Members of two local families have publicly raised their concerns about consultant paediatrician and expert witness Dr Sandie Bohin, whose testimony was used to prosecute Lucy Letby.
They spoke at a conference focused on the convicted murderer’s case and calls for a review of the evidence on Saturday.
The individuals, who wish to remain anonymous, delivered presentations outlining their ordeals in trying to secure correct diagnoses and treatments for their ill children across multiple encounters with Dr Bohin.
A partner at Medical Specialist Group — the organisation responsible for secondary healthcare in Guernsey through a contract with the States of Guernsey worth around £25m per year — Dr Bohin was also head of safeguarding for paediatric care on the island until 2021.
Letby received a whole life order in August 2023 after being found guilty of seven counts of murder of babies in her care and seven counts of attempted murder of a further six babies.
Representing a group of at least nine Guernsey families who have all raised complaints about Dr Bohin, the pair spoke publicly for the first time at the conference hosted by the Innocence Project and Nineteen Nurses at the University of Manchester on Saturday.
Other speakers included Mark McDonald; Letby’s leading defence lawyer who is overseeing her appeal application with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), Sark-based medico-legal expert Dr Roger Norwich, and statistician Professor John O’Quigley.
Outlining their ordeals, the families said they wished to share what they had experienced with Dr Bohin, including repeated misdiagnosis of symptoms and “blocking” opportunities for referrals. They were invited to speak on Saturday as part of the conference, with the ultimate objective of contributing to an overhaul of expert witness selection and usage in the British legal system.
A member of one family said they wanted to use their platform at the conference to dispel any doubt around the “misnomer” that Dr Bohin was not reprimanded for her actions and behaviour concerning the families in Guernsey who have complained about her.
Dr Steve Evans, Chairman of MSG, had previously released a statement saying none of the eight complaints against Dr Bohin were upheld or involved safeguarding issues. However, a Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health review in May 2024 partly upheld a complaint from a local family — despite never speaking to them directly — and 24 recommendations were made for change.
That review found Dr Bohin had “completely discounted a key symptom”.
It also stated: “Clinical record keeping was not performed in an adequate and timely manner, and Bohin’s style of written communication was found to be abrupt, insensitive, and lacking empathy.”
A separate complaint was also filed to the General Medical Council. In its findings, the GMC highlighted that the child’s care had “clearly not been ideal”. Its response said that Dr Bohin could have sought to find a more definitive cause for that child’s symptoms.
Nine of the local families submitted a group complaint to the GMC in 2024 regarding Dr Bohin’s fitness to practise. The GMC decision in this regard remains outstanding.
A member of the other family present at the conference on Saturday said: “Whilst I don’t apologise for being a representative that is raising very poor experiences that people have had from clinicians, for me the real question is why have we got a system that hasn’t got the internal controls to prevent people acting in a rogue manner?”
Dr Norwich believes the current system for selecting and using expert witnesses is not fit for purpose and creates injustices which “destroy lives”.
Speaking after the conference, he said it is critical that people who have been affected by medical-related injustice are able to give their views and evidence about the impact it has had upon them.
Dr Norwich said the testimony illustrated the type of clinical practice which is also reflected in the work done by some medical experts giving evidence in the courts and “which is very poorly regulated, if at all”, he said.
A third person Dr Norwich referred to in his speech was William Powell. His son Robbie died of Addison’s disease in 1990 aged 10 at Morriston Hospital, Swansea. An inquest into his death in 2004 found Robbie died of natural causes aggravated by neglect. Powell has been campaigning for more than 35 years to prevent similar incidents.
Robbie’s death is connected to the Letby case through lead expert witness for the prosecution Dr Dewi Evans, who was one of three paediatricians in Morriston Hospital in 1990.
According to Mr Powell, Dr Evans sent a supporting document to the physicians responsible for Robbie’s care during his illness in March 1996. Mr Powell also claims to have evidence from medical experts that four of the GPs providing care for Robbie were grossly negligent and contributed to his death.
At the conference, Letby’s lawyer also confirmed work is ongoing to put the evidence given by families in Guernsey before the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Mr McDonald confirmed he had filed the application for Letby’s case to be reviewed in February 2025 and had added to it since.
He hopes that the families’ testimonies can be submitted as part of the appeal process.
