Nursery has to close as parents send in sick children

A NURSERY had to close its doors for two weeks to halt a salmonella outbreak after parents refused to keep sick children at home.

Fifteen children were affected by the ‘mild’ strain, including three admitted to hospital.

But despite good infection control policies, the outbreak continued until the nursery ‘voluntarily’ closed for two weeks to halt the spread.

Around half of the children affected had been sent in despite having symptoms, against public health advice.

Anyone falling ill with a stomach bug is advised to stay off work, school or nursery until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have passed.

A report found ‘lack of disclosure’ from parents about their child’s illness was often ‘due to concerns about the availability of alternative childcare arrangements or difficulties in taking leave from employment’.

Last night, parenting groups said the findings reflect the ‘struggle to juggle’ work and childcare faced by many families.

Annie O’Leary, of the parenting website Netmums, said: ‘At Netmums we know the struggle to juggle work and childcare is very real.

‘In our recent state of the nation’s parents survey, 70 per cent of both mums and dads said they

‘Struggle to juggle childcare is very real’

wished they had more time with their kids, and that they feel the current situation where both parents need and are expected to work isn’t working in reality at all. My heart goes out to the parents who felt they had to do this. They deserve our compassion, not condemnation.’

The outbreak took place in an unnamed nursery in South Ayrshire in December 2017.

Public health officials were notified when the first cases of two two-year-olds were diagnosed after they became so unwell their parents had taken them to hospital. More cases then followed over the next four weeks despite extra infection control measures being put in place.

An investigation did not find any source of the infection in the nursery itself, ruling out food poisoning or contaminated surfaces, but instead found cases were spreading among children despite a ‘high standard’ of infection control.

But although parents were being notified of the outbreak, many did not disclose their child’s illness or keep them at home because their symptoms were mild. Instead, they were sent home by nursery staff when they noticed they were unwell.