[1] Whitwell was born on New Year’s Day 1955 in Kendal, Westmorland, England, to Edward, an accountant, and Beryl, a maths teacher.
[3] Whitwell was a lecturer in neuropathology at the University of Manchester from 1979 to 1986, before becoming a consultant neuropathologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
She joined the Home Office as a forensic pathologist in 1988 and was based in the West Midlands where she undertook up to 60 post-mortems a year.
She developed arthritis in her hands in her 50s which meant she had to stop undertaking post-mortems and instead focused on her academic work.
[2][3][4] Whiwell was the inspiration for Sam Ryan, the original lead character in the BBC's long-running television series Silent Witness.