Approximately 200 nurses and healthcare professionals from hospitals across the United Kingdom gathered in Sheffield yesterday to express growing concerns about the conviction of Lucy Letby. The conference, organised by campaign group Nineteen Nurses, highlighted mounting fears that the neonatal nurse may be a victim of a grave miscarriage of justice.
Growing Doubts About Conviction Evidence
Lucy Letby was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2023 for the murder of seven newborn babies and the attempted murder of six others. However, support for her innocence has gained momentum through prominent voices including Peter Hitchens of the Mail on Sunday and recent television documentaries that have questioned the evidence against her.
A significant development comes from a panel of 14 scientists and medical experts who have presented further evidence suggesting many of the infant deaths could be explained by natural causes. Letby's legal team has formally submitted this new evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which now has the power to refer her case to the Court of Appeal if it determines a potential miscarriage of justice may have occurred.
NHS Culture of Fear and Scapegoating
Viv Blondek, a retired nurse and founder member of Nineteen Nurses, addressed the conference with stark warnings about the current climate within the NHS. "We are a profession in fear," she stated. "Patients are the priority, but we have seen an erosion of our duty of candour because of a fear of being scapegoated."
Blondek contrasted the NHS approach with aviation accident investigations, where specialist teams with technical knowledge seek systemic causes rather than individuals to blame. "But we allow police to investigate our incidents, without any of the relevant expertise," she added, highlighting concerns about investigative methods.
Another anonymous founder member revealed that at least two other nurses are currently in prison with potentially unsafe convictions, amplifying concerns about a broader pattern within the healthcare and justice systems.
Support from Wrongfully Convicted Nurse
The campaign has gained powerful support from Amanda Jenkinson, who was wrongfully convicted of attempting to murder a patient in 1993 and spent five years in prison before having her conviction quashed in 2004. Speaking exclusively to the Mail on Sunday, Jenkinson described how the experience had "devastated my whole being" and expressed fears that Letby is being treated similarly.
"I don't know if Lucy Letby is innocent or not, but I fear she is being treated exactly as I was, and that she was regarded as guilty before she had any chance to defend herself," Jenkinson stated. "All these years later, and it's still happening."
Professor Jim Thornton, former professor of obstetrics at Nottingham University and a key supporter of reviewing Letby's case, raised significant concerns about unavailable evidence during the original trial. He emphasized that notes about the mothers of the babies involved were not made available to the court, despite some mothers having chronic health and birth problems that the jury never learned about.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are reportedly considering additional charges against Letby relating to other infant deaths and non-fatal collapses, while her legal team has requested the Thirlwall Inquiry into the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital be paused pending the outcome of the CCRC review.
A spokeswoman for the campaign summarized the current atmosphere: "There is a culture of fear in the NHS now, and it's toxic. Nurses are too frightened of being the next Lucy Letby if they speak out." The outcome of the CCRC review is now eagerly awaited by both supporters and critics of the original verdict.
