Urgent need for reform of state child services

The devastating report by the Independent Child Death Review Group, published last week, presented details on 196 children who died while in contact with state services between 2000 and 2010.

The outcomes of the report clearly indicate an urgent need to reform the health and social services, both in terms of capacity and quality, and to ensure that health care professionals remain connected with children in need at all times.

Among the 196 children, a remarkably high number, 112 (57.1%), died from non-natural causes.