Lucy Letby news – latest: Whistleblower hits out at NHS failings after concerns about killer nurse ignored

A lead consultant who first raised suspicions about serial killer Lucy Letby in October 2015 has said it is “common” for those who voice concerns in the NHS to be seen as a “problem”.

Dr Stephen Brearey has called for hospital managers to be held accountable in the same way as doctors and nurses, after Letby was allowed to continue in her role until June 2016 despite the concerns of clinicians.

The refusal of the killer nurse to attend her sentencing has produced widespread support for a change in the law, with the justice secretary vowing to bring forward amendments “at the earliest opportunity”.

Letby was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison on Monday after being found guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others, but did not appear in the dock to hear the sentence handed down, the judge’s remarks or any of the statements from the victims’ families.

It sparked a widespread outrage as several British newspaper, used the editorials to rally in support of change, arguing that the worst offenders like Letby “should be forced to appear in court to witness the impact of their crimes”.

Judge Mr Justice Goss said Letby will be sent written copies of the victim impact statements read out during her sentencing.

Key Points

• Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby will die in prison after being sentenced to whole life order

• Whistleblower hits out at NHS failings after concerns about killer nurse ignored

• Law change ‘at earliest opportunity’ so offenders can be forced to attend sentencing

• Lucy Letby to be sent victim impact statements after refusing to appear in court

• Inside the Lucy Letby sentencing

Exclusive: Lucy Letby still paid by hospital for years after baby murders

10:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby was still being paid her NHS salary years after her murderous rampage ended, The Independent can reveal.

Britain’s most prolific child killer, who is serving a whole-life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more between 2015 and 2016, continued to be paid until she was charged with the horrific crimes in 2020.

That meant she was still receiving her salary from the Countess of Chester Hospital four years after she killed the last child and two years after she was first arrested.

As a “band 5” nurse Letby, 33, would have been earning between £28,406 to £34,581.

Lucy Letby still paid by hospital for years after baby murders

Lucy Letby used ‘code’ in diaries that helped detectives crack case

10:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Detectives investigating serial killer nurse Lucy Letby say they were “surprised” by the amount of material they found at her home and that a “coded system” in her diaries helped officers uncover key evidence.

Letby, one of the most prolific child killers in modern British history, has been jailed for life for murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill six more between June 2015 and June 2016 in the neonatal ward at the Count of Chester Hospital where she worked.

The 33-year-old, only the fourth woman in UK history told she will never be released from prison, deliberately injected infants with air, force-fed them with milk or poisoned them with insulin during a “cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder”.

Lucy Letby used ‘code’ in diaries that helped detectives crack case

Former victims’ commissioner joins calls for inquiry

09:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird has joined growing calls for the inquiry into serial killer nurse Lucy Letby to be given powers to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence.

The government announced a probe on Friday after Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others.

But it was not put on a statutory footing, meaning witnesses will not be required by law to attend, raising concerns that hospital managers could avoid being held accountable for putting reputation before child safety.

The grieving families of Letby’s victims have demanded the government orders a full independent public inquiry into how the nurse was able to go on a prolonged killing spree at the neonatal ward.

Baird, who served as the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales from June 2019 to September 2022, told the Independent that the inquiry “must” be given statutory. She also called for a “radical change of attitude” towards the victims.

Ministers initially said the decision to hold a non-statutory inquiry into the case was the right one because it would be more flexible and allow the victims’ families to get justice more quickly.

But No 10 has since indicated that the probe could be upgraded after the government came under pressure to give it more powers to compel witnesses.

Exclusive: Lucy Letby to be stripped of NHS pension after baby murders

08:43 , Rebecca Thomas

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is set to kick off the process to strip Letby of her pension and will look into all measures that prevent it from being paid to her, The Independent understands.

The DHSC pointed to the NHS Pension Scheme Regulations which states that health secretary Steve Barclay has the power to forfeit pensions where a pension scheme member in connection with NHS employment has been convicted of certain offences.

