Lucy Letby news – latest: Hospital bosses ‘should be investigated for corporate manslaughter’
The prosecution’s lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby case has said hospital executives who failed to act on concerns about the serial killer nurse should be investigated for corporate manslaughter.
Serial killer, Letby, 33, was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six newborns at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
Retired consultant paediatrician Dewi Evans says he will write to Cheshire Constabulary to ask it to investigate hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter and criminal negligence, the Observer reported.
Dr Evans was tasked by Cheshire Police to look at a series of collapses on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
He said: “I think this is a matter that demands an investigation into corporate manslaughter. The police should also investigate the [hospital] in relation to criminal negligence.”
It comes as the former chair of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust claimed that the board was “misled” by hospital executives.
Sir Duncan Nichol said the board was told there was “no criminal activity pointing to any one individual” despite concerns, BBC News reported.
Key Points
Police urged to investigate hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter and criminal negligence
Doctors who raised alarm about Letby were ordered to apologise to her
Nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others
Letby refuses to attend court for sentencing
Government orders independent inquiry
Government considers using ‘law enforcement’ after Letby indicates reluctance to attend sentencing hearing
05:00 , Namita Singh
Lucy Letby may attend court although she previously indicated she did not intend to return to the dock, did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison.
Judge Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a government source suggested “lawful enforcement” could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
“Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society’s condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge,” the source told the PA news agency.
“If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.”
Child serial killer nurse expected to face rest of life behind bars in sentencing on Monday
04:39 , Namita Singh
Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday.
The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015-2016.
She has joined the list of the UK’s most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt.
More in this report:
Child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby expected to face rest of her life behind bars
Could Lucy Letby have been stopped sooner? The missed opportunities to catch a killer revealed
04:30 , Namita Singh
Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby was free to target babies for nearly a year after she murdered her first patient as hospital leaders repeatedly ignored concerns raised by whistleblowers, The Independent has learned.
Staff raised concerns over three “unexplained” baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital in July 2015 but health chiefs failed to investigate the allegations, several hospital insiders have claimed.
Letby’s murderous rampage had started the month before and she went on to target another 14 infants over the next 12 months. The former nurse, 33, has now been found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others – becoming Britain’s most prolific child killer.
An external review into the hospital, set to be published after the trial, is expected to find multiple failures by the trust’s leadership to act on warnings, The Independent understands.
Could Lucy Letby have been stopped sooner? The missed opportunities to catch killer
Lucy Letby: Child serial killer nurse to be sentenced
04:09 , Namita Singh
Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to be told she will spend the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced later today.
The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.
She has joined the list of the UK’s most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt.
Letby, 33, could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court.
Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes.
‘Trust me, I’m a nurse’: How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
02:30 , Matt Drake
For a mother whose newborn was gravely ill in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, she was a ray of light: a calm, comforting nurse who guided her through her most desperate moments as her child lay listless in his cot.
“Trust me, I’m a nurse,” she smiled at her, and the mother did, completely. But within hours, her baby boy was dead, and the nurse in whom she had placed so much trust, who had been by her side through the darkest time of her life, was responsible.
The baby, identified only as Child E, was one of the victims of Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of seven counts of both murder and attempted murder over the course of 12 months, from June 2015 to June 2016. She was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges, and the jury could not reach verdicts on a further six counts of the same charge.
Read the full story below.
How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
Lucy Letby verdict: What charges has nurse accused of baby murders been convicted of?
01:30 , Matt Drake
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of killing seven babies while working in a neonatal unit in Chester.
Letby, 33, from Hereford, had denied murdering seven babies and trying to murder 10 others during the course of her work at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
After a 10-month trial and weeks of deliberation, a jury has now found her guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others.
Find out the full list of charges below.
Full list of Lucy Letby charges as nurse found guilty of multiple baby murders
Carers who kill: Lucy Letby joins a gruesome list of medical monsters, from Harold Shipman to Beverley Allitt
00:00 , Matt Drake
Killer nurse Lucy Letby joins a grim list of medical professionals who exploited their position to harm the vulnerable patients they were supposed to care for.
Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others, one of them twice, at a hospital neonatal unit.
Prosecutors said Letby, 33, was a “calculated opportunist” who used the vulnerabilities of premature and sick infants to camouflage her acts.
In 2015 and 2016, there was a significant rise in the number of babies who suffered serious and unexpected collapses in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Below, we look at the most notorious examples of Britain’s medical murderers.
Read the full story below.
Carers who kill: Letby joins gruesome list of medical monsters from Shipman to Allitt
Will Lucy Letby spend the rest of her life in prison?
23:30 , Matt Drake
For such horrific crimes, Letby can only receive a mandatory life sentence and will likely spend the majority of her life behind bars, without the possibility of release, which can be applied in cases of a planned murder of two or more people.
However, there is still uncertainty about what her minimum tariff will be, which is the minimum amount of time she must spend in prison before she is eligible for release.
The starting point for the minimum time served in prison ranges from 15 to 30 years, depending on facts of the offence.
When deciding the sentence, the judge will take into account the aggravating factors as well as Letby’s level of premeditation, along with the fact that the victims were vulnerable newborns.
Letby’s occupation as a nurse at the time of the offences will also be taken into consideration as she abused her role as a public servant.
It is likely she will be placed in HMP Low Newton, a maximum security prison that is home to many of the deadliest female killers in recent history.
Will Lucy Letby spend the rest of her life in prison?
Read the full story below.
Mum thinks Letby attacked her son for making complaint
23:00 , Matt Drake
Lynsey Artell who also worked as a nurse at the same hospital as Lucy Letby complained to senior staff after the killer made an inappropriate comment about her premature son, Asa.
After having several miscarriages and failed pregnancies, Ms Artell finally gave birth to Asa in 2016.
She was discussing the progress her son had made when Letby said: "I don't like parents getting their hopes up because we never know at this stage."
The following day there was a sudden spike in Asa's insulin levels, which was one of Letby's methods for killing infants, The Scottish Daily Mail reported.
Fortunately, Asa survived after doctors worked on him.
Ms Artell contacted the police when charges were brought to Letby but they did not bring charges in relation to Asa.
She hopes the incident will be looked at again by police.
Lucy Letby was ‘cool’ and devoid of emotion
22:21 , Matt Drake
Lucy Letby was cool while being interviewed by police about the killings, an officer who grilled her has revealed.
Detective Sergeant Danielle Stonier said questioning Letby was "surreal" at times and she believes she only spoke to police to try and gauge what evidence they had on her.
The Mail on Sunday reported her saying: "Some of the evidence we were putting to her was really graphic in detail, the allegations were horrific.
"Some people would be throwing the chairs, saying, 'Look, you need to go speak to such and such. I shouldn't be here, this is completely wrong'.
"But Letby was calm, she was quite cool, she answered the questions, she was confident with the answers.
"She talked but there was no emotion."
'Beige' Lucy Letby was a quiet child who became a monster
21:34 , Matt Drake
Lucy Letby was a hospital poster girl who was highly respected. But she has been convicted of murdering seven babies and she may have harmed dozens more.
Detective Chief Inpsector Nicola Hughes described Letby as beige, saying: "There isn't anything outstanding or outrageous that we found about her as a person.
"But clearly, there was another side of that that nobody saw, and that we unravelled during this investigation and during the trial."
According to the Daily Record, a former classmate said: "Lucy was quiet but lovely.
"She was a very kind person so to think she is involved in this is hard to believe, no one can believe."
Lucy Letby may have harmed dozens more
20:49 , Matt Drake
The serial killer nurse may have harmed dozens more infants, reports claim.
Lucy Letby, 33, is due for sentening tomorrow for the murder and attempted murder of infants at a neonatal ward in Countess Chester Hospital.
According to The Guardian, detectives have identified 30 other potential Letby victims at the same hospital.
But, the police are also looking into her time at a Liverpool Women's Hospital.
If the infants, who all survived, were harmed by Letby then her total victim count will rise to 47.
