Healthcare professionals who murder patients

Issues relating to the Letby case

Lucy Letby, a nurse working in the neonatal unit in the Countess of Chester Hospital, was found guilty on 18 October 2023 of murdering seven and attempting to kill six other babies between June 2015 and June 2016. The trial had lasted for 10 months and the verdicts, which involved 76 hours of deliberation, were delivered over several occasions by the jury, but these were not reportable until jurors had been discharged. She was found not guilty on two further counts of attempted murder and the jury could not reach verdicts on six more charges of attempted murder. Among the victims who survived murder attempts were some who have sustained long-term injuries and continue to have complex needs and learning difficulties. The Prosecution asked the court for 28 days to consider whether a retrial would be sought for the remaining six counts. A decision was made at the end of September 2023 to seek a retrial on one count of attempted murder.