Lucy Letby case expert witness was under fitness to practise investigation during trial

"The General Medical Council (GMC) opened an investigation into concerns about Prof Peter Hindmarsh, including that he had harmed patients, on the first day he gave evidence at Letby's trial in late 2022. The GMC investigation was still continuing when Hindmarsh gave evidence for a second time at the Letby trial three months later."

"While the GMC conducted its investigation, and during some of the period when Hindmarsh gave evidence, a medical tribunal ordered severe restrictions on his work, saying that he may pose a real risk to members of the public. The tribunal also considered the allegations about Hindmarsh may have the potential to impact on his ability to act as an expert witness."

"The jury in the trial of the nurse, who was convicted of murdering babies in the Countess of Chester hospital's neonatal unit, was never informed about any investigation into Hindmarsh, one of the prosecution's key witnesses."

Prof Peter Hindmarsh, a crucial prosecution expert witness in the Lucy Letby trial, was under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC) starting from the first day he testified in late 2022. The investigation, initiated by Great Ormond Street hospital and UCLH, examined serious concerns about his fitness to practise, including allegations he had harmed patients. A medical tribunal imposed severe restrictions on his work during this period, noting he may pose a real risk to the public and that allegations could impact his ability to serve as an expert witness. Despite these restrictions, he continued giving evidence for the prosecution. The jury was never informed of the investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service opposed disclosing the investigation to the defence. Hindmarsh eventually removed himself from the GMC register through voluntary erasure, ending the investigation without any regulatory finding against him.

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