One such offence is an offence in connection with NHS employment, is to be gravely injurious to the State or to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ nurse Lucy Letby became baby murderer

08:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Horrified families left asking what drove Letby to commit her appalling crimes as 33 year-old jailed for the rest of her life, Tara Cobham writes:

“It can’t be Lucy - not nice Lucy.”

These were the now-chilling words of a doctor faced with yet another devasting and inexplicable death of a baby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

But despite her “beige” appearance, it was Lucy Letby behind that and other deaths - a “cruel and calculating” killer of children, hiding in plain sight.

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ Lucy Letby became baby murderer

I’m a psychologist and this is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist

07:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Why do so many of my sister feminists assume that if a woman commits a terrible crime, a man must have made her do it, asks doctor Jessica Taylor. Because of the misogyny that still portrays us as healers and huggers, incapable of violent murder…

This is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist | Dr Jessica Taylor

Murdered PC’s father says making offenders go to sentencing may cause ‘anguish’

07:00 , Namita Singh

The father of a murdered police officer has said a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing may cause “more anguish” for the families of victims.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former prison officer Bryn Hughes, whose daughter PC Nicola Hughes was killed in 2012 alongside fellow PC Fiona Bone in a gun and grenade ambush while on duty in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said calls for a law change are a “knee-jerk reaction”.

Report:

Voices: This is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist

06:30 , Namita Singh

Why do so many of my sister feminists assume that if a woman commits a terrible crime, a man must have made her do it, asks doctor Jessica Taylor. Because of the misogyny that still portrays us as healers and huggers, incapable of violent murder.

This is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist | Dr Jessica Taylor

Criminologists on why ‘nice’ nurse Lucy Letby became baby murderer

06:00 , Namita Singh

Horrified families left asking what drove Letby to commit her appalling crimes as 33-year-old jailed for the rest of her life, writes Tara Cobham.

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ Lucy Letby became baby murderer

Editorial: Were suspicions about Lucy Letby ignored to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

05:30 , Namita Singh

The protection of patients should never be sacrificed to protect the image of a hospital. The NHS is a service, not a business.

Editorial: Was Lucy Letby overlooked to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

‘NHS managers should be held accountable in the same way medics are’

05:00 , Namita Singh

NHS managers should be held accountable in the same way that medics are, suggested one of the NHS consultants, Dr Stephen Brearey.

Asked if he would like to see regulation of hospital administrators, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Absolutely. Because doctors and nurses all have their regulatory bodies that we have to answer to.

“And quite often we’ll see senior managers who have no apparent accountability for what they do in our trusts, and they move to other trusts, and you worry about their future actions.

“There doesn’t seem to be any system to make them accountable and for them to justify their actions in a systematic way.”The government will hold an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Lucy Letby’s crimes to ensure “vital lessons are learned”.

However, Dr Brearey said he would like to see a statutory inquiry.

Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?

04:30 , Matt Drake

Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.

An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.

The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.

Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court.

Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?

Lucy Letby’s former boss referred to nursing regulator

04:00 , Namita Singh

The nursing regulator for the UK has confirmed it is looking into claims against Lucy Letby’s former boss, Alison Kelly.

Ms Kelly, who was director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital before leaving in 2021, has been suspended from her current role, nursing director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford, after she was accused of ignoring concerns about Letby.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said she has now been referred to the fitness to practise process.

Ms Kelly’s referral had been paused pending the outcome of the trial at the request of the police.

The regulator will now investigate and take action if necessary.

Letby murders: Why there is a push for inquiry to be upgraded from non-statutory

02:30 , Matt Drake

The crimes of child serial killer Lucy Letby will be examined in a public inquiry.

The Government ordered a probe after the nurse was last week found guilty of murdering seven babies and trying to murder six more.

It will investigate the events on the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016 to ensure “vital lessons are learned”, ministers said.

