Were suspicions about Lucy Letby ignored to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

Editorial: The protection of patients should never be sacrificed to protect the image of a hospital. The NHS is a service, not a business

Lucy Letby continued to harm babies after concerns were raised about her (PA)

Lucy Letby murdered five babies between June and October 2015. At that point, the lead consultant on the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit, Dr Stephen Brearey, raised concerns about her.

Her final two victims – and this does not include the further six counts of attempted murder of which she has been convicted – she murdered in June 2016. It was 2017 before anybody had contacted the police.

It is impossible to imagine the pain and suffering of these babies’ parents. It might be possible, however, to think that the parents of her final two victims will spend the rest of their lives suffering even more than the rest. They will know that what happened to their babies could have – and should have – been prevented. That suspicions had already been raised – and had lingered for almost a full year.