When I first heard the press conference led by Dr. Shoo Lee and barrister Matt McDonald, I was overwhelmed with a mix of excitement and relief. For the first time, it seemed like healthcare professionals were truly stepping up, acknowledging the injustice of the situation, and deciding to review the case with a fresh perspective. Their promise to examine the evidence thoroughly, whether it supported Letby’s guilt or innocence, was a powerful moment.

The clinical review they conducted revealed some uncomfortable truths: many of the babies involved in the case were severely ill, and the care they received was far from optimal. This realization was heartbreaking. Initially, I felt a sense of hope that finally, Letby’s conviction might be properly scrutinized and that the families involved, while enduring painful reopenings of wounds they thought had healed, might find clarity and justice.

But today, I woke up with a strong feeling of anger. I couldn’t immediately understand why, but as I reflected on it, I began to realize that it stemmed from a sense of frustration—not just with this case, but with the broader systemic issues at play. The anger, in part, comes from recognizing how difficult it is for nurses and midwives to defend themselves when faced with serious allegations.

In cases like this, healthcare professionals are often left with limited resources to gather evidence or mount an adequate defense. Most of us don’t have the financial means to afford expensive legal representation, and the resources available to us are minimal at best. This is a reality that many in the profession face. Letby’s team of experts, who came together to help review the case, were all volunteering their time and expertise without any financial reimbursement. Their sole motivation was to get to the bottom of what happened to those babies—no ulterior motives, just a genuine desire to find the truth.

What frustrates me the most is the deep, underlying injustice in the situation. Those babies, who entered the hospital in a fragile state, were already in need of the best possible care. Some were premature, some had multiple health issues, but all of them deserved the best medical attention. Unfortunately, as Dr. Lee’s review highlighted, many of them did not receive the care they needed, and in some cases, the care provided was downright substandard. This is a tragedy, and it makes me deeply sad to think about how often this happens—how many other cases go unnoticed, or how many other babies suffer because of systemic failures.

We keep hearing about failures in maternity and hospital services, and it makes me wonder how much of this is just the tip of the iceberg. The issues in cases like this seem more widespread than we realize, and I’m left questioning how many other cases are similar. It’s evident that doctors and healthcare professionals are working under increasingly difficult circumstances, but that doesn’t absolve the system from its failures.

As much as I try to understand things from every angle, the thought that keeps coming back to me is this: what if that had been me? What if I were in prison, accused of something I didn’t do, and faced with the very real prospect of never being able to experience the outside world again? I don’t know if I could survive that.

The priority must be to uncover the truth and ensure that lessons are learned from this tragic situation. We’ve seen countless reviews, recommendations, and calls for change, but time and time again, we see the same failures. It is time for a new approach – the ongoing time-consuming reviews are costly and substandard according to the new evidence from Letby’s pro bono team. The way investigations are carried out needs a major upheaval, with accountability as well as those investigating having no motive other than establishing the facts. Currently, this doesn’t happen so we have review after review that keeps finding the same failures.

Let’s hope that this case ultimately leads to real change and that we learn the lessons we need to prevent future failures in healthcare.