But concerns have been raised over the decision not to put the probe on a statutory footing, with pressure growing on the Government to strengthen it.

Read the full report below.

Letby murders: Why there is a push for inquiry to be upgraded from non-statutory

I’m a psychologist and this is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist

01:30 , Matt Drake

While many people might be asking specific, searching questions about why nurse Lucy Letby murdered so many babies in her care, as a feminist and psychologist I am struck by the way misogyny and gender roles mean that we struggle to see women as violent or abusive at all.

I am a firm believer that everything we do is a choice. Everything from whether we put the shopping trolley back where it belongs – to whether we harm, abuse, even kill another human being.

We all make choices every moment of every day.

But what happens when the same misogyny which harms women every day also positions them as incapable of committing violent acts, abuses – even murders?

And what happens when gender role stereotypes are so powerful that they hide women’s choices to harm others?

Read the full article by Jessica Taylor below.

This is why we struggle to believe women like Lucy Letby exist | Dr Jessica Taylor

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ nurse Lucy Letby became baby murderer

Wednesday 23 August 2023 00:30 , Matt Drake

“It can’t be Lucy - not nice Lucy.”

These were the now-chilling words of a doctor faced with yet another devasting and inexplicable death of a baby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

But despite her “beige” appearance, it was Lucy Letby behind that and other deaths - a “cruel and calculating” killer of children, hiding in plain sight.

Read full report below.

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ Lucy Letby became baby murderer

Tuesday 22 August 2023 23:30 , Matt Drake

Lucy Letby’s former boss, who has been accused of “ignoring” concerns about the serial killer nurse, is being investigated by the nursing watchdog.

Alison Kelly, who was director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital before leaving in 2021, has been suspended from her current role as nursing director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford.

Letby, Britain’s most prolific child serial killer, was on Monday handed a whole life prison sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more in 2015 and 2016 while working at the hospital.

Now, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has confirmed that her former boss, Ms Kelly, has been referred for a fitness to practise investigation.

Read the full report below.

Lucy Letby’s former boss who ‘ignored concerns’ investigated by watchdog

Were suspicions about Lucy Letby ignored to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

Tuesday 22 August 2023 22:30 , Matt Drake

Lucy Letby murdered five babies between June and October 2015. At that point, the lead consultant on the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit, Dr Stephen Brearey, raised concerns about her.

Her final two victims – and this does not include the further six counts of attempted murder of which she has been convicted – she murdered in June 2016. It was 2017 before anybody had contacted the police.

It is impossible to imagine the pain and suffering of these babies’ parents. It might be possible, however, to think that the parents of her final two victims will spend the rest of their lives suffering even more than the rest. They will know that what happened to their babies could have – and should have – been prevented. That suspicions had already been raised – and had lingered for almost a full year.

Read The Independent’s editorial below.

Editorial: Was Lucy Letby overlooked to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

Hospital bosses risk prosecution if they ignored warnings

Tuesday 22 August 2023 21:30 , Matt Drake

Bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies should be prosecuted if they ignored warnings, MPs and campaigners have said.

Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, said police should consider whether gross negligence or corporate manslaughter charges were required.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Sir Robert said: "My general view is leave no stone unturned and provide the families with full accountability.

“That’s the least the families deserve bearing in mind the hell they’ve been through and that they’re still going through.

“If police haven’t looked at whether there could be corporate manslaughter charges or even individual gross negligence manslaughter charges, then I think they should consider whether that is appropriate.”

Judge Rinder joins calls for law change after Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend sentencing

Tuesday 22 August 2023 20:30 , Matt Drake

Judge Rinder has called for a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing and listen to the “unbearable pain of her victims”.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former barrister Robert Rinder, 45, who had a hit TV show from 2014 to 2020 during which he passed judgement on small claims court cases, tweeted: “Families of children murdered by Lucy Letby gave impact statements today.

