Form

National Child Mortality Database: transitional arrangements

Updated 6 March 2024

Applies to England

National Child Mortality Database

The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) goes live on 1 April 2019. From this date, any new child deaths or any open cases (those not yet reviewed by a child death overview panel (CDOP)) of children who died before that date should be added to the NCMD. The NCMD team will not accept data relating to deaths that have already been reviewed by the CDOP prior to 1 April 2019.

For child deaths between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2019, all CDOPs will be required to return LSCB1 data to NHS Digital as well as publish their own annual report in the prior fashion. Any queries about the LSCB1 data return should be sent to NHS Digital at data.collections@nhs.net.

Process before 1 April 2019

The child death notification, reporting and analysis forms replace older versions (previously titled ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ respectively). CDOPs that use digital spreadsheets or paper-based systems should start using these forms no later than 1 April 2019. From 1 April 2019 CDOPs will need to enter the data from the forms directly into the NCMD web portal. The NCMD team will advise on this process.

CDOPs that use the eCDOP product should continue to use it. eCDOP will be adapted to encompass the data fields on the new forms, allowing an automatic data transfer to the NCMD as of 1 April 2019.

CDOPs that use a different local database (not eCDOP) should continue to use their local database. A connection will be available to your system supplier to enable automated data transfer into NCMD from 1 April 2019. Before this time, CDOPs may choose to use the new forms, and on 1 April 2019 these CDOPs will need to ensure their local database complies with the new forms and data fields on the NCMD web portal. The NCMD team will advise on this process.

Process after 1 April 2019

For every child death, the following actions should be taken:

1. A notification form should be completed and sent to the CDOP secretariat or equivalent immediately after a child dies
2. The details on the notification form should be entered onto the NCMD within 24 hours of receipt of the form by the CDOP secretariat or equivalent
3. Information should be gathered from all agencies that were involved with the child during their life or after death through completion of a reporting form
4. The CDOP secretariat should identify the most appropriate agency to complete the relevant supplementary reporting forms, depending on the cause of death, and request for that agency to complete the relevant forms
5. When completed, reporting forms and supplementary reporting forms should be returned to the CDOP secretariat or equivalent, and the information on them should be entered onto the NCMD
6. A local child death review meeting should be convened, to include all professionals that were involved with the child during their life or after death, and at this meeting a draft analysis form should be completed
7. Anonymous versions of the completed forms (notification, reporting, supplementary reporting (B2 to B13), and draft analysis forms) should be presented to the CDOP or equivalent, so an independent review of the case can be conducted. The draft analysis form should be completed at this meeting
8. Following review by CDOP or equivalent, the details should be entered on the final analysis form and onto the NCMD

For queries about the transitional arrangements relating to the NCMD, email ncmd-programme@bristol.ac.uk.