London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2025

Lucy Letby trial: Nurse moved to risk office after baby deaths, jury told

Lucy Letby trial: Nurse moved to risk office after baby deaths, jury told

Nurse Lucy Letby was given a role in a hospital's risk and patient safety office after doctors raised concerns over her alleged involvement in baby deaths, a court has heard.

Senior doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital requested Ms Letby be taken off front-line duties after the deaths of two triplets in June 2016.

Ms Letby has been accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others between 2015 and 2016.

The 33-year-old denies all charges.

Manchester Crown Court has previously heard that following the death of one of the babies, named as Child P for legal reasons, on 24 June 2016, senior paediatrician Dr Stephen Brearey told a hospital executive he was "not happy" with Ms Letby continuing to work on the neonatal unit.

Dr Brearey told the court that Karen Rees, the duty executive senior nurse, had informed him there was "no evidence" for his claims and Ms Letby, originally from Hereford, would be remaining in her role.

The day after Dr Brearey had his request refused, another baby, Child Q, collapsed and required resuscitation.

Prosecutors have alleged that on the morning of 25 June, Ms Letby injected air and fluid into the boy's stomach via a nasogastric tube in an attempt to kill him.

The court was told that in the weeks that followed Child Q's collapse, Ms Letby was taken off front-line duties and placed on a three-month "secondment" to the hospital's risk and patient safety office.

The jury heard she was also told that as part of a unit-wide review, she would be placed under "clinical supervision".

Eirian Powell, who was the neonatal manager, said in an email to all neonatal unit staff that the review and supervision was "not meant to be a blame or competency issue" but "a way forward to ensure our practice is safe".

In a message to a colleague, Ms Letby said she was "fuming" about being placed on secondment and commented that the email announcing the move "makes it sound like it's my choice".

In messages to another nursing colleague, Ms Letby said she had made a "timeline" of events on the unit, adding: "Hoping to get as much info together as possible - if they have nothing or minimal on me, they'll look silly, not me."

The court was also shown messages Ms Letby sent to a doctor after being told her shifts would be changing.

In the messages, she said she was having a "meltdown" and was "completely overwhelmed" with worry about why she was being moved.

The doctor attempted to reassure her and told her that in relation to the care of the triplets, she had done a "perfect job".

The court heard on 1 September, Ms Letby attended a meeting with a review panel and six days later, she registered a grievance procedure.

The nurse is accused of carrying out the attacks at Countess of Chester Hospital


The court earlier heard how Ms Letby told police it was a "coincidence" that Child Q, her final alleged victim, collapsed while he was in her care.

Manchester Crown Court has heard how Child Q was "stable" on the evening before his collapse.

Jurors heard that the infant deteriorated and needed breathing support shortly after 09:00 on 25 June.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC, reading a summary of Ms Letby's police interview, said the nurse denied causing the boy any harm.

He said Ms Letby accepted that Child Q collapsed "within minutes of her leaving nursery two [but] she said he was stable when she left and [that she] wouldn't have left him if that was not the case".

Mr Johnson said she "denied deliberately leaving the room to blame other staff" for Child Q's collapse.

He said Ms Letby also denied injecting air or fluid into Child Q's NG tube and said it was a "coincidence he became unwell when she came on duty".

"She noted premature babies could deteriorate at any time," he added.

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×