“They could not direct them at the nurse who killed their babies b/c Letby was allowed to stay away & not hear the unbearable pain of her victims. Her absence was lawful. It’s time to change that law. Now.”

Read the full report below.

Judge Rinder joins law change calls after Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend sentencing

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ nurse Lucy Letby became baby murderer

Tuesday 22 August 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake

“It can’t be Lucy - not nice Lucy.”

These were the now-chilling words of a doctor faced with yet another devasting and inexplicable death of a baby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

But despite her “beige” appearance, it was Lucy Letby behind that and other deaths - a “cruel and calculating” killer of children, hiding in plain sight.

Now convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others, Letby has become the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history.

But despite being sentenced on Monday to a whole life order, questions linger about what led the 33 year-old to commit such appalling crimes. While her reasons may never be fully understood, prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.

Read the full report below.

‘Killing addiction’: Criminologists on why ‘nice’ Lucy Letby became baby murderer

Lucy Letby’s former boss who ‘ignored concerns’ over killer nurse investigated by watchdog

Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:30 , Matt Drake

Lucy Letby’s former boss, who has been accused of “ignoring” concerns about the serial killer nurse, is being investigated by the nursing watchdog.

Alison Kelly, who was director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital before leaving in 2021, has been suspended from her current role as nursing director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford.

Letby, Britain’s most prolific child serial killer, was on Monday handed a whole life prison sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more in 2015 and 2016 while working at the hospital.

Now, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has confirmed that her former boss, Ms Kelly, has been referred for a fitness to practise investigation.

Read the full report by Rebecca Thomas below.

Lucy Letby’s former boss who ‘ignored concerns’ investigated by watchdog

Lucy Letby's friend refuses to believe she is guilty

Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:00 , Matt Drake

Dawn Howe previously appeared on BBC Newsnight to say she would only believe Letby was guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others if her friend admitted to it.

But despite guilty verdicts, Ms Howe, who knew the killer since childhood, still has video and photographs with Letby tagged on Facebook, Mail Online reported.

Also speaking to Panorama on Friday, she claimed all of Letby's friends were still supporting her.

She said: "Unless Lucy turned around and said I'm guilty I will never believe that she's guilty.

"We know she couldn't have done anything that she's accused of, so without a doubt, we stand by her.

"I grew up with Lucy and not a single thing that I've ever seen or witnessed of Lucy would let me for a moment believe she is capable of the things she's accused of.

"It is the most out-of-character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy. Think of your most kind gentle soft friend and think that they're being accused of harming babies."

Lucy Letby case making nurses ‘question everything’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:30 , Matt Drake

Lucy Letby is now one of Britain's most notorious serial killers.

The fact she killed seven infants while attempting to kill six others while working as a neonatal nurse has made the case all the more shocking.

NHS nursing staff, including Letby's former colleagues as well as those across the country, have been affected by the verdict.

Dr Amanda Lee, who was a neonatal nurse but now a lecturer, told The Guardian: "You can see everyone questioning what has gone wrong, how could this have happened.

“As happened with the Beverley Allitt case, you start questioning everything that you do.”

Allitt was a nurse on a children's ward in Lincolnshire and killed four infants in 1991.

The Neonatal Nurses Association said on Facebook: "Your work, day in, day out, is essential, valued and is making a positive difference to babies and families.

"We urge you to seek support as needed and recognise as individuals how challenged this verdict may make you feel."

Murdered Pc’s father says making offenders go to sentencing may cause ‘anguish’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:00 , Matt Drake

The father of a murdered police officer has said a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing may cause “more anguish” for the families of victims.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former prison officer Bryn Hughes, whose daughter Pc Nicola Hughes was killed in 2012 alongside fellow Pc Fiona Bone in a gun and grenade ambush while on duty in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said calls for a law change are a “knee-jerk reaction”.

Mr Hughes said: “Most of the time they’re going to be sociopaths and they feed off that anguish and grief.

