Taskforce to look into Rugby's high infant mortality rate
A taskforce has been formed to look into a disproportionately-high number of infant deaths in Rugby.
National statistics are gathered on infant mortality – the rate per 1,000 living children that die before their first birthday – with Rugby a significant outlier compared with the rest of Warwickshire over the past five years.
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows it had not got better by 2024 with Rugby's 11 deaths from 1,180 live births accounting for half of the 22 infants who lost their lives across all five Warwickshire districts.
It means Rugby had a rate of 9.3 infant deaths per 1,000 in 2024 compared with a national average of 3.9, a West Midlands average of 7.3 and a Warwickshire average of 3.8.
The five-year figures formed part of a public health report to Warwickshire’s Health & Wellbeing Board – a panel of county, district and borough councillors – in July with a focus on reducing the rate among six ‘critical’ missions.
Crishni Waring, chair of Coventry & Warwickshire’s and Hereford & Worcestershire’s Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), panels that commission NHS services for those regions, delivered an update to last week’s Health & Wellbeing Board.
Citing a conversation with Dr Kathryn Cobain, joint-chief nursing officer at the ICBs, Ms Waring said: “The causes are complex, multifactorial, there will be a number of things driving that which would go beyond maternity services in terms of health, and involve partners.
“A system-wide infant mortality workshop was held in July which has led to the establishment of a task and finish group with active involvement from partners.
“Clearly there is some work going on, the Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle which is something we do within the NHS, we are also looking at specialist pre-term birth team work across pre-maternity providers, joint work between University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire and South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust on smoking cessation and specialist midwifery support for some women and families.
“At the moment the data makes it hard to get underneath Rugby specifically but that is one of things we are working on.”
Councillor Maggie O’Rourke (Lab, Benn), Rugby Borough Council’s portfolio holder for partnerships, health and wellbeing, welcomed the focus and said she would be inviting Rugby Place Partnership, where health and care bodies link with local government to tailor services for the area, to discuss the matter in more detail.
“It is something we will be looking at very closely,” she said.