Child Death Review System

Between 350 and 450 children in Scotland die every year.

A review into every child's death in Scotland is to become standard practice.

The Scottish Government has accepted recommendations to set up a national Child Death Review System.

Every year, between 350 and 450 youngsters, under the age of 18, die.

The new system will allow staff to share data and to look at ways of reducing deaths from ill health and accidents.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil, said:

“The death of a child is always a tragedy for the families and it’s only right that the reasons for that death are explored thoroughly to enable us to put in place measures that can help prevent any future tragedies. Setting up this standardised review system will help us to identify what, as a government, we can do to further reduce the rates of child mortality in Scotland and work more closely with families to support them through difficult times.

“We’re keen to ensure, through this process, that bereaved families are at the centre of the review process and that they are given all the information they need in a timely and sensitive manner. Through involving families in each review, they will have the opportunity to feed in their views and will, hopefully, feel reassured that all is being done to help prevent the likelihood of similar deaths happening again.”