Rammya Mathew: Lucy Letby and the limits of a no blame culture (29 August 2023)

Summary

In this opinion piece for the BMJ, Rammya Mathew talks about the limits of a no blame culture in identifying where harm is being caused by a clinician.

"The Letby case is an extreme example of the shortcomings of a “no blame” culture. When things go wrong we’re encouraged to always support staff and ensure that no one feels implicated. It’s as though only systems and processes can be criticised, and discussing the possibility of individual accountability is considered “off grounds.”