Doctor Regrets Delay in Reporting Lucy Letby Concerns
A senior doctor at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby murdered seven babies has expressed regret that suspicions about her were not reported to the police sooner.
Dr. Stephen Brearey, the lead neonatal consultant at the Countess of Chester Hospital during the period when nurse Lucy Letby committed her crimes, stated that he "naively" assumed senior hospital managers would act on concerns about the nurse's involvement in a series of infant deaths. He has spoken out for the first time since the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry report into the events.
The inquiry found that a culture of "toxic negativity" within the NHS discouraged staff from speaking out, despite improved whistleblowing guidance, and highlighted a lack of regulation. Brearey claimed his warnings about Letby were repeatedly overlooked by hospital management.
Brearey led a group of seven consultants who shared concerns about Letby. The hospital conducted internal reviews into increased infant mortality in 2015 and 2016, but the police were not involved until May 2017. Letby remained employed at the hospital until her arrest over a year later. "I think one of the reasons we got through this and ended up picking up a police investigation is that the seven of us stuck together," Brearey said. "But obviously in retrospect, clearly, if we'd known what was ahead of us, we would have gone to the police earlier."
Following Letby's arrest in July 2018, Brearey noted the absence of "any psychological support" for the hospital staff. He described the situation as colleagues looking after colleagues, comparing it to soldiers in a battle zone. Staff on the neonatal unit continued to work, facing re-traumatization when encountering critically ill babies, which could trigger distress, especially for parents who had to manage their own family lives.
Lady Thirlwall, who chaired the inquiry, made 17 recommendations, including installing CCTV in neonatal units, restricting access to insulin, implementing mandatory safeguarding training, standardizing NHS IT systems, and improving data handling. Brearey believes these measures, if enacted, would significantly aid in preventing future incidents.
Regarding broader cultural change within the NHS, Brearey expressed skepticism about the pace of progress. He pointed to Lady Thirlwall's recommendation for managers to prioritize patients, calling it a "sad indictment" that such a duty needs to be contractually mandated. He emphasized that enacting such changes requires a cultural shift that will take time.
Former Countess of Chester Hospital executives, including Tony Chambers, Ian Harvey, and Alison Kelly, along with former HR director Sue Hodkinson, issued a joint statement indicating they were reviewing the report and its recommendations. They stated that further comment would be inappropriate given ongoing investigations.
The hospital trust acknowledged the events and expressed deep sorrow for what occurred in 2015 and 2016. They committed to implementing the Thirlwall report's recommendations and highlighted progress in improving governance, safety, and culture since that time, stating they are now a different organization with new leadership and a more open culture where speaking up is encouraged.