National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)

The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) programme, which was established on 1 April 2018, aims to reduce premature mortality by collecting and analysing data on all child deaths in England (from birth to 18 years old). Headed by Professor Karen Luyt, the team includes experts in perinatology, paediatrics, patient and public involvement, child death review, data processing, analysis, linkage and governance, epidemiology and statistics. The information collected – which flows from the national Child Death Review process - will help us to learn from what has happened in the past so we can influence policy, improve services and reduce the number of children who die in the future.

• Professor Peter Blair
  Professor of Epidemiology and Statistics, University of Bristol. Peter has a background in Medical Statistics and a particular interest in infant and childhood epidemiology. Born in Manchester, England, he studied Mathematics (BSc Hons) and Medical Statistics (MSc) before moving to Bristol where he completed his doctorate (Epidemiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in 1998. From his work on several major observational studies, he is a recognised expert in the SIDS field and was made an honorary fellow and advisor to UNICEF (UK) in 2009. In 2014, the Queen’s Annual Prize for Further and Higher Education was awarded to the University of Bristol based on Peter and his colleague Peter Fleming’s contributions in this field. He is the elected Chair of the International Society for the study and prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death (ISPID) and chair of the epidemiological working group.
• Nick Cook
  Professor of Epidemiology and Statistics, University of Bristol. Nick joined the NCMD team in September 2020 as Data Coding and Analysis Officer. Previously Nick was responsible for managing a team of coders on the Learning Disabilities and Mortality Review Programme (LeDeR), ensuring that work was allocated and completed accurately and efficiently, whilst forecasting workflow. Nick was also involved in coding qualitative data on the LeDeR programme to provide for analysis and improve health care outcomes for people with learning disabilities. Prior to joining the NCMD Nick also worked for the charity Hft, which supports adults with learning disabilities.
• James Harle
  Communications and Engagement Manager. James Harle is Communications and Engagement Manager for the NCMD, and has broad responsibility for the external-facing activities of the programme – including maintaining the NCMD website and social media accounts, keeping audiences up to date, and advising on how our research and publications should be presented. James has more than a decade of experience working with research-performing organisations to help them share findings that can change the world. In previous roles he has supported NGOs like Development Initiatives, universities including the University of Bath, and delivered for a broad range of clients in an agency setting.
• Dr James Fraser
  Professional Advisory Group Chair. Dr James Fraser is Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and Chair of the Professional Advisory Group at the National Child Mortality Database. He established early child death audit processes in the South West, was the first Designated Doctor for Child Death in the West of England, and taught on the Warwick child death review course. In 2018 he co-authored Statutory Guidance for Child Death and the service specification for the NCMD. At a national level he has been President of the Paediatric Critical Care Society, on the council of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and advised NHS England on policy matter relating to child death. His interests relate to child death, bereavement, palliative care, and ethics.
• Kate Hayter
  Administrative Assistant – Coding Kate joined the NCMD team in 2018 as an administrator. In February 2022 she changed roles to become an Administrative Assistant – Coding, supporting the data analysis and reporting requirements for the programme. Her first involvement with the University of Bristol was as a mature student, completing a BSc in Zoology in 2005. Previously Kate has worked in business insurance and most recently in veterinary practice reception and administration.
• Dr Joanna Garstang
  Specialist Medical Advisor to the National Child Mortality Database. Dr Joanna Garstang is a Clinical Associate Professor of Child Protection at the University of Birmingham, Consultant Community Paediatrician and Designated Doctor for Child Death for Birmingham and Solihull. Her specialist areas are in safeguarding children, Child Death Review and Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood. Joanna’s PhD was an evaluation of multi-agency investigation of unexpected infant death from both the parents’ and professionals’ perspectives, more recently her research has focussed on improving multi-agency working in safeguarding and preventable child mortality. Joanna has been part of the team conducting the biennial and triennial analyses of Serious Case Reviews, and the more recent annual analysis of Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews.
