The arrest of Lucy Letby on suspicion of murdering babies did not result in her suspension from nursing duties, according to a recent public inquiry. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was criticised for not acting and interpreting its guidance differently. After Letby’s arrest in July 2018, a senior lawyer at the NMC concluded there was insufficient grounds to obtain an interim order without a charge. Letby’s bail conditions only prevented her from working with babies or children in a healthcare setting, not healthcare altogether.
The NMC was first contacted by the Countess of Chester Hospital in July 2016 about a rise in baby mortality, but no evidence of incompetence was found. Some clinicians were concerned that Letby may pose a serious risk to public safety. Nicholas de la Poer KC, the Counsel to the inquiry, challenged Helen Herniman, the NMC’s chief executive, about why the NMC did not try harder to identify who had concerns about Letby. Herniman accepted that more curiosity should have been shown.
Letby was allowed to continue to work without any restrictions imposed by the NMC until charged in November 2020. Ms Herniman admitted that the organisation had misinterpreted its guidance which should have seen Letby suspended. Letby was only stripped of her nursing credentials and removed from the register at an NMC fitness to practise hearing in December 2023 after her conviction. Letby, from Hereford, is serving a life sentence for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others.
The NMC’s failure to act on warnings from the hospital and suspicions from Letby’s colleagues has left the public questioning the effectiveness of the regulatory framework. The NMC needs to ensure its guidance is clear, and “public safety comes first” is enshrined in all its operations
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