Writing to Lady Justice Thirlwall, chair of the Lucy Letby inquiry, the RSS has requested that the scope of the inquiry covers the appropriate use of statistical evidence in cases of medical murder. In doing so, it is hoped that lessons from such cases in the past will be learnt.
The neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was sentenced to a whole life order for murdering seven newborn babies, alongside seven counts of attempted murder, all occurring at the hospital where she worked. The statutory inquiry will look at the circumstances surrounding the murders and attempted murders.
The letter, signed by RSS president Dr Andrew Garrett and chief executive Sarah Cumbers, highlights that drawing conclusions from suspicious clusters of deaths is incredibly challenging in cases which take place in a medical setting. The RSS has recently conducted work in this area with its 2022 report led by its Statistics and the Law Section:
Healthcare Serial Killer or Coincidence? Statistical issues in the investigation of suspected medical misconduct, which sets out recommendations for how statistics could be better used.
Statistical evidence could prove helpful in providing evidence to NHS trusts of possible criminal activity, therefore it is – as the letter states – crucial that it is used appropriately. In the letter, the RSS offers its expertise in this area to the inquiry team.
Read the letter in full