Senior Doctor Believes Lucy Letby Likely Harmed Babies Prior to 2015
Neonatal clinical lead Dr. Stephen Brearey provided testimony to the Thirlwall Inquiry concerning the incidents surrounding the deaths of premature babies under his care.
A senior doctor testified in a public inquiry, speculating that nurse Lucy Letby may have murdered or assaulted children at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital before June 2015 when the first confirmed killings occurred.
Letby, 34, from Hereford, received 15 whole-life orders after being convicted in Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, including two attempts on one baby, between June 2015 and June 2016.
During the inquiry into the premature babies’ deaths, neonatal clinical lead Dr. Stephen Brearey stated, “On reflection, I believe it is likely that Letby’s harmful actions did not start in June 2015. I think her behavior prior to that time gradually altered what we considered to be normal.”
When asked by Peter Skelton, KC, about suspicions before June 2015, Brearey affirmed, “Yes, I think that’s likely.”
The inquiry discovered that the consultant maintained a “drawer of doom” containing files of deceased babies and related inquest reports. The drawer, usually empty, started to fill up between 2015 and 2016.
Skelton questioned, “Do you recall a number of unexpected collapses or deaths that now seem suspicious to you?” to which the medic responded, “Yes.”
Reflecting on the past events, Brearey admitted, “Neither I nor my colleagues had concerns at the time. We attributed some unusual events to a busy or challenging period.”
NHS ‘Not Perfect’
Skelton discussed the normalization of abnormalities in the NHS, and Brearey acknowledged, “I think so, yes. We are working in the NHS, it’s not perfect.”
