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Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Lucy Letby ‘raised alarm over poor care of babies in her hospital'
Lucy Letby raised the alarm over the poor care of babies at the hospital in which she worked, new documents show. The former neo-natal nurse, 35, was convicted of the murder of seven children and the attempted murder of seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a prosecution that has come under intense scrutiny. Letby has since appointed a new legal team who have submitted an application on her behalf to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, claiming that she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Mark McDonald, Letby's barrister, said that she was a 'hard working nurse who loved her job' and would never harm a child. He added: '[That] is why she would not let any fault pass. This was a neonatal unit in crisis and she consistently formally reported issues. 'She was a whistleblower – but instead of listening to her they went for her instead.' Mr McDonald said Letby was targeted for raising concerns, and an expert international panel recently concluded that no murders were committed and instead that the babies collapsed or died because of either poor care or natural causes. Lawyers for the families of Letby's victims previously rubbished the panel's findings as 'full of analytical holes' and 'a rehash' of the defence case heard at trial. The documents that reveal Letby's complaints were first reported by The Mail on Sunday. The records – known as Datix Admin and Management Forms – cover a number of medical emergencies in the unit in 2015 and 2016. The group that investigated Letby's complaints included Dr Stephen Brearey, who was one of two doctors who would later raise questions about whether she was 'purposely harming babies'. Lack of resources On June 30 2016, Letby used the system to report an incident a week earlier when a baby had suffered a 'sudden acute collapse requiring resuscitation', only for staff dealing with the emergency to find that the sodium bicarbonate infusion required to deal with the crisis was not available. Dr Brearey's investigating group recommended new measures to 'ensure adequate stock levels in future'. Letby filed a second report about another baby on the ward who had collapsed three hours after the first incident, saying that 'resources were not available on unit' to deal with the emergency. According to the Mail on Sunday, Dr Brearey later amended the incident form to state that the medical resources mentioned were not necessary to deal with the incident and in any case were not 'routinely kept on the unit' – but then conceded that because of 'a recent increase in usage' delivery would be arranged. Another report by Letby in June 2016 identified failures by doctors over the administration of intravenous medication. Dr Brearey's group concluded that nurses should check the equipment 'on an hourly basis' and that Dr Brearey would 'update new doctors at induction'. At Dr Brearey's request, Letby was removed from clinical duties the following month. Other reports by Letby included the 'unexpected death' of a baby in August 2015. However, it was concluded that 'neonatal care was appropriate... it is unlikely any changes in management would have prevented this sad outcome'. She also recorded the deterioration of an infant after ventilation records were not recorded for a 12-hour period and a 'chest drain complication' resulting from a lack of needles on the ward. Letby's case is now being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which is expected to report back before Christmas.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Lucy Letby's lawyer says killer nurse has ‘hope' amid new evidence claims
Lucy Letby 's barrister, Mark McDonald, is actively working to overturn her convictions, stating she now has "new hope" after being a "broken person". McDonald is submitting "new evidence" to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and has assembled a panel of experts to challenge the prosecution's case. Lawyers representing the victims' families have dismissed the defence panel's findings as "full of analytical holes" and a "rehash" of the original defence. McDonald aims to influence public opinion regarding a potential miscarriage of justice, believing it is crucial to "win the public narrative" before legal action. The police are considering further allegations related to baby deaths where Letby worked, and three senior hospital staff have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Lucy Letby was a 'broken person'. But now has new hope, claims her lawyer
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Lucy Letby's barrister admits he talks to nurse 'every week' and says convicted baby killer has 'new hope' as calls grow for case to be reexamined
Child killer Lucy Letby was a 'broken person' but now has a 'new hope', her barrister has said as he revealed they are speaking once every one to two weeks. Mark McDonald said in an interview how Letby's parents contacted almost a year ago and requested he take over from her previous lawyer and free her from prison. A week later he met the killer, who is serving 15 whole-life orders after murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016. Mr McDonald said he is submitting 'new evidence' to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and has also spent the past year working to boost public criticism of her convictions. He gathered a panel of 14 neonatal and paediatric experts, shared the babies' medical notes with them, and held a press conference casting doubt on the prosecution's case. Lawyers for the families of Letby's victims previously rubbished the panel's findings as 'full of analytical holes' and 'a rehash' of the defence case heard at trial. In July, Cheshire Police passed evidence of further allegations related to baby deaths and collapses at the hospitals where Letby, 35, worked. Mr McDonald, who is known for making high-profile appeals, told the Sunday Times: 'Remember, 12 months ago, she'd lost every argument. She had been saying that she was not guilty right from the beginning and nobody believed her. 'She went through a whole trial and she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal and she was convicted. 