IHRD-88 Response Accepted AI-assessed

Child Death Overview Panel

Recommendation

The Department should engage with other interested statutory organisations to review the merits of introducing a Child Death Overview Panel.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the Department of Health NI's March 2018 response, the Department of Health NI accepted this recommendation, stating that engagement regarding a Child Death Overview Panel was ongoing. According to the Department of Health NI (2026-02-06), as of February 2026, no Child Death Overview Panel has been established in Northern Ireland, and a statutory duty placed on the Safeguarding Board for NI in 2011 to review child deaths has never been commenced.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.health-ni.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
Northern Ireland
Response
Accepted
Accepted Department of Health NI
01 Mar 2018

Engagement with statutory organisations on Child Death Overview Panel ongoing.

Read Full Response
Published Evidence

Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.

Not Implemented
06 Feb 2026
Department of Health NI Other

No Child Death Overview Panel established in NI. The statutory duty placed on the Safeguarding Board for NI in 2011 to review child deaths has never been commenced.

View detailed findings

England and Wales have had Child Death Overview Panels for years. The statutory duty placed on the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) in 2011 to review child deaths has never been commenced. NICCY (NI Commissioner for Children and Young People) has been vocal about the lack of progress. Approximately 150 children die every year in NI with no systematic review process.

IHRD Implementation Programme View Source
Source
Inquiry Hyponatraemia Inquiry
Report Report of the Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related Deaths 31 Jan 2018
View Source
Responsible Bodies
Department of Health NI Primary
Themes & Tags
Patient safety governance Quality and safety oversight Child Death Review Oversight
Recommendation age 8.1 yrs
Last formal update 783 days ago