Doctor regrets not reporting Lucy Letby to police sooner

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 13:08 · Archive

Dr Stephen Brearey, the lead neonatal consultant at Countess of Chester Hospital, said he should have gone to police earlier about nurse Lucy Letby.

Dr Stephen Brearey, lead neonatal consultant at Countess of Chester Hospital, said he should have gone to police earlier about nurse Lucy Letby. Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others at the hospital in Cheshire.

Brearey began suspecting Letby's involvement in unexplained deaths in 2015. He led a group of seven consultants who shared concerns about her. Hospital bosses carried out internal reviews into increased infant mortality in 2015 and 2016, but Cheshire Police was not asked to investigate until May 2017. Letby remained employed at the hospital until her arrest more than a year later.

Brearey said he 'naively' assumed senior managers had the same values as him and would respond appropriately to his concerns once they understood them. 'I think one of the reasons we got through this and ended up picking up a police investigation is that the seven of us stuck together,' he said. 'But obviously in retrospect, clearly, if we'd known what was ahead of us, we would have gone to the police earlier.'

The Thirlwall Inquiry report found a 'toxic negativity' within the NHS that continued to discourage staff from speaking out despite stronger whistleblowing guidance, and said regulation was lacking. Brearey said warnings about Letby were repeatedly ignored by hospital bosses and expressed concern that cultural change at the NHS would take time to implement.

How it is being reported

• Doctor on Lucy Letby ward says he should have gone to police with fears earlierDr Stephen Brearey said his warnings about Lucy Letby were repeatedly ignoredThe Independent · 16 Oct, 13:06
• Doctor who raised concerns about Lucy Letby harming babies says he should have gone to police earlierDr Stephen Brearey has been speaking for the first time since the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry report into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire.Daily Mail · 16 Oct, 12:56
• Doctor regrets not going to police earlier about Lucy LetbyDr Stephen Brearey was the lead neonatal consultant at the hospital where the nurse worked.BBC News · 16 Oct, 09:28

In this story: Lucy Letby · Dr Stephen Brearey · Countess of Chester Hospital · Cheshire Police · Thirlwall Inquiry

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