Nine primary school children from Jesse Gray Primary School in West Bridgford were taken to hospital after consuming seeds from trees on the school grounds. The Year 6 pupils were transported to Queen's Medical Centre on Wednesday, June 3, as a precautionary measure.
Children Monitored and Discharged
The children were observed for several hours before being discharged unharmed back to their families, according to Nottinghamshire Live. Head teacher Chris Belton confirmed that all nine pupils returned to school the following day. 'As a precaution, nine Year 6 pupils were taken to the Queen's Medical Centre where they were monitored for several hours. All nine pupils were discharged after a short period and have since had no adverse reactions,' he said. 'I am delighted to say that all nine pupils are back in school today.'
School Takes Action
Mr Belton stated that the area where the children were playing has been cordoned off, and following a professional inspection, a small number of trees will be removed. Staff have reinforced the message of safe play and the dangers of eating wild seeds and berries during a school assembly. He also commended the swift actions of school staff and the emergency services.
Parents dropping off their children on Thursday, June 4, expressed reassurance at the school's handling of the incident. One mother said, 'I don't really know what happened, but there were ambulances around the school. They were eating berries, we were told. They have been very cautious.' A father added that an email from the school put parents at ease.
Emergency Response
Emergency services responded at approximately 1:20 pm on Wednesday, with an air ambulance and a hazardous area response team dispatched. East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed that nine patients were transported to Queen's Medical Centre. Councillor Jonathan Wheeler, representing West Bridgford South, noted that residents were concerned after spotting a large number of ambulances outside the school.
