Letby doctor calls inquiry 'grim reading' — SkimNews
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- Dr. John Gibbs said the 822-page Thirlwall Inquiry report is "grim reading" and that he wishes consultants had been "brave enough" to follow their suspicions and escalate concerns to police earlier during the 2015-2016 period.
- Gibbs accepted that consultants bear "collective" responsibility for some failings identified, and said the 11 months after Letby was moved off the unit were "very tense" with managers "determined to ensure that we accepted Lucy Letby had been wrongly suspected."
- Gibbs described a team failure around August 2015 blood test results suggesting a baby had been poisoned with insulin, noting "others of us were on call" and had the opportunity to review the notes.
- The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently reviewing Letby's convictions; Gibbs said he has not changed his mind she is guilty but acknowledged that "the calibre of some of the people who've raised concerns" makes the CCRC examination "important."
- Lady Justice Thirlwall's report found "missed opportunities" including a cluster of three baby deaths in June 2015, and said parents were "kept in the dark for years" — a failure she described as "reprehensible."
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said officials will "urgently develop plans" for live-streaming cameras on England's baby wards after the report called for CCTV on all cots and incubators and restrictions on insulin access.
- Cheshire Police were not invited to investigate until May 2017, more than a year after Letby was moved to administrative duties in July 2016; Letby remained on site until her arrest.
Why it matters: A senior doctor publicly accepting collective responsibility — and acknowledging that consultants should have gone to police earlier — reinforces the inquiry's central finding that hospital managers repeatedly dismissed clinical concerns during an active killing spree. The Health Secretary's commitment to live-streaming cameras and the ongoing CCRC review of Letby's convictions show the case is reshaping neonatal ward safety standards across England.
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