'She had a retrial; she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal again; she was convicted. And that was it. 'There, you have a broken person. But today, after everything that has happened in the last 12 months, she's got new hope.' McDonald, 59, estimated he has spent thousands of hours on Letby's case and spoke to the newspaper while on holiday with his two children, aged three and four. He said he speaks to the killer at least once a week or every two weeks and visits her each month at Bronzefield prison, in Ashford, Surrey. 'I'm on holiday in Devon and I'm working on (the case). I had a telephone conference with Lucy yesterday. I won't stop. I will not stop until she is out,' he said. It is important to 'win the public narrative' of a potential miscarriage of justice case before taking on the legal narrative, because 'the Court of Appeal will know that the country is going to be looking at them', he added. The barrister claimed he has never submitted this much evidence to the CCRC and 'if this is not referred back to the Court of Appeal then one has to question the purpose of the CCRC'. The possible potential offences against Letby are now being considered by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The news emerged hours after police confirmed three people who were part of the senior leadership team at the hospital where Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Cheshire Constabulary said the suspects, who occupied senior positions at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) between 2015 and 2016, were arrested and later bailed pending further inquiries. Police said corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter probes are continuing. Mr McDonald previously said the police's announcement about potential new charges against Letby came at a 'very sensitive time' and that a proper and full public inquiry into failings by the hospital is needed. In the latest interview, Mr McDonald told the Sunday Times: 'I'm not naive; I'm a criminal defence barrister - I've represented many people over the years who are guilty. 'But I'm also able to see very clearly where this has gone wrong. There's no forensic evidence. There's no CCTV. There's no eyewitness evidence. 'There's just a theory by a man called Dewi Evans,' he said, referring to the person who was the lead prosecution medical expert in her trial. Meanwhile the BBC has been forced to correct and re-edit a Panorama programme on Lucy Letby after being accused of 'sloppy and amateurish' journalism and producing 'false statistics'. The documentary repeated discredited claims that when Letby worked as a nurse at Liverpool Women's Hospital between 2012 and 2015, the dislodgement of breathing tubes occurred at a rate 40 times higher than normal during her shifts. The claims had first been aired by Richard Baker KC, who represented the victims' families at the Thirlwall Inquiry, but were heavily contested by Jane Hutton, a professor of statistics at Warwick University, who wrote to the inquiry to express her 'concern at your very poor presentation of statistics relating to accidental dislodgement of endotracheal tubes'. Professor Hutton wrote: 'Your statements implied that an evaluation of shifts shows a substantial increase in events when Letby was on shift. This is a fine example of statistical illiteracy which can mislead juries and the general public.' However, Monday's Panorama, presented by Judith Moritz and Jonathan Coffey, described the figures as 'empirical' and suggested they damaged Letby's claims of innocence. The presenters are this month publishing an updated paperback version of their book, Unmasking Lucy Letby, which partly back-peddles on the original version's presumption of Letby's guilt. After several experts, including Professor Hutton, complained to the BBC about the segment, the corporation has now retracted the figure and edited the version of the programme available on iPlayer.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Lucy Letby ‘raised alarm about care of babies at hospital,' bombshell new docs reveal as barrister raises ‘new hope'
LUCY Letby repeatedly raised the alarm about the poor care of babies in the hospital where she worked, it is claimed. The nurse was last year convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven more at Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. 6 6 6 However, new bombshell documents allegedly reveal she had formally highlighted apparent failures of care in the neonatal unit shortly before she was removed from her duties. It comes as her barrister Mark McDonald says Letby has got "new hope" of eventually being acquitted. He has sensationally claimed senior medics targeted his client in revenge for her whistleblowing. He told the Daily Mail: "Lucy was a hard working, experienced nurse who loved her job and would never harm any child which is why she would not let any fault pass. "This was a neonatal unit in crisis and she consistently formally reported issues. "She was a whistleblower – but instead of listening to her they went for her instead." Calls have continued to grow in recent months for a potential re-trial - with many experts claiming the ex-nurse was a victim of a miscarriage of justice. These have ramped up in recent weeks following ITV 's Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt? and a BBC Panorama episode which both explored potential flaws in the case against Letby. The juries at her two trials reached their verdicts despite the absence of any forensic or CCTV evidence and lack of convincing motive. A panel of 14 international experts said earlier this year her convictions were "unsafe" - and that the babies collapsed or died due to either poor health or natural causes. Lucy Letby seen partying at pal's wedding while on bail for murdering seven babies in shock unseen photos Now internal management forms at the hospital show how she drew attention to apparent issues in her neonatal unit. Letby was removed from duties at the request of a senior doctor before a police investigation was launched and she was arrested in 2018. The Datix Admin and Management Forms cover multiple medical emergencies in the unit in 2015 and 2016. A group then investigated Letby's complaints - which included Dr Stephen Breary, who was one