Brits have expressed their outrage as a hearing was held to decide whether or not to strike convicted murderer Lucy Letby off the nursing register.
In August this year the convicted child-killer was given 14 whole-life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder six others at Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.
Following the conclusion of her trial, the Nursing and Midwifery Council gave notice that it wanted to strike Letby off its register.
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At a hearing today (12 December), Christopher Scott, for the NMC, told a fitness to practise panel that it is ‘a matter of legal fact’ that Letby was convicted of seven counts each of murder and attempted murder.
The panel was told Letby was asked in a ‘tick-box exercise’ if she accepts the NMC charges.
She ticked 'yes' to each of the charges but added: “I do not wish to take part or be present at the hearing. I do not resist the application to strike me off the nursing register.
“I accept the fact of the convictions. However, I do not accept that I am guilty of any of the allegations.
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“I maintain my innocence in respect of all of the convictions.
“These convictions are now the subject of an appeal.”
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The NMC’s barrister said Letby’s convictions are so serious that they cannot be remediated and that the panel should find her fitness to practise is impaired for public protection.
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The panel ultimately found Letby was unfit to practise, and will be struck of the register.
Letby began trending on X after people questioned why such a hearing was necessary, with one person asking: “What a ridiculous waste of time and money deciding if Lucy Letby should have her nursing licence revoked, or not. She's a convicted murderer and she should have been immediately struck off.”
A second said: “Imagine Lucy Letby is having a hearing to decide whether or not she should be stripped of her nursing credentials, I cannot.”
Someone else asked: “Lucy Letby has only been suspended as a nurse. Why hasn’t she been immediately struck off?”
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The NMC told the Daily Mail earlier this year there was no ‘fast-track process’ to remove nurses from the register - even those convicted of crimes.
The NMC cannot strike nurses off; it has to apply to an independent panel for decisions to strike nurses off the register.
In August, Lesley Maslen, Executive Director of Professional Regulation at the NMC, told the publication: “We've restarted our fitness to practise processes in relation to Lucy Letby, to enable us to put a case forward to an independent panel where we will be seeking to strike her off the NMC register.
"We're committed to progressing these actions, in line with our regulatory responsibilities, as quickly as possible.”
Featured Image Credit: Cheshire Constabulary via Getty ImagesTopics: UK News, Crime, Lucy Letby