Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) for Stockport, Tameside and Trafford (STT) reviews all child deaths that occur in our three districts so that we can learn why our children die and what as a system we can do differently to prevent this happening, or if that death is inevitable, ensure the child has the best death possible and their family and carers are supported throughout.

The report sets out the key 5 recommendations from 2021/22 CDOP annual report and reviews progress against the 8 recommendations for 2019/21.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(1)  Note the CDOP 2021/22 main report and endorse the recommendations for the coming year.

(2)  Review the actions taken as a result of the 2019/21 recommendations.

Officer contact: Ben Fryer on 07929 847904 or email: ben.fryer@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the Annual Report of Stockport, Tameside and Trafford’s Child Death Overview Panel 2021/2022, outlining the key five recommendations from the 2021/22 Child Death Overview Panel annual report and reviewing the progress against the eight recommendations for 2019/21.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Members requested clarification in relation to recommendation 8c which encouraged only one embryo to be implanted in IVF procedures, to reduce the risks from multiple births.

·         In response, it was commented that when an IVF procedure takes place it used to be common practice for more than one embryo to be implanted to increase the chances that one of those embryos survived through to a live birth, however this also increased the chance of a multiple birth. It was noted that the human body has a limited capacity to support embryo development which meant that multiple births were riskier than singleton births and there was a direct correlation between multiple births and the risk of children resulting in more miscarriages, stillborn children and children born with various abnormalities. It was reported that there was strong work from IVF clinics and the regulator, HFEA, which had led to an increasing number of successful outcomes from IVF and fewer complications resulting from multiple births. Whilst the person undergoing the IVF procedure would have the choice around the number embryos implanted during the procedure, it was hoped that the current trend of single embryos being implanted would continue as this was reducing the number of child deaths.

·         Members noted the importance of the report and thanked officers.

·         In relation to recommendation 5b working with Public Health Directorates to support the delivery of smoking cessation interventions at a population level, thereby reducing the risk of smoking to children, it was queried whether there was a policy to encourage pregnant women to use vaping as an alternative to smoking cigarettes and whether vaping was a safer alternative.

·         In response, it was stated that the policy was to support all pregnant women to stop smoking if they were willing and able to engage with the services and included any tool available to aid this. In relation to whether vaping caused harm during pregnancy, it was commented that there wasn’t enough data to comprehensively rule out harm to the foetus, however it was certain that vaping was vastly less harmful than smoking.

·         It was queried why the Child Death Overview Panel annual report was being considered by the Scrutiny Committee on this occasion.

·         In response, it was commented that the item could be accommodated on the agenda and was a welcomed opportunity to raise the profile of the important recommendations contained within the report.

·         It was queried how the service ensured that all relevant deaths were reported into the Child Death Overview Panel for Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.

·         In response, it was stated there were a number of approaches to ensure that all deaths were captured within the figures which included a legal mandation that all deaths were reported to the Panel via a number of partners, additional checks were undertaken on a variety of databases where deaths were normally recorded and the Panel liaised closely with the coroner. It was noted that there were discussions that took place where a child dies outside the area that the child normally resides to ascertain which Panel would look at that particular case.

·         In relation to the recurring modifiable factors in recent Child Death Overview Panel cases, it was queried why there was a greater focus on tackling obesity in comparison to reckless driving when the number of deaths as a result of the modifiable factors were the same.

·         In response, it was commented that the recommendations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) for Stockport, Tameside and Trafford (STT) reviews all child deaths that occur in our three districts so that we can learn why our children die and what as a system we can do differently to prevent this happening, or if that death is inevitable, ensure the child has the best death possible and their family and carers are supported throughout.

The report sets out the key 5 recommendations from 2021/22 CDOP annual report and reviews progress against the 8 recommendations for 2019/21.

The Board is recommended to:-

(1)  Note the CDOP 2021/22 main report and endorse the recommendations for the coming year.

(2)  Review the actions taken as a result of the 2019/21 recommendations.

(3)  Agree any further actions needed.

Officer contact: Ben Fryer on 07929 847904 or email: ben.fryer@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the Annual Report of Stockport, Tameside and Trafford’s Child Death Overview Panel 2021/2022, outlining the key five recommendations from the 2021/22 Child Death Overview Panel Annual Report and reviewing the progress against the eight recommendations for 2019/21.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Welcomed the report and the proposed recommendations from the 2021/22 Child Death Overview Panel Annual Report, and thanked officers for the progress made in Stockport on the actions agreed as a result of the 2019/21 Annual Report.

·         The Board expressed concern in relation to recommendation 8c which encouraged only one embryo to be implanted in IVF procedures, to reduce the risks from multiple births and queried whether the recommendation would limit a person’s chance of a successful pregnancy.

·         In response, it was commented that IVF was a sensitive issue and there had been a large amount of work over the last decade completed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority which had resulted in improvements in the success rates from IVF. It was reported that the best chance of conceiving a healthy child was by having only one embryo implanted and over 80% of IVF cycles now involved one embryo only. IVF clinics were now able to provide individual, tailored statistical analysis for each potential parent setting out their chances of success and the risk associated with multiple births. It was noted that the recommendation aimed to avoid a person thinking that they were doing the right thing by choosing multiple implantation when it wouldn’t improve the chances of a successful outcome. Whilst the person undergoing the IVF procedure would have the choice around the number embryos implanted during the procedure, the recommendation was informed by evidence and it was hoped that the current trend of single embryos being implanted would continue as this was reducing the number of child deaths.

RESOLVED – That the Child Death Overview Panel Annual Report for 2021/22 be noted and recommendations be endorsed.