About the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM)

About the council

The independent Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM) reviews cases of maternal, perinatal and paediatric mortality and morbidity.

Health services must report:

• all perinatal, infant, child or adolescent deaths
• all maternal deaths and serious harm including severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM).

Analysing all maternal deaths, stillbirths, infant and child deaths

The council considers, investigates and reports on obstetric, perinatal and paediatric mortality and morbidity as well as related matters referred by the Minister for Health or the Department of Health.

It collects health and personal information to enable population-based surveillance and analysis of the incidence and risk factors associated with maternal deaths, stillbirths and the deaths of infants and children under 18 in Victoria.

Monitoring perinatal health trends

The council manages the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection, a population-based perinatal surveillance system that collects and analyses information on the health of pregnant women  in Victoria and their babies.

Helping health services and practitioners improve

The council publishes good practice points and recommendations to help health services and clinicians improve clinical practice and systems of care, using its annual report to detail the council’s research and activities.

It also directly advises the Minister for Health and Safer Care Victoria on strategies to improve clinical performance and avoid preventable harm and deaths.

Terms of reference

For more information about the roles and responsibilities of the CCOPMM, read the Terms of Reference 2024–2027.

Members