“If they can see families in the dock they’re going to shout abuse, they’re going to play up, start fighting and anything else, because they can see that pain and anguish on their faces, I don’t think it’s worth going through all that.

“I’ve carried people into the dock who are biting, spitting and shouting abuse and within two or three minutes of the judge speaking to deliver a sentence they’ve started again and the judge has just said ‘take them back downstairs’.

“It disrupts everything, causes more anguish and it delays things, so it’s a really hard choice and they’re not the type of people to just say to them ‘sit down and be quiet’, they’re beyond that, they’ve got total disregard for life and disrespect for law and order.”

Lucy Letby former boss referred to nursing regulator

Tuesday 22 August 2023 17:30 , Matt Drake

The nursing regulator for the UK has confirmed it is looking into claims against Lucy Letby‘s former boss, Alison Kelly.

Ms Kelly, who was director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital before leaving in 2021, has been suspended from her current role as nursing director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford after she was accused of ignoring concerns about Letby.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said she has now been referred to the fitness to practise process.

Ms Kelly’s referral had been paused pending the outcome of the trial at the request of the police.

The regulator will now investigate and take action if necessary.

Richard Madeley suggests criminals refusing to attend sentencing should be ‘tasered’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:57 , Matt Drake

Richard Madeley has suggested that criminals such as Lucy Letby should be “tasered” if they refuse to appear for their court sentencing.

The serial killer nurse, 33, did not attend her sentencing on Monday (21 August) where she was handed a whole-life order for murdering seven babies and the attempted murders of six others.

“If we’re being told we can’t get these people back into court because... they might be aggressive and dangerous, well that’s why you go in mob-handed... you have tasers to deal with people like that, and you have truncheons,” the Good Morning Britain host said.

Richard Madeley suggests criminals refusing to attend sentencing should be ‘tasered’

Mother of baby murdered by Lucy Letby says killer nurse chose gown child was buried in

Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:02 , Holly Evans

A mother of a child murdered by Lucy Letby has revealed the serial killer nurse chose the gown that her child was buried in.

The families of Letby’s many victims are in court as part of her sentencing hearing on Monday, to explain the devastating impact the nurse’s crimes have had on their lives.

Letby was given a whole life order after being convicted on Friday of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Read more

Mother of baby murdered by Lucy Letby says killer nurse chose gown child buried in

Murdered Pc’s father says making offenders go to sentencing may cause ‘anguish’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 15:17 , Holly Evans

The father of a murdered police officer has said a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing may cause “more anguish” for the families of victims.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former prison officer Bryn Hughes, whose daughter Pc Nicola Hughes was killed in 2012 alongside fellow Pc Fiona Bone in a gun and grenade ambush while on duty in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said calls for a law change are a “knee-jerk reaction”.

Murdered Pc’s father says making offenders go to sentencing may cause ‘anguish’

Why was Lucy Letby allowed to inflict one last wound on her victims?

Tuesday 22 August 2023 14:40 , Holly Evans

The headline, “Nurse found guilty of murdering seven babies” should have read, “Nurse found guilty of murdering seven babies sentenced while absent” – the whole truth.

Yes, the waiting public needed to know that a murderer had been rightly found guilty of her crimes, yet Letby was not in court today to hear her sentencing. Why not? Why was she allowed to inflict one last wound on the families of the babies she murdered?

Some 110 hours, the jury deliberated. Letting the killer nurse hide in her cell rather than face bereaved families in court was a disgrace – and a final act of wickedness.

John Wright has more

Opinion: Why was Lucy Letby allowed to inflict one last wound on her victims?

How the ‘average nurse’ turned into one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers

Tuesday 22 August 2023 14:00 , Holly Evans

For a mother whose newborn was gravely ill in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, she was a ray of light: a calm, comforting nurse who guided her through her most desperate moments as her child lay listless in his cot.

“Trust me, I’m a nurse,” she smiled at her, and the mother did, completely. But within hours, her baby boy was dead, and the nurse in whom she had placed so much trust, who had been by her side through the darkest time of her life, was responsible.

