NHS put on spot over baby deaths

COUNCIL leaders in Bradford have asked health chiefs to explain what is being done to decrease the area’s infant mortality rate following national criticism

The council’s executive committee has asked for a progress report following criticism that action to tackle the problem is too slow.

Last year, inspectors from the Audit Commission said progress on reducing numbers of children dying in Bradford before their first birthday – among the highest in the country – had been too slow.

Between 2005 and 2007 there were 8.3 infant deaths per 1,000 births, an average of 68 deaths each year, which was higher than between 2002 and 2004.

The failings resulted in the Audit Commission giving the authorities in Bradford a “red flag” rating, meaning services are failing.

An Infant Mortality Commission, set up to deal with the issue in Bradford, published a report in 2006 which included 10 priority areas for action.

But the Audit Commission says that public services in Bradford have failed to put together a plan to ensure “the right things happen at the right time.”

It also singled out for criticism the lack of targets and progress reports.

The report says that the city’s infant mortality rate is worse in areas with high levels of poverty.

The Council’s executive has asked NHS bosses and the Council’s own experts to comment on the Audit Commission’s findings and provide an update on progress in implementing a joint Bradford District Partnership action plan on infant mortality.

Council leaders want to know details of the targets, actions, and timescales and called for regular progress reports to be given to the relevant council committees.

In a joint statement, Tony Reeves, chief executive of Bradford Council and Dr Anita Sims, the local director of public health, said: “We are disappointed at the red flag in the report and we will look carefully at how we can do things differently.

“The Council and NHS Bradford and Airedale will continue to work together with the wider partnership of services in the district to invest in services to ensure we make a difference.

“The Local Strategic Partnership set up an Infant Mortality Commission and made clear recommendations in December 2006. As a result, the causes of infant mortality have been closely monitored and measures taken to address the problem.”

These measures include:

n Delivering 33 children's centres in the most deprived wards of the district, which are supported by a range of council and NHS Bradford and Airedale support services

n Improving breastfeeding rates.

n Encouraging and supporting people to stop smoking during pregnancies and after their children are born.

n Promoting stop smoking messages using trained health visitors and children’s centres.

n Delivering intensive health visiting services to 100 vulnerable women during pregnancy and early childhood across the district.

n Having Job Centre Plus staff working in children’s centres offering advice and information for parents looking to return to work and needing support for childcare costs.

n Improving the amount of affordable housing and bringing housing up to decent standards.

n Ensuring there is access to genetic counselling and a genetics education resource for use with families at high risk of inherited disorders.

The joint statement added: “We remain confident that the foundations we have laid and that the development of further joint plans will make a real difference.”

The executive meets again next Tuesday.

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