Letby Trial Exposes Neonatal Unit's Systemic Failures

According to a recent inquiry, the jury in the Lucy Letby trial was never informed about a bacterial outbreak or the full extent of sewage problems in the neonatal unit where the alleged killings took place. This new information, along with emails and a risk register that were never disclosed to Letby's defense team, suggests that she may have been a scapegoat for the unit's dysfunctional and under-resourced operations.

The inquiry also heard testimony from doctors who had raised concerns about a potential pseudomonas outbreak before Letby was blamed for the baby deaths and collapses. Consultant Dr. Murthy Saladi said he was worried the incidents were due to an outbreak of the deadly bacteria, while former paediatric registrar Dr. Rachel Lambie had "personally raised" the issue of an environmental toxin and that pseudomonas was "being considered."

This revelation casts doubt on the prosecution's claim that testing had ruled out infections in the babies. As the Thirlwall Inquiry continues to investigate how the killings might have been stopped, it is becoming increasingly clear that there are serious questions about the handling of this case and the conditions within the neonatal unit.