Read the full background on Lucy Letby here

Lucy Letby background: What she did, where she worked and her sentence

Other cowardly killers who refused to face their victims’ families in court

Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:45 , Holly Evans

Lucy Letby has been branded a coward for refusing to turn up to her sentencing, but she isn’t the first killer who has refused to face up to their crimes.

Letby, 33, will spend the rest of her life in jail for the “evil” murders and attempted murders of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016 where she worked as a nurse.

Read more here.

The cowardly killers who refused to face their victims’ families in court

Inside jail where killer nurse expected to spend rest of her days

Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:20 , Holly Evans

Nurse Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, will die in prison after being sentenced to a whole-life order.

Judge Mr Justice Goss handed the baby murderer the rare sentence, which is life imprisonment with no possibility of release, at Manchester Crown Court on Monday. It comes after the serial killer nurse cemented herself as one of Britain’s worst criminals on Friday when she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others.

While it has not been confirmed, Letby could be placed in HMP Low Newton, a maximum security prison that is home to many of the deadliest female killers in recent history.

Read more here.

Inside prison where baby killing nurse Lucy Letby expected to spend rest of her life

Richard Madeley suggests criminals refusing to attend sentencing should be ‘tasered’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:00 , Holly Evans

Richard Madeley suggests criminals refusing to attend sentencing should be ‘tasered’

Read the harrowing family victim statements killer nurse Lucy Letby refused to hear

Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:32 , Holly Evans

The families of serial killer Lucy Letby’s victims branded the nurse “evil” as they gave emotional victim impact statements during her sentencing.

The 33-year-old did not appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Monday as she was given a whole-life order after being convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

But the judge, Mr Justice Goss, ordered that she be sent a transcript of his sentencing remarks and copies of the statements read out by the families of her victims.

Holly Evans has more

Read devastating accounts of Letby victims’ families after she refused to hear them

NHS bosses who ignored my warning must be held to account, Lucy Letby whistleblower says

Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:27 , Holly Evans

The lead doctor who first raised the alarm over serial killer nurse Lucy Letby has called for NHS managers to be held accountable for failings and better protection for whistleblowers over concerns complaints against her were ignored.

Dr Stephen Brearey wants hospital managers to be regulated in the same way as doctors and nurses, after Letby was allowed to continue in her role until June 2016 despite concerns being raised by clinicians months before.

The call comes as Letby, 33, begins her whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she carried out her year-long killing spree on the neonatal unit.

Read more here.

NHS bosses who ignored warning must be held to account, Lucy Letby whistleblower says

Doctor who raised concerns about Letby says he was ‘just doing my job’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:06 , Holly Evans

A neonatal doctor who helped catch serial killer nurse Lucy Letby has denied being a “hero”, and said he was “just doing my job”.

Dr Ravi Jayaram, a clinical lead for neonates and paediatrics at the Countess of Chester Hospital, was among those who raised concerns to senior executives about Letby’s presence at a number of unexplained deaths and collapses.

He and Dr Stephen Brearey continued to voice concerns until Letby was removed from the unit in June 2016, although police were not called in to investigate until 2017.

Becoming visibly emotional when told his actions were considered “heroic” by police and families, Dr Jayaram told ITV News: “I’m not a hero,” he said. “I was just doing my job. It’s my job to look after babies and children.

“If any meaningful change about how the NHS reacts and reponds to serious and even relatively minor patient concerns changes as a consequence of all this, then I might possibly consider that I’ve done something heroic. Right now, I just think that I’ve done what I should have done.”

Sir Keir Starmer says statutory inquiry could examine regulation of NHS managers

Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:50 , Holly Evans

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said a statutory inquiry could consider whether NHS managers should face stricter regulation.

Doctors who sounded the alarm about killer nurse Lucy Letby have called for NHS managers to be held accountable for failings.