of two doctors who would later raise questions about whether she was "purposely harming babies". She reported an incident on June 30 2016 from the previous week when a baby suffered a "sudden acute collapse requiring resuscitation" with staff finding that the sodium bicarbonate infusion required to deal with the crisis not available, reports the Mail. The investigating group recommended new measures to ensure levels of stock were adequate. However, Dr Breary later amended the report to state the resources Letby mentioned were not necessary to deal with the incident and not "routinely kept on the unit". Letby filed another complaint another report, also in June 2016, in relation to intravenous medication - with Dr Breary's group concluding nurses should check equipment "on an hourly basis" and that Dr Breary himself would "update new doctors at induction". At his request, Letby was then removed from her duties. An earlier report from the nurse was made about the unexpected death of a baby in August 2015, which it was concluded "neonatal care was appropriate... it is unlikely any changes in management would have prevented this sad outcome". Speaking to The Times, Mr McDonald said he visits Letby once a week or every two weeks and she is "in a very different place today than what she was 12 months ago". He said she was left a "broken person" after her trials, which were followed by two failed appeals to the Court of a Appeal. "Today, after everything that has happened in the last 12 months, she's got new hope," he said. Earlier this year, Mr McDonald and his team - which took over to represent Letby following her convictions - submitted an appeal to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body that assesses potential miscarriages of justice. Any such appeal would means Mr McDonald having to submit new evidence, which could include Letby's formal complaints. The Thirlwall Inquiry, which explored events at the hospital surrounding the baby deaths, is due to release its full findings early next year. A spokesman at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "Due to the Thirlwall Inquiry and the ongoing police investigations, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time." 6 6 6
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Lucy Letby has 'new hope' as barrister prepares to submit appeal file
Lucy Letby was a 'broken person' but now has a 'new hope', her barrister has said. Letby's parents contacted Mark McDonald almost a year ago and requested he take over from her previous lawyer and free her from prison, he said in an interview with the Sunday Times. A week later he met Letby, who is serving 15 whole-life orders after murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016. Mr McDonald said he is submitting 'new evidence' to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and has also spent the past year working to boost public criticism of her convictions. He gathered a panel of 14 neonatal and paediatric experts, shared the babies' medical notes with them, and held a press conference casting doubt on the prosecution's case. Lawyers for the families of Letby's victims previously rubbished the panel's findings as 'full of analytical holes' and 'a rehash' of the defence case heard at trial. READ MORE: DWP full list of 22 medical conditions qualifying for up to £200 a week READ MORE: Live Lotto results for Saturday, August 16: National Lottery winning numbers from tonight's draw In July, Cheshire Police passed evidence of further allegations related to baby deaths and collapses at the hospitals where Letby, 35, worked. Mr McDonald, who is known for making high-profile appeals, told the Sunday Times: 'Remember, 12 months ago, she'd lost every argument. She had been saying that she was not guilty right from the beginning and nobody believed her. 'She went through a whole trial and she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal and she was convicted. She had a retrial; she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal again; she was convicted. And that was it. 'There, you have a broken person. But today, after everything that has happened in the last 12 months, she's got new hope.' McDonald, 59, estimated he has spent thousands of hours on Letby's case and spoke to the newspaper while on holiday with his two children, aged three and four. He said he speaks to the killer at least once every two weeks and visits her each month at Bronzefield prison, in Ashford, Surrey. 'I'm on holiday in Devon and I'm working on (the case). I had a telephone conference with Lucy yesterday. I won't stop. I will not stop until she is out,' he said. It is important to 'win the public narrative' of a potential miscarriage of justice case before taking on the legal narrative, because 'the Court of Appeal will know that the country is going to be looking at them', he added. The barrister claimed he has never submitted this much evidence to the CCRC and 'if this is not referred back to the Court of Appeal then one has to question the purpose of the CCRC'. The possible potential offences against Letby are now being considered by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The news emerged hours after police confirmed three people who were part of the senior leadership team at the hospital where Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Cheshire Constabulary said the suspects, who occupied senior positions at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) between 2015 and 2016, were arrested and later bailed pending further inquiries. Police said corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter probes are continuing. Mr McDonald previously said the police's announcement about potential new charges against Letby came at a 'very sensitive time' and that a proper and full public inquiry into failings by the hospital is needed. In the latest interview, Mr McDonald told the Sunday Times: 'I'm not naive; I'm a criminal defence barrister – I've represented many people over the years who are guilty. 'But I'm also able to see very clearly where this has gone wrong. There's no forensic evidence. There's no CCTV. There's no eyewitness evidence. 'There's just a theory by a man called Dewi Evans,' he said, referring to the person who was the lead prosecution medical expert in her trial.