The Lucy Letby case shows the value of whistleblowers
20:00 , Matt Drake
Unlike Andrew Malkinson, Lucy Letby is seen to have been justifiably convicted of her crimes. But some guilt must also be apportioned to the hospital trust which not only ignored the concerns of senior medical staff, but for too long also dismissed the sudden, inexplicable increased death rate in the neonatal unit. It has been reported that consultants faced threats of discipline when they suggested that the police should be involved.
Whistleblowers are regarded with suspicion, and often punished. Powerful organisations have always guarded their reputations at the expense of the vulnerable. Nowadays they are perhaps deserving of a crumb of sympathy because social media can so easily pass off misguided opinions as truth.
But there has to be devised some means of confidentially investigating claims of wrongdoing without prematurely vilifying the whistleblower or the accused. We are all well aware that unlikely people sometimes do dreadful things. We must hope that the Lucy Letby case will inspire a more rational, less defensive approach by those in power in many spheres.
Susan Alexander
South Gloucestershire
Letters: The Lucy Letby case shows the value of whistleblowers
Lucy Letby inquiry: Will ministers be forced to hand chair statutory powers?
19:33 , Matt Drake
Ministers are under mounting pressure to grant the inquiry into serial killer nurse Lucy Letby legal powers following fears that it lacks the “teeth” needed to unearth potential failings.
The 33-year-old was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others between June 2015 and June 2016 in the hospital where she worked.
The murders, which Letby carried out during her shifts on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital, will be subject to an independent inquiry, health secretary Steve Barclay has announced.
Mr Barclay said the probe would “ensure mothers and their partners rightly have faith in our healthcare system”.
But in order to ensure that the families of Letby’s victims receive justice, and that similar incidents do not occur in future, critics say it must be given statutory powers.
Here, The Independent looks at the difference it could make, and why the inquiry has been set up in the way it has.
Hospital bosses ‘wanted to find Lucy Letby new role despite warnings'
18:56 , Matt Drake
An investigation by The Sunday Times claimed that the Countess of Chester Hospital where Lucy Letby, 33, murdered seven infants delayed called the police.
The paper also reported that those in senior positions sided with Letby despite warnings she might be a killer.
Senior managers supported the nurse and wanted to find her a placement at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, according to the report.
An Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "To the best of our knowledge, we have no record of an approach having been made but can confirm that Lucy Letby did not undertake any placements at Alder Hey.
"The Neonatal Unit at Alder Hey is a specialist centre providing care to newborn babies who have had or will need surgery."
Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on forcing killers to court as Lucy Letby to skip sentencing
18:28 , Matt Drake
Ministers have been accused of “dragging their feet” over laws to force killers into the dock as Lucy Letby refuses to appear in court for her sentencing.
The serial killer nurse will not attend Monday’s hearing where she faces life sentences for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, prompting renewed calls for those guilty of heinous crimes to be dragged to court to face justice in person.
Justice secretary Alex Chalk reaffirmed the government’s commitment on Sunday to ensure offenders “face the music”, or face the “consequences” of not appearing in court.
A source close to Mr Chalk said: “It is a final insult to victims and their families when criminals don’t stand up to what they’ve done in court.”
But Mr Chalk would not say when a law would be brought in to compel attendance at sentencings, with the source promising it “as soon as parliamentary time allows”.
Read the full report by Archie Mitchell below.
Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on forcing killers to court as Letby to skip sentencing
Nursing chief 'didn't have enough information' to remove Lucy Letby from unit
18:00 , Matt Drake
Karen Rees was the head of nursing in the Countess of Chester Hospital's urgent care division before retiring in March 2018.
She was accused of refusing to remove Letby from a neonatal unit despite staff concerns but she said she was unable to because she "needed more information".
Director of urgent care at the hospital, Ravi Jayaram, told Ms Lees during a general review meeting that there were concerns about Letby's clinical practices, Sky News reported.
At that stage, she was told that paediatrician Dr Stephen Brearey thought Letby should be removed from the unit.
