Alistair Mason

Nurses are being left ‘vulnerable and exposed’ to unfair disciplinary proceedings relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) because of a lack of understanding about the procedure, an expert says. Increasing numbers of nurses are facing referral to the Nursing and Midwifery Council and potentially disciplinary action in relation to CPR incidents, and there is inconsistent guidance around procedures, the university professor says.

Former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was convicted in 2023 of the murders of seven babies and attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. We review the case so far, including attempted appeals and experts’ claims that Letby is innocent, following the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision in January 2026 that Letby will not face further charges over additional deaths and collapses of babies.

With high temperatures and heatwaves increasingly common across the UK, many nurses are facing difficult workplace conditions. Find out what employers can and should be doing – from flexible uniform policy to other practical steps – to help healthcare staff cope.