There will be a change in school health care services in the city of Tampere from autumn 2011 according to a new decree on preventive health care services for children and young people.
School nurses and doctors will focus more on monitoring growth and development among pupils, screening illnesses and risk factors, and various ways of promoting healthy living. Correspondingly, the time for appointments will decrease. The school nurse and doctor also participate in pupil welfare work and activities that support health and safety in the school environment.
Health check-ups for pupils will be carried out each year in the future. A comprehensive health check-up, which also includes a check-up by a doctor, will be performed in the 1st, 5th and 8th grades. In the comprehensive health check-ups, the welfare of the entire family will be reviewed. In other grades, the check-up with the school doctor will be carried out according to the pupil’s individual health care plan. At the health check-up with the doctor, all pupils in the 8th grade will receive a Young People’s Health Certificate (4 copies), which is valid for five years.
The check-ups include examinations regarding growth and development as well as physical health, and matters about promoting health and attending school are discussed according to the age level. Forms with preliminary information for school health care are used as reference for the check-up.
Apart from the health check-ups, pupils may go to see the school nurse without an appointment during school-specific consultation hours. Parents or pupils themselves can get in touch if they are concerned about growth, development or weight management, suspect problems in eyesight or hearing, or have questions about mental health issues, substance abuse or other problems regarding health or school attendance.
A student must not come to school while ill. If a pupil needs an evaluation by a health care professional (nurse, family doctor) after suddenly falling ill, the health services information and booking line can be contacted (tel. 03 10023 every day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., contact Acuta at night). A pupil who has fallen ill during the school day receives permission to go home primarily from the teacher. When necessary, a school nurse may be consulted. If needed, the parent of a child under 10 years of age that has suddenly fallen ill can obtain a certificate for their employer from the school nurse based on a telephone call.
Email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@tampere.fi