Lucy Letby Gave Potentially Fatal Dose of Morphine to Infant Two Years Before First Murder, Inquiry Hears

Lucy Letby, the nurse convicted of murdering seven babies, gave a newborn a potentially lethal dose of morphine two years before she killed her first victim, an inquiry has revealed. The incident occurred during a night shift in July 2013, where the infant was administered 10 times the correct dosage of the painkiller, via the Guardian. Had the error not been spotted an hour after a handover, the baby could have died, the Thirlwall Inquiry was told.

Letby, alongside another nurse, had set up the morphine infusion for the baby. Letby’s colleague was said to be so “distraught” by the incident that she nearly resigned. In contrast, Letby was “unhappy” when informed by neonatal unit deputy ward manager Yvonne Griffiths that she would no longer be allowed to administer controlled drugs until a review was completed.

A week later, Letby was told by neonatal unit manager Eirian Powell that she could resume handling drugs like morphine, the inquiry heard. The following day, Letby messaged a colleague, stating, “Thankfully Eirian felt it had been escalated more than it needed to be. Everything is back to how it was. I just … have to have more training on using the pumps and it will be on my record for six months.” Letby added that she still felt “vulnerable” but was determined to regain her confidence, told the Mirror.

During the inquiry, Nick de la Poer KC asked Yvonne Griffiths if she had overreacted to the incident. Ms. Griffiths firmly responded, “No.” She explained that the morphine overdose was a “very serious” incident and that if it had not been caught in time, it could have been fatal. “If that had not been picked up as soon as it was, it might have made the baby demise,” she said. When asked if it could have been fatal, she confirmed, “Yes.”

Ms. Griffiths recalled that Letby appeared upset but was not as distraught as her colleague, who had considered quitting nursing over the incident. Letby accepted the decision for further training, though Griffiths sensed Letby thought she was being harsh. Letby’s additional training on infusion calculations was not completed until September 2013, the inquiry heard.

Letby was involved in another medication error in April 2016 when she administered an antibiotic that was not prescribed. Practice development nurse Yvonne Farmer described this as “possibly a major error,” though Letby claimed it was “unavoidable.” In her reflections, Letby admitted the mistake but explained the challenging circumstances of caring for multiple patients and administering several antibiotics at once.

Now 34, Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others between 2015 and 2016. The Thirlwall Inquiry is expected to conclude by late 2025, with its findings published in the autumn.