An inquiry reveals Lucy Letby’s arrest didn’t warrant her nursing suspension despite serious allegations
During a public inquiry, it was revealed that her arrest in 2018 for these crimes didn’t lead to her suspension from nursing. Helen Herniman, the chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), mentioned that they could have interpreted their guidelines differently back then.
After Letby was arrested, a senior lawyer at the NMC decided there wasn’t enough reason to suspend her without formal charges. While she couldn’t work with babies or kids, she was still allowed to work in healthcare.
The NMC was first alerted about rising baby mortality rates at the Countess of Chester Hospital back in 2016. They were told there was no evidence of medical incompetence, even though some doctors were worried Letby might pose a serious risk.
During the inquiry, Nicholas de la Poer KC asked Herniman if there was a real effort to find out who had concerns about Letby. Herniman agreed that they should have been more curious about the situation.
Letby continued to work without restrictions until she was charged in late 2020. Herniman admitted that the NMC’s interpretation of their guidelines at the time was flawed.
It wasn’t until December 2023, after her conviction, that Letby was finally stripped of her nursing credentials. She’s now serving 15 life sentences after being found guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others between 2015 and 2016.
