Issue - meetings

The Board received the 2019/20 Annual Report of the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD).  The NCMD collates data collected by all the Child Death Overview Panels (CDOPs) in England from their reviews of all children who die at any time after birth and before their 18^th birthday. The Annual Report, the first prepared by the NCMD, covered the deaths of those children whose death was reviewed by a CDOP between 1^st April 2019 and 31^st March 2020, the purpose of the Report being to understand why children die and to put in place interventions to protect other children and reduce the risk of future deaths.  A second NCMD annual report was to follow in Spring 2021 to include detailed analysis along with key messages and recommendations informed by the data and in consultation with the NCMD stakeholder professional and public representation groups.

The Annual Report was supported at the meeting by a presentation introduced by Rebecca Fletcher, Consultant in Public Health and Chair of the Bury, Rochdale and Oldham CDOP 2019/20 and Annie Lowe, Public Health Registrar.  The presentation highlighted the following key points from the Annual Report -

·         the NCMD received 3,347 child death notifications 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020;

·         there had been a decrease in the numbers of cases reviewed and closed nationally;

·         “Perinatal/neonatal event”, and “Chromosomal, genetic and congenital anomalies” combined represented over half (56%) of reviews completed. For 63% of deaths reviewed the child was aged under 1;

·         31% of the reviews identified one or more modifiable factors; and

·         sudden, unexpected and unexplained deaths, deliberate injuries and trauma had the most modifiable factors identified

RESOLVED that the National Child Mortality Database Annual Report 2019/20 be received and noted.