Agenda item

Update from Steven Senior Consultant in Public Health (Healthcare Public Health & Health Protection)

Steven, Senior Public Health Consultant, presented the Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) Annual Report, which provides a detailed review of child deaths across the borough with the aim of identifying modifiable factors and informing preventative action. The CDOP sits at the end of the child death review process and plays a crucial role in public health by examining the circumstances surrounding each death. The panel benefits from strong clinical representation and works across multiple organisations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors.

The report is structured into three main sections. The first covers publicly available data, including birth rates, child mortality rates, and the impact of wider social determinants such as children in care and homelessness. The second section explores intrinsic factors such as congenital disorders, as well as environmental influences including the home and social context. The final section focuses on modifiable factors—those that, if addressed, could potentially prevent future deaths. It was noted that it is rare to review deaths that occur within the same calendar year due to the time required for thorough investigation.

Key findings from the report show that birth rates are declining and there has been a reduction in child poverty. However, child mortality rates remain flat, with many deaths occurring in children under the age of one. These are often linked to congenital or genetic conditions. The report also highlights that higher rates of child deaths are found in the most deprived areas, and several cases involved one or more modifiable factors, particularly relating to pregnancy and household environments. Issues such as unsafe sleeping practices and alcohol use continue to be areas of concern.

Steven emphasised the importance of targeting advice and support to families, particularly around safe sleeping and access to genetic counselling. He invited the Health and Wellbeing Board to consider the recommendations and how they could be implemented locally.

A member of the committee raised the issue of deprivation and demographics, noting that unsafe sleeping conditions, premature delivery, and substance misuse are key contributing factors. They highlighted that stigma and cultural taboos can prevent individuals from seeking support, particularly among women from minority ethnic backgrounds, and raised concerns about how maternity services are experienced by these groups. They welcomed the opportunity to take forward the learnings from the report and explore how to change mindsets and improve outcomes.

Another member agreed with the points raised and emphasised the importance of building on existing strategies. They suggested that the recommendations in the report could act as an additional lever to strengthen current work and proposed exploring peer mentoring and community champion models as part of the Starting Well approach. They also recommended bringing the issue to relevant portfolios and reporting back to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Further discussion focused on maternity service access, with a member asking how the Council could ensure that alternative maternity services are effective, given the absence of a direct maternity unit in Bury. They stressed the importance of early help and engagement with maternity services, including the Maternity Voices Partnership.

Dr Cathy Fines confirmed that Bury does have access to the Maternity Voices Partnership and agreed with the importance of maternal choice and experience. She highlighted the role of the Safeguarding Partnership in promoting safer sleeping practices and shared that since COVID, there have been five child deaths linked to unsafe sleeping. Each of these families faced additional vulnerabilities. She explained that the Safer Sleeping Toolkit has been introduced to offer bespoke support to such families and that CDOP is working in partnership with the Safeguarding Partnership to implement changes across both boards.

The discussion concluded with support for integrating this work into the Starting Well Partnership and planning a coordinated approach to address the issues raised in the report.

It Was Agreed

·         The update be noted