Sir Keir repeated his call for the inquiry to be put on a statutory footing, giving it the power to compel witnesses to appear and require the release of documents.

Asked if the inquiry should consider the regulation of NHS managers he told broadcasters: “I think a statutory inquiry should look at all relevant issues. It would have the power to do so.

“Then strong conclusions can be drawn.”

Judge Rinder joins calls for law change after Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend sentencing

Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:38 , Holly Evans

Judge Rinder has called for a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing and listen to the “unbearable pain of her victims”.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former barrister Robert Rinder, 45, tweeted: “Families of children murdered by Lucy Letby gave impact statements today.

“They could not direct them at the nurse who killed their babies b/c Letby was allowed to stay away & not hear the unbearable pain of her victims. Her absence was lawful. It’s time to change that law. Now.”

Read more here.

Judge Rinder joins law change calls after Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend sentencing

Forcing criminals like Lucy Letby into court could make it all about them

Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:17 , Holly Evans

Forcing criminals, such as Lucy Letby, to attend court for sentencing, runs the risk of letting defendants become “in control of events,” Sir Robert Buckland has said.

Forcing criminals like Letby into court could be risky, former justice secretary says

Family wanted to get police involved but were told it was ‘not a criminal matter’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:01 , Holly Evans

One of the mother’s of Lucy Letby’s victims said she wanted to get the police involved in an investigation of her child’s death but was told it was not a criminal matter.

Speaking at Letby’s sentencing hearing on Monday, she said she got “clued up on medical teams, neonatal death statistics, guidelines, protocols” after her child’s sudden death.

She added: “I was knocking on doors, asking questions, meeting with Drs from the Countess and even the Management Team. We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told that this was not a criminal matter so the police was out of question.”

Statutory inquiry into Lucy Letby ‘on the table’, government minister admits

Tuesday 22 August 2023 10:44 , Holly Evans

A statutory inquiry into serial killer nurse Lucy Letby’s crimes is “on the table”, a government minister has said.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan gave the strongest hint yet that the government may strengthen the inquiry, following mounting calls for it to be given legal powers that would compel people to give evidence to uncover possible NHS failings.

Letby, 33, was on Monday given a whole life sentence for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked.

Archie Mitchell has more

Statutory inquiry into Lucy Letby ‘on the table’, government minister admits

Letby to be officially erased as a nurse by regulator six years after first arrest

Tuesday 22 August 2023 10:24 , Holly Evans

Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), said: “First and foremost, our thoughts and sympathies are with the parents and families whose lives have been so terribly impacted by these heinous and heart-breaking crimes.

“This has been a long, complex criminal investigation. We’ve kept in close contact with the police and the trust throughout, and will continue to do so.

“Ms Letby remains suspended from our register, and we will now move forward with our regulatory action, seeking to strike her off the register.”

Families of victims call for statutory inquiry into Lucy Letby’s crimes

Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:48 , Holly Evans

A statutory inquiry into Lucy Letby’s crimes is “exactly” what the families of her victims want, a lawyer has said.

Asked about the possibility of a statutory inquiry, Tamlin Bolton, a solicitor for law firm Switalskis, which is representing the families of seven of Letby’s victims, told BBC Breakfast: “I think that’s exactly what they (the families) want.

“I don’t believe they’re suggesting that the NHS trust wouldn’t comply with an independent inquiry or would refuse to provide documents but you have to have a measure in place to compel them to do so.

“Inquiries are non-adversarial so it doesn’t assign liability to anybody, it’s just an investigation in its purest form and the importance of the statutory version of that is that you can make sure all that important evidence is there.

“The NHS is a public body, it’s publicly funded, and we want transparency and we want this investigated.”

Father of victim said Letby’s non-attendance ‘spits in the face’ of justice system

Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:12 , Holly Evans

A father of one of Lucy Letby’s victims believes her non-attendance during the sentencing was a “disgrace” which “spits in the face” of the justice system, a lawyer has said.

