Lucy Letby conviction leaves nurses 'terrified' of working for the NHS
27 August 2024, 11:32 | Updated: 27 August 2024, 11:48
Lucy Letby's conviction for murdering babies has left a group of nurses feeling "terrified" that they could be wrongly blamed for a child's death.
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The 19 nurses say they are concerned that the conviction was unsafe and was based on "flawed and unreliable evidence".
Last August, Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. Letby was found guilty of another count of attempted murder this year.
She was sentenced to a whole-life term in prison for the offences, in a case which shocked the nation.
But the case has proved controversial for some onlookers, and several journalists, medical professionals and scientists have questioned whether Letby is really guilty, or if poor conditions at the hospital could be to blame.
In an open letter to Keir Starmer, the nurses, some of whom are retired, said they had "a duty of candour" to speak out, and called for a deeper review into the case.
Read more: Lucy Letby tells her retrial she never tried to harm any babies in her care
They said: "All of us are worried that this conviction is unsafe, and as a result we and many of our colleagues are now terrified to continue working in the NHS as we believe that next time it could be one of us who blamed for a failing system."
They added: "We believe that flawed and unreliable scientific evidence was used to convict Ms Letby, and this is having a huge impact on the nursing profession."
The nurses raised nine separate areas that concern them about the case.
They wrote: "Clear evidence of sub-optimal care on the unit needs to be acknowledged and investigated, as many believe that it may have been an important factor in several of the deaths and collapses.
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“During the trial, experts repeatedly misrepresented the health state of the babies, repeatedly describing them as ‘well’ and ‘stable’ when many of them were extremely premature and vulnerable. Most of the babies required respiratory support and ventilation and other medical interventions, some were being treated for infections.
“We request, a scientifically rigorous royal commission/independent review where real experts, such as forensic pathologists, medical specialists, and scientists, can conduct a detailed and meticulous forensic assessment to re-examine the evidence in this troubling case.
“We believe this is crucial for nurses, and healthcare practitioners alike so that we can feel confident and safe in our work.
"We also encourage the formation of a specialised cross-party task force, dedicated to investigating the procedural irregularities that have been exposed by the media.
"We are unified as a country in our belief in a fair and open justice system. The trial of Ms Letby has undermined our collective faith, and we urge you to act now to restore the public confidence in the justice system. For now, many nurses and healthcare professionals do not have that confidence.