In a statement, Ms Lees said: "I immediately went to find Ravi Jayaram and Stephen Brearey in order to obtain more information about the allegations that had been made. I went straightaway as it was a Friday afternoon, and I was conscious that staff would be going home for the weekend. I wanted to find out what the concerns were.
"Ravi wouldn't give me any information to explain why Lucy Letby should be removed from the unit. He said nothing about air embolus, or over-feeding. He did not even mention babies dying and Lucy Letby being present. He just asked for Lucy Letby to be removed from the NNU (neo-natal unit).
"Stephen Brearey was measured throughout... I said that if there were issues, then I needed to know what they were.
"Despite that, he refused to give me any more information. He said that he had evidence, but he refused to show it to me.
"At no point did he say that he suspected she had been purposely harming babies. If he had said that there had been 16 deaths, and that she was present for all of them, then my actions may well have differed.
"If Stephen Brearey had given me whatever evidence he said he had, that may have meant that a further death could potentially have been prevented."
I’m a midwife – what happened with Lucy Letby can never be allowed to happen again
17:30 , Matt Drake
I’ve been a midwife for the past 12 years. When I began my training at the age of 18, our tiny cohort of 30 midwives was more like a family than it was a class. We had lectures alongside nurses in our first year of university, and there is a communal sense of understanding among healthcare workers.
It’s like we “get it”, without needing to utter a single word. The feeling is so strong that I once had a gut sense that I was sat across from another healthcare worker on the Tube, before an ID badge spilling onto the carriage floor from their bag confirmed my suspicions.
This doesn’t just apply to nurses and midwives – it stretches its hand across doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, healthcare assistants and other medical personnel, too.
Read the full article by Lizzie Romain below.
What happened with Lucy Letby can never be allowed to happen again | Lizzie Romain
Former minister suggests broadcasting Lucy Letby sentencing to her cell
17:01 , Matt Drake
Former justice secretary Robert Buckland said the killer nurse should have "nowhere to hide".
It comes after Letby, 33, refused to appear for the final verdicts read out in Manchester Crown Court last Friday, August 18 and she is not expected to attend her sentencing tomorrow.
Mr Buckland, a senior Conservative, told GB News: "My suggestion would be to make sure that there was a live link beamed into the cell of the sound and/or send pictures to ensure that Letby has nowhere to hide and in fact has to listen to what the judge is saying about the case.
“Most importantly, she needs to hear the victim’s personal statements as impact statements that will really bring home, I think, to the wider world, the appalling devastating impact the loss of these innocent children, these innocent babies, has had upon dozens of families.”
Tory chair of Health Select Committee calls for judge-led statuatory inquiry
16:29 , Matt Drake
A judge-led statutory inquiry should examine the crimes of serial killer Lucy Letby, the Conservative chair of the Health Select Committee has warned.
Steve Brine expressed concerns the non-statutory independent inquiry, announced by the Government, will not have the power to compel witnesses, and could drag on for years and "disappear down a rabbit hole".
Mr Brine told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House: "What I want to see to be absolutely clear is not a process that drags on for years, an inquiry that can disappear down a rabbit hole ... I want one that is effective.
"I can't actually see how it's anything but helpful to ministers, to that effectiveness, for this inquiry to have everything that it needs to conduct it, including a judge."
Mr Brine said some witnesses “may not be so willing” to cooperate with the investigation into the specific circumstances at Chester and the assessment of previous inquiry recommendations designed to prevent incidents at hospitals.
“The two things that draw them together is the need for public confidence. I can’t see how anything other than a proper judge-led statutory inquiry would do that,” he said.
Carers who kill: Lucy Letby joins a gruesome list of medical monsters, from Harold Shipman to Beverley Allitt
16:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Killer nurse Lucy Letby joins a grim list of medical professionals who exploited their position to harm the vulnerable patients they were supposed to care for.
Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others, one of them twice, at a hospital neonatal unit.
Prosecutors said Letby, 33, was a “calculated opportunist” who used the vulnerabilities of premature and sick infants to camouflage her acts.