Tamlin Bolton, a solicitor for law firm Switalskis, which is representing the families of seven of Letby’s victims, told BBC Breakfast: “For most of the families that I represent, they thought it was a disgrace, absolutely.

“And one of the fathers said to me that it actually spits in the face of the justice system, which is you know, such ugly terminology, but it’s so accurate and his comments were that it was actually a scandal in itself that she wasn’t there.”

New doctor behaviour guidelines include sexual harassment and whistleblowing standards

Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:49 , Holly Evans

Guidance on how doctors should behave in work has been revised for the first time in a decade, outlining new standards on sexual harassment, whistleblowing and bullying to ensure staff “feel supported to speak out”.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published its new good medical practice guidelines, which sets out standards of patient care and professional behaviour expected of all medical professionals.

Its predecessor came into force in April 2013 and the new standards will be implemented from January 2024 after a five-month familiarisation period for staff.

Read more.

New NHS guidelines include sexual harassment and whistleblowing standards

Consultant says concerns being ignored not ‘uncommon’ in NHS

Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:43 , Holly Evans

Paediatrician Dr Stephen Brearey, who blew the whistle on killer nurse Lucy Letby in 2015, said that NHS managers need to be held accountable when things go wrong.

He also added that his experience of concerns being ignored by hospital bosses was not “uncommon” within the NHS.

Asked if he would like to see regulation of hospital administrators, like the regulation of clinical staff, so they can be held accountable for “certain forms of behaviours”, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Absolutely. Because doctors and nurses all have their regulatory bodies that we have to answer to.

“And quite often, we’ll see senior managers who have no apparent accountability for what they do in our trusts, and they move to other trusts, and you worry about their future actions.

“There doesn’t seem to be any system to make them accountable and for them to justify their actions in a systematic way.”

NHS managers should be regulated same as doctors and nurses, says whistleblower consultant

Tuesday 22 August 2023 07:56 , Holly Evans

Hospital managers should be regulated in a similar way to doctors and nurses, a senior doctor who first raised concerns about Lucy Letby has told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Dr Stephen Brearey said there was “no apparent accountability” for what NHS managers do, and claimed that senior staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital were worried about reputational damage to the trust.

He had been the lead consultant on the neonatal unit where serial killer Letby worked, and had tried to raise the alarm to hospital bosses in October 2015.

He claimed that his warnings were not acted upon, and that he and his colleagues came to feel under attack for voicing their concerns.

The consultant added: “Quite often we’ll see senior managers who have no apparent accountability for what they do in our trusts and then move to other trusts and you worry about their future actions.”

Senior NHS manager ‘who ignored concerns’ over killer nurse

Tuesday 22 August 2023 07:43 , Holly Evans

A senior manager accused of “ignoring” concerns and “protecting” Lucy Letby has been suspended from the NHS hospital she works in, it has emerged.

Alison Kelly, who was the chief nurse at the time Letby killed and attacked babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has been suspended from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford.

Letby was convicted last week of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more in 2015 and 2016 while working at the Countess of Chester. She has now been given a whole life sentence.

Rebecca Thomas has more.

Senior NHS manager ‘who ignored concerns’ over Lucy Letby suspended from new role

Mother of shooting victim expresses sympathy for Letby victims’ families: ‘Heart goes out to them’

Tuesday 22 August 2023 07:30 , Namita Singh

The mother of shooting victim Olivia Pratt-Korbel has said her heart goes out to the families of Lucy Letby’s victims after the killer nurse did not appear in court for her sentencing.

Cheryl Korbel has been campaigning for a change in the law to force criminals to appear in court after Thomas Cashman, who shot Olivia, nine, after chasing a fellow drug dealer into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, refused to come up to the dock when he was sentenced to a minimum of 42 years.

On the first anniversary of Olivia’s death, Ms Korbel said her “heart would go out to the families” of the babies attacked by Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Read the details here:

Mother of shooting victim Olivia says heart goes out to Letby victims’ families