Lucy Letby may have harmed more babies in her care, new evidence suggests

Letby Files Reveal More Harmed Babies

Recent findings reported by the BBC indicate that additional infants under Lucy Letby's supervision were harmed, including one incident where a baby was allegedly poisoned with insulin.

The ex-nurse was convicted of killing seven newborns and attempting to kill another seven. This included efforts to harm two infants using insulin while working at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital from June 2015 to June 2016.

Documents reviewed by BBC One's Panorama indicate that a third baby could have been poisoned just hours after Letby started caring for him.

Medical records show that the baby’s blood sugar dropped significantly, and the lab tests revealed abnormally high insulin levels.

Panorama has found that nearly one-third of the 33 shifts that Letby worked at Liverpool Women's Hospital during her training from 2012 to 2015 involved serious incidents that could have endangered infants' lives.

The findings from the program come after several months of criticism regarding the prosecution's case in her initial trial. Many experts have questioned the medical evidence that led to Letby's conviction, along with how statistics were presented during the court proceedings.

In August 2023, the 33-year-old received a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Later, during a second trial in July, Letby was convicted of trying to kill a seventh infant, resulting in an additional life sentence on top of her previous one.

The nurse's request to appeal her convictions from the initial trial has been denied.

Panorama has looked into increasing concerns raised by top statisticians and medical professionals regarding the safety of her beliefs.

However, alongside the program, new information has surfaced indicating that other ill and premature infants may have been negatively affected while under Letby's supervision.

When the body generates insulin on its own, it also creates a component known as C-peptide. Usually, the C-peptide levels are about five to ten times greater than those of natural insulin.

During Letby's initial trial, it was revealed that blood tests conducted on the two infants indicated they had elevated insulin levels and significantly reduced amounts of C-peptide.

The prosecution contended that the insulin must have been administered to them instead of being produced naturally by their bodies.

Letby’s attorneys didn’t agree with the insulin evidence presented in court, but they also didn’t claim it was incorrect. During cross-examination, Letby acknowledged that the two infants must have been poisoned, but she denied being responsible for it.

New findings presented by Panorama reveal that a blood test from a third infant under Letby's care in November 2015 displayed extremely high insulin levels and low C-peptide levels.

The lab findings showed that the insulin level exceeded 6,945 picomoles per litre, which is considered extremely high. If the insulin had been produced naturally, the C-peptide level would typically range from 35,000 to 70,000. However, the blood test revealed that it was only 220.

Initially, the specialists in the neonatal unit believed that the insulin was likely produced naturally. However, subsequent tests showed that the baby was suffering from congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a condition characterized by the excessive natural production of insulin by the body.

However, four specialists informed Panorama that CHI could not account for the very high insulin level observed in the infant. This is primarily due to the low C-peptide level, as well as the fact that an infant with CHI would not be capable of producing such large amounts of insulin.

Records obtained by Panorama reveal that the child's health deteriorated rapidly after Letby started her shift. A blood test conducted at 6:56 AM indicated that the baby had a normal blood sugar level of three millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

Letby began her shift at 8:00 AM, and by 1:54 PM, the baby's blood sugar level had fallen to just one mmol/L. This is a critically low level, suggesting that the baby had received an excess of insulin.

The boy's blood sugar stayed low for the entire time the nurse was working, and he only started to improve after she finished her shift at 8 PM.

Letby’s new attorney, Mark McDonald, pointed out that the infant had a specific issue with managing his insulin levels. He also challenged the assertion that the baby's health issues couldn't account for the unusually high insulin levels noted by the laboratory.

Mr. McDonald stated, "One expert might have that opinion, but I have other experts who completely disagree. I’m dedicating all my time to this case. If I believed for even a second that Lucy Letby was guilty, I wouldn't be putting in this effort."

Some specialists have raised doubts about the reliability of the straightforward test employed to assess insulin levels in each of the three instances, which is referred to as the immunoassay method.

They highlight that there is an alternative, more accurate test available, and that only this advanced test can reliably measure insulin levels in the bloodstream.

There are situations where the immunoassay technique may produce incorrect or misleading outcomes. However, this method is commonly employed and is generally reliable.

Panorama has consulted top experts from various perspectives regarding this issue. The program discovered that situations where interference could happen are highly improbable when considering the cases involving the babies in the Letby matter. Furthermore, it’s extremely unlikely that three lab tests performed within a short time frame would all yield incorrect results.

Mr. McDonald, Letby’s attorney, challenges this point: "Everyone agrees that the test has an error margin, but the actual percentage of that error margin is what’s being disputed."

Panorama has found that nearly one out of every three shifts Lucy Letby worked while training at Liverpool Women’s Hospital between 2012 and 2015 involved incidents that could have been life-threatening.

In an incident from November 2012, a baby boy fell unconscious, and it was later found that there was water in his airway, which is very unusual. The medical records indicate that the nurse responsible for his care at that time was Letby.

Furthermore, a review of past data revealed that during 40% of Letby's shifts, the breathing tubes of infants were found to be dislodged. In comparison, the typical rate for nurses handling the same task was just 1%.

Cheshire Police is still looking into additional cases that they think the nurse might be linked to, including the events that took place in Liverpool.

Mr. McDonald intends to submit Letby’s case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in order to request that it be referred back to the Court of Appeal.

Journalist Judith Moritz, who has been reporting on the case since it began, is looking into the concerns that have been brought up regarding Lucy Letby’s conviction.

Catch "Lucy Letby: Unanswered Questions" on BBC iPlayer, or tune in to BBC One on Monday, October 21, at 8:00 PM (8:30 PM in Wales and Northern Ireland).