In 2015 and 2016, there was a significant rise in the number of babies who suffered serious and unexpected collapses in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Below, we look at the most notorious examples of Britain’s medical murderers.
Carers who kill: Letby joins gruesome list of medical monsters from Shipman to Allitt
When will Lucy Letby be sentenced and where will she be in prison?
15:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Killer nurse Lucy Letby has cemented herself as one of Britain’s worst criminals after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others.
Following a nine-month trial and over three weeks of deliberations, a jury found her guilty of 14 of the 22 counts she faced, after she embarked on a campaign of horror at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The jury found her not guilty on two counts of attempted murder and could not reach verdicts on a further six of the same charge.
During that period, she deliberately poisoned babies with insulin, overfed them with milk and fatally injected some with air while working as a nurse in the neonatal unit.
When will Lucy Letby be sentenced and where will she be in prison?
Whistleblowers ‘treated like the problem’ – doctors’ union calls for reform
15:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
NHS whistleblowers are “treated like the problem”, leading medics have said, after it emerged that doctors who raised concerns about killer nurse Lucy Letby were forced to apologise to her.
The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) called for reform of the disciplinary system to ensure that staff who speak out about problems are protected from “retribution”.
It said that patients should not face harm “because managers are more interested in supressing trouble and protecting reputations”.
Whistleblowers ‘treated like the problem’ – doctors’ union calls for reform
‘Trust me, I’m a nurse’: How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
For a mother whose newborn was gravely ill in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, she was a ray of light: a calm, comforting nurse who guided her through her most desperate moments as her child lay listless in his cot.
“Trust me, I’m a nurse,” she smiled at her, and the mother did, completely. But within hours, her baby boy was dead, and the nurse in whom she had placed so much trust, who had been by her side through the darkest time of her life, was responsible.
The baby, identified only as Child E, was one of the victims of Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of seven counts of both murder and attempted murder over the course of 12 months, from June 2015 to June 2016. She was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges, and the jury could not reach verdicts on a further six counts of the same charge.
How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
12:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The grieving families of Lucy Letby’s victims have demanded the government orders a full independent public inquiry into how the nurse was able to go on a prolonged killing spree at a neonatal unit.
The families join senior doctors and MPs who want the inquiry upgraded, amid fears it lacks the powers needed to unearth potential evidence of a cover-up at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and prevent a similar horror from ever unfolding in the NHS again.
Health secretary Steve Barclay announced an independent inquiry on Friday after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others in the hospital where she worked between June 2015 and June 2016.
But he stopped short of setting up an inquiry with statutory powers, meaning witnesses will not be required by law to attend, raising concerns that hospital managers could avoid being held accountable for putting reputation before child safety.
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on forcing killers to court as Lucy Letby to skip sentencing
12:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ministers have been accused of “dragging their feet” over laws to force killers into the dock as Lucy Letby refuses to appear in court for her sentencing.
The serial killer nurse will not attend Monday’s hearing where she faces life sentences for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, prompting renewed calls for those guilty of heinous crimes to be dragged to court to face justice in person.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk reaffirmed the government’s commitment on Sunday to ensure offenders “face the music”, or face the “consequences” of not appearing in court.
Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on forcing killers to court as Letby to skip sentencing
The chilling ‘souvenirs’ of baby deaths killer nurse Lucy Letby kept under her bed
11:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A note of medications given to a baby boy as he fought back from the brink of death was among items found under nurse Lucy Letby’s bed.
The record of emergency drugs provided to the infant was written on a paper towel during his 30-minute resuscitation at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.
Letby, 33, gave rescue breaths to the youngster, Child M, after she responded to his cot monitor alarm.
The chilling ‘souvenirs’ of baby deaths killer nurse Letby kept under her bed
‘We stand by her’: Lucy Letby’s friend claims killing ‘not in her nature’ in interview filmed before verdict
10:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A friend of Lucy Letby has revealed that her friends have ‘stood by her’ and ‘won’t believe she’s guilty until she says she is’, in revelations taken from BBC‘s Panorama - which was filmed before her guilty verdict.
