How to Manage: When a Child Dies - the Role of the Paediatrician

How to Manage: When a Child Dies - the Role of the Paediatrician is organized by Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and will be held on Oct 13, 2026 at Liverpool Guild of Students, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.

Course Aim:

• To equip paediatricians with the knowledge and skills required to fulfil their professional duties when a child dies
• To contribute to learning from child deaths and to support bereaved families

Course Description:
In 2018, the Child Death Review (CDR) Statutory and Operation guidance mandates that all child deaths have detailed multi-agency review. This aims to identify full causes of death including potentially modifiable factors, learning from deaths to improve services and prevent future deaths. Support for bereaved parents is a key element of CDR: their needs are at the heart of the process.

This comprehensive course will give Paediatricians a good understanding of what to do when a child dies and how to talk to families. During the day, delegates will learn about how to contribute to and lead CDR meetings, their statutory responsibilities, those of other professionals such as police and coroners, and how to involve and support families. It will also cover which deaths need a JAR and how to start this process in the Emergency Department.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will:

• Understand the context of child deaths in the UK
• Explain the statutory child death review process and the role/s of paediatricians.
• Recognise the importance of working as part of a multi-agency team, including as part of a joint agency response (JAR)
• Know where to find information on Kennedy sampling
• Develop confidence in hosting a child death review meeting (CDRM)
• Investigate and learn from child deaths – locally, regionally and nationally
• Understand the role of key workers, and how to work together to support bereaved families