• Brian Hoy
  Data Analyst for the NCMD. Brian joined the NCMD team in June 2022 as a Data Analyst. His role focuses on analysing quantitative and qualitative data to offer insights and identify trends, presenting them in a clear and relevant way. Previously Brian worked in the admissions data team at the University of Bristol, helping to provide insights into admissions trends that fed into senior decision making. A particular focus was working with data to support widening participation, enabling a more diverse cohort of students to study at the university.
• Ghazala Jones
  NCMD Administrator, University of Bristol. Ghazala Jones is NCMD Administrator at the University of Bristol, and assists the NCMD team with administrative support. Ghazala joined the NCMD in November 2020, after returning to the UK from the USA where she lived for 12 years. Before her move to the USA, she had worked as a researcher in the Civil Service (Office for National Statistics and the Home Office) and a lecturer and researcher in academia (Universities of Portsmouth and Leicester). While at the Home Office she worked in the areas of the death of offenders in prison and the community and supporting intimidated and vulnerable witnesses during the legal process.
• Professor Karen Luyt
  NCMD Director / Consultant and Professor of Neonatal Medicine, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust. Professor Karen Luyt is Director of the National Child Mortality Database. She read medicine in South Africa and specialised in Paediatrics (Neonatal Medicine) in the UK. She has a clinical academic post, based in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol. In her academic position as Professor of Neonatal Medicine, University of Bristol, her research has focussed on optimising health outcomes in newborn infants. She was lead for neonatal mortality review for UHBristol NHS Trust since 2010 and the academic lead for child death review (University of Bristol) since 2014.
• Dr David Odd
  Lead Epidemiologist, NCMD. Dr David Odd is Lead Epidemiologist for the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD). He is also Consultant Neonatologist and Senior Lecturer in the Division of Population Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine. His research centres around the population impact of perinatal care – in particular the prevention and impact of brain injury around birth.
• Vicky Sleap
  Deputy Director of the NCMD. Vicky Sleap is one half of the Deputy Director role for NCMD, job-sharing with Sylvia Stoianova. With 10 years’ practical experience in the field of child death reviews, she has used her in-depth knowledge to train paediatricians and police forces on the child death review process and influence that process at a national level. Notably, Vicky has contributed to the writing of revised legislation and new national statutory and operational guidance on child death reviews, and she has contributed to the development of forms used within the process in England. Vicky has also acted as an international consultant, advising and assisting other countries in setting up child death review processes, and now frequently provides advice and support to child death professionals via webinars and conferences.
• Sylvia Stoianova
  Deputy Director of the NCMD. Sylvia Stoianova is one of the two Deputy Programme Directors of NCMD leading on the programme's analytical and reporting work and in setting up data sharing, analytical and research partnerships and collaborations. She has previously worked in the NHS, Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care in various projects and roles in clinical audits, service improvement and public health. Sylvia holds a Master’s degree in Health, Population and Society from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) with a focus on epidemiology, health policy and planning, and demography. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and a degree in Greek Linguistics from Sofia University. She is passionate about reducing health inequalities and improving the life and well-being of children, and is committed to projects that can turn knowledge and data into action.
• Tom Williams
  Data Manager for the NCMD. Tom Williams joined the NCMD team in April 2019 as Data Analyst, and is now Data Manager for the Programme. He analyses quantitative and qualitative data, identifying trends and translating this into meaningful reports. Previously, Tom worked as a Health Intelligence Analyst for NHS Commissioning, providing analysis and reports using commissioning datasets to support decisions on the improvement of healthcare, and has developed many interactive dashboards to assist learning. He also has experience within Clinical Audit and Effectiveness at an NHS Trust, working on Local and National Audit Programmes, reviewing and assisting with NCEPOD reports and NICE guidance to facilitate the quality improvement process.
• Gaja Wright
  Project Officer, NCMD. Gaja is the Project Officer for the NCMD and has a responsibility to support the Programme Managers and the wider team on the successful delivery of NCMD Programme objectives. Responsibilities include coordinating resource allocation, work scheduling, managing administrative and contractual documentation, and liaising with key project stakeholders and partners to ensure smooth project delivery. Gaja has extensive project management experience in the digital marketing sector and, prior to joining NCMD, she has worked with a range of clients in an agency setting.