In the programme, Dawn, who met Letby at secondary school, described the nurse as ‘goofy’ and ‘kind’.
“It is the most out of character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy”, she said.
“Think of your most kind gentle soft friend and think that they’re being accused of harming babies.”
‘We stand by her’: Lucy Letby’s friend supports nurse in interview before verdict
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
09:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.
An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.
The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.
Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court.
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Police urged to probe Lucy Letby hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter
09:01 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Hospital executives who failed to act on concerns about serial killer nurse Lucy Letby should be investigated for corporate manslaughter, the prosecution’s lead medical expert has said.
Retired consultant paediatrician Dewi Evans says he will write to Cheshire Constabulary to ask it to investigate “grossly negligent” bosses for not acting on fears about Letby while she was on a killing spree, the Observer reported.
Bosses also blamed other NHS services for a number of the unexplained deaths – and in a review in May 2016 said there was “no evidence whatsoever against [Letby] other than coincidence”, the newspaper reported.
Police urged to probe Lucy Letby hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter
Police urged to investigate hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter and criminal negligence - part two
08:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Another consultant, Dr Ravi Jayaram, continued to express concerns to management as more sudden and unexpected collapses followed.
Both consultants spoke of hospital executives’ reluctance to involve the police for fear of damaging the trust’s reputation.
Dr Evans was tasked by Cheshire Police to look at a series of collapses on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
He said that bosses could have helped to avert three murders if they acted with greater urgency on concerns.
He told the Observer: “They were grossly negligent.
“I shall write to Cheshire police and ask them, from what I have heard following the end of the trial, that I believe that we should now investigate a number of managerial people in relation to issues of corporate manslaughter.
“I think this is a matter that demands an investigation into corporate manslaughter.”
Dr Evans said the police should also investigate the hospital in “relation to criminal negligence”.
He added: “Failing to act was grossly irresponsible - let’s make it as clear as that.
“We are talking about a serious emergency. It’s grossly irresponsible.”
Police urged to investigate hospital bosses for corporate manslaughter and criminal negligence- part one
08:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The prosecution’s lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby case has said hospital executives who failed to act on concerns about the serial killer nurse should be investigated for corporate manslaughter.
Retired consultant paediatrician Dewi Evans says he will write to Cheshire Constabulary to ask it to investigate “grossly negligent” bosses for not acting on fears about Letby while she was on a killing spree, the Observer reported.
Bosses also blamed other NHS services for a number of the unexplained deaths - and in a review in May 2016 said there was “no evidence whatsoever against [Letby] other than coincidence”, the newspaper reported.
Letby, 33, was convicted on Friday of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
Consultants who raised concerns about Letby as far back as 2015 have said babies could have been saved if hospital management had listened and acted sooner.
The Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit head consultant, Dr Stephen Brearey, first raised Letby‘s association with an increase in baby collapses in June 2015.
He told the Guardian that deaths could arguably have been avoided from as early as February 2016 if executives had “responded appropriately” to an urgent meeting request from concerned doctors.
Police were only contacted in 2017.
Families of Lucy Letby victims complain government-ordered probe ‘inadequate'
07:00 , Shweta Sharma
Attorneys representing the families of two victims of Lucy Letby have expressed dissatisfaction with the independent inquiry commissioned by the government.
In a joint statement Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries, and Yvonne Agnew, head of clinical negligence Cardiff, at law firm Slater and Gordon, said: “The inquiry announced by the Department of Health is inadequate.
“As a non-statutory inquiry, it does not have the power to compel witnesses to provide evidence or production of documents and must rely on the goodwill of those involved to share their testimony. This is not good enough. The failings here are very serious and an inquiry needs to have a statutory basis to have real teeth.
“An inquiry also needs to look at why the NHS’s ‘duty of candour’ seems to have failed in this case, with hospital managers seemingly prioritising the hospital’s reputation above child safety.
“We do not believe that ‘duty of candour’ is an adequate substitute for a proper mandatory reporting regime, and any inquiry needs to examine this issue properly as failings here could be replicated elsewhere in the NHS.”
