and wellbeing. There are steps parents and families can take to keep their household healthy this autumn whilst also preventing infections from spreading when children are poorly.

“Childhood illnesses such as measles and whooping cough have been more common this year which is why it’s essential your child has all their childhood vaccinations. If you’re not sure, or can’t remember if your child is up to date on their vaccines, contact your GP practice as they can check your child’s medical record for you.”

If you need basic medical help for anyone in your family your local pharmacy will sell medications and can help with prescriptions, as well as offering the Pharmacy First scheme which can help with seven common conditions. More information is available https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/

For more information about children’s health and school visit  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/