Dr Joanna Garstang
Specialist Medical Advisor to the National Child Mortality Database
Dr Joanna Garstang is a Clinical Associate Professor of Child Protection at the University of Birmingham, Consultant Community Paediatrician and Designated Doctor for Child Death for Birmingham and Solihull. Her specialist areas are in safeguarding children, Child Death Review and Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood. Joanna’s PhD was an evaluation of multi-agency investigation of unexpected infant death from both the parents’ and professionals’ perspectives, more recently her research has focussed on improving multi-agency working in safeguarding and preventable child mortality.
Joanna has been part of the team conducting the biennial and triennial analyses of Serious Case Reviews, and the more recent annual analysis of Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews. Joanna is currently funded by NIHR leading a study ‘Involving Parents and Staff in Learning from Child Deaths’, and by the Nuffield Foundation to lead a study ‘Improving Safeguarding Outcomes following adoption or Special Guardianship’.
Joanna is Chair of the Association of Child Death Review Professionals, and a Specialist Medical Advisor to the National Child Mortality Database.