Maternity notes detailing the pregnancies, labors, and births of infants that neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering were not provided to her defense team before her trial, a BBC investigation has found. Letby was convicted of murdering and attempting to murder 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
Cheshire Police seized these maternity notes, which contain vital information for assessing infant deaths. However, they were not reviewed by the prosecution's chief medical expert, nor were they disclosed to Letby's defense. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that Letby's convictions, secured over two jury trials, were upheld after the Court of Appeal dismissed arguments that the prosecution's evidence was flawed. Letby is currently serving 15 life sentences.
Concerns about the evidence presented during Letby's trials have surfaced since her conviction and subsequent retrial on one case. A key area of concern has been the perceived inadequate consideration of the babies' full maternity histories. Experts told the BBC that a comprehensive review of a baby's pregnancy, labor, and delivery is essential when determining the cause of their collapse and death.
Dr. Dewi Evans, the prosecution's chief medical witness, stated that the full maternity notes were not relevant to the case. He indicated he never saw the obstetric notes and was unaware of their whereabouts. "I don't think that maternity care was a particular issue in the Letby case," Dr. Evans said. "I think most of the babies I dealt with were born in acceptable condition." He noted that he did review brief maternity summaries, typically a few paragraphs long, attached to each baby's neonatal records.