Confidential internal documents from the Countess of Chester Hospital have intensified debate surrounding the case of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.

The papers suggest senior hospital managers were concerned about potential bullying behaviour by two consultants, Dr Stephen Brearey and Dr Ravi Jayaram, towards Letby after she raised concerns about standards of care within the neonatal unit.

According to a draft grievance investigation dated November 2016, some staff believed there was a tendency to attribute increased mortality rates to Letby based on ‘gut feeling’ rather than firm evidence, raising questions about whether further investigation into workplace conduct was warranted under the hospital’s harassment policy.

The documents also indicate that hospital executives discussed possible measures to manage the situation involving the consultants after Letby’s grievance was partially upheld, although by that stage the doctors had already contacted Cheshire Police to express concerns about her role in the deaths.This ultimately contributed to a criminal investigation that led to Letby’s prosecution and conviction.

The case has since become highly controversial, with critics of the convictions arguing that the neonatal unit was under significant strain, understaffed, and dealing with complex medical challenges.

Legal representatives for Letby have suggested she may have been unfairly scapegoated in a system under pressure, while others maintain that the jury verdicts were based on extensive evidence presented at trial.

The emergence of these documents has further fuelled calls for scrutiny of the investigation and conviction, with ongoing public and legal debate over whether the full context of workplace tensions was properly considered during the criminal proceedings.