Medical experts release new report claiming no evidence of nurse Lucy Letby killing babies left in her care

An international panel of medical experts has shared evidence that includes case summaries on all 17 babies that were featured in Lucy Letby's 10-month trial.

The barrister that was representing Letby recently stated that he was handing 'fresh' medical evidence to an independent body that might clear her name.

Mark McDonald delivered the full findings of the panel of 14, which included neonatologists and paediatric specialists, who said that medical care and natural causes were the causes of the babies collapsing at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit.

The international panel would conclude that no criminal offences had been committed at the hospital in 2015 and 2016 and provided explanations on alternative causes of deterioration as part of a new report.

Medical experts had previously claimed that Letby was not at fault for the babies' deaths, and attributed it to natural causes and errors in medical care.

The British nurse was sentenced to life in prison in August 2023 after being found guilty of murdering seven babies, in addition to the attempted murder of six others.

Letby, 35, was then found guilty of the attempted murder of another baby in a 2024 retrial.

But now, alternative causes of deterioration have been presented:

– Baby 1 (known as Child A in the trial): It was initially said that the boy was murdered via 'an injection of air into the bloodstream which caused an air embolism where bubbles form and block the blood supply.' It was found by the panel that there was no evidence of this, and the child died due to thrombosis, which is when a blood clot forms in a vessel.

– Baby 2 (Child B): The prosecution stated that Letby tried to murder her by injecting air into her bloodstream. As Child A's twin sister, she collapsed due to thrombosis as well.

– Baby 3 (Child C): It was initially believed that the boy was murdered with air forced into his feeding tube, but the panel said he died due to ineffective resuscitation from a collapse following an 'acute small bowel obstruction' that was not recognised.

– Baby 4 (Child D): The prosecution believed the girl was murdered by an injection of air into the bloodstream, but there was no evidence of this. The board concluded that 'the child died of systemic sepsis, pneumonia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (blood clotting)', while issues with failures to give relevant antibiotics were also identified.

– Baby 5 (Child E): According to The Crown, Letby murdered the twin boy via an injection of air into his bloodstream, also causing bleeding, but the panel drew it down to 'a lack of oxygen pre-birth or a congenital blood vessel condition'.

Lucy Letby was first arrested in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison five years later (Cheshire Constabulary)

– Baby 6 (Child F): Letby was accused of murdering Child E's twin brother by administering insulin, but the panel found that his insulin levels and insulin/C-peptide ratio was within the norm for those around his age. They explained it was due to the poor medical management of the child’s prolonged hypoglycaemia.

– Baby 7 (Child G): The prosecution claimed that the nurse had overfed the baby with milk and forced air into her feeding tube, but there was no evidence of this according to the panel. "The infant’s vomiting and clinical deterioration was due to infection," they said.

– Baby 8 (Child H): Jurors had cleared Letby on one count of attempted murder and failed to reach a verdict on another count, as prosecutors said the nurse sabotaged the baby's care, leading to oxygen desaturations. The international panel found that her death was caused by the 'medical mismanagement of a tension pneumothorax where air is trapped between the lung and chest wall.'

– Baby 9 (Child I): The prosecution claimed the nurse injected air into the baby's bloodstream and stomach, though no evidence of this was found, as the baby died of 'breathing complications caused by respiratory distress syndrome and chronic lung disease.'

– Baby 10 (Child J): A verdict was not reached on this count by jurors, as no form of harm was found, though the prosecution believed Letby did something to cause her collapse. According to the medical panel, the baby's deterioration was caused by sepsis, with no evidence pointing towards 'malicious airway obstruction'.

– Baby 11 (Child K): Letby was said to have attempted to murder the girl, the prosecution said, by dislodging her breathing tube on purpose. It was found that 'there was no evidence to support a dislodged endotracheal tube (ETT) and the clinical deterioration was caused by use of an undersized ETT.'

New evidence has been brought to the fore by an international medical panel (PA)

– Baby 12 (Child L): It was believed that Letby poisoned this boy with insulin, but the panel say that his insulin-related levels were at normal levels for pre-term infants, with no evidence of deliberate administration.

– Baby 13 (Child M): Prosecutors claimed that the nurse injected air into his bloodstream in a murder attempt, but a panel found there was no evidence of air embolism, causing his collapse to 'sepsis or a heart problem'.

– Baby 14 (Child N): The Crown said he was the victim of attempted murder after inflicted trauma was caused in his throat as well as an air injection into his bloodstream, though there was no air embolism according to the panel. "It was likely his blood oxygen levels dropped due to his haemophilia condition or routine cares, which was 'exacerbated' by repeated attempts to insert a breathing tube," they explained.

– Baby 15 (Child O): The prosecution claimed she murdered the triplet boy by injecting air into his bloodstream and inflicting trauma on his liver. While he did die of liver damage, it was due to traumatic delivery, which caused bleeding in the abdomen area and profound shock.

– Baby 16 (Child P): Child O's brother, this baby was said to be murdered by Letby via an injection of air, but the panel found no evidence of this, as the baby died of a 'collapsed lung that was 'suboptimally managed'.'

– Baby 17 (Child Q): Jurors couldn't reach a verdict on the 17th baby after an allegation of attempted murder, with The Crown saying the nurse tried to inject liquid into the baby, as well as air, through his feeding tube. The panel found no evidence, and found he had passed due to early symptoms of either 'a serious gastrointestinal problem, or sepsis.'