Oliver Rackham, a neonatal paediatrician, has died at the age of 57 due to a brain tumour. He was recognised for his commitment to parental involvement in neonatal care, an approach he advocated before it became widely accepted.
Mr Rackham served as the clinical lead for the National Neonatal Audit programme at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, where he was noted for his impact on neonatal care and outcomes. He also contributed to the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM), writing guidance and participating in various working groups and committees. In 2023, the BAPM presented him with an outstanding contribution award.
After qualifying in 1994, Mr Rackham worked at Homerton hospital in east London and Starship children’s hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. He returned to the UK in 1998 to specialise in neonatology, working at Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, where he received the Patients’ Choice award in 2015, and later at Glan Clwyd hospital in north Wales from 2018.