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
06:30 , Shweta Sharma
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.
An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.
The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.
The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court.
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
NHS whistleblowers are ‘treated like the problem’ - doctors’ union
06:00 , Shweta Sharma
Leading medics have said that NHS whistleblowers are “treated like the problem”, after it emerged that doctors who raised concerns about killer nurse Lucy Letby were forced to apologise to her.
The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) has called for reform of the disciplinary system to ensure that employees who voice concerns about issues are shielded from negative repercussions.
The association emphasised that patients should not be put in harm’s way due to managerial tendencies to suppress issues and safeguard reputations.
These remarks arise in the wake of revelations that a significant number of staff had voiced worries about Letby’s conduct during her year-long spree of killings at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Despite alerts from senior doctors within the neonatal unit, appropriate action was not taken, and the decision to involve the police was delayed by several months.
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
05:30 , Shweta Sharma
The grieving families of Lucy Letby’s victims have demanded the government orders a full independent public inquiry into how the nurse was able to go on a prolonged killing spree at a neonatal unit.
The families join senior doctors and MPs who want the inquiry upgraded, amid fears it lacks the powers needed to unearth potential evidence of a cover-up at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and prevent a similar horror from ever unfolding in the NHS again.
Health secretary Steve Barclay announced an independent inquiry on Friday after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others in the hospital where she worked between June 2015 and June 2016.
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
Police urged to probe hospital bosses for ‘corporate manslaughter'
05:00 , Shweta Sharma
The prosecution’s lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby case has said that hospital executives who disregarded concerns about the nurse, now known as a serial killer, should be subjected to an investigation for corporate manslaughter, as reported by the Observer.
Dewi Evans, a retired consultant paediatrician, said he will write to the Cheshire Constabulary, urging them to investigate the bosses for their “grossly negligent” behaviour in failing to address worries about Letby during her spree of murders.
In addition, the executives attributed a portion of the unexplained deaths to other NHS services. A review conducted in May 2016 asserted that there was no substantial evidence implicating Letby beyond mere coincidence, according to information from the newspaper.
Lucy Letby, aged 33, was recently convicted for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of six others. These acts took place during her shifts in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
Several consultants who had expressed concerns about Letby’s actions as early as 2015 have indicated that the lives of the babies could potentially have been saved if the hospital management had taken heed and acted promptly.
Doctor suspicious of Lucy Letby shares ‘apology’ hospital bosses made him send killer nurse
04:03 , Matt Drake
One of the doctors who helped unmask Lucy Letby as the nurse behind the deaths of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital has revealed he was told by executives to ‘apologise’ to the nurse for raising concerns about her conduct.
Dr Ravi Jayaram, a consultant paediatrician, claims that the then-Chief Executive Tony Chambers told consultants in 2017 to ‘draw a line’ under their suspicions, and if they didn’t, there would be ‘consequences’.
In the aftermath, Jayaram and other members of staff wrote the apology, which read: “We’re very sorry for the stress and upset you have experienced in the last year.”
Doctor suspicious of Lucy Letby shares ‘apology’ bosses made him send killer nurse
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
23:37 , Matt Drake
Nurse Lucy Letby who was found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies on a neonatal hospital unit has been sentenced to life in prison.
The 33-year-old deliberately injected infants with air, force fed others milk, or poisoned them with insulin when she was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Letby, who refused to appear in the dock for her sentencing, had also been convicted of trying to kill six other infants between June 2015 and June 2016. She was found not guilty on two counts of attempted murder and the jury could not reach verdicts on another six counts of the same charge.
Her convictions make her the UK’s most prolific child serial killer in modern times and she is only the fourth female defendant in British history to be given a “whole life order”. She joins the ranks of Rose West, serial killer Joanna Dennehy, and the late Moors murderer Myra Hindley to be given a sentence of life in prison without parole.
The Independent looks into what could have driven Letby to murder.
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
‘Trust me, I’m a nurse’: How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
03:00 , Matt Drake
For a mother whose newborn was gravely ill in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, she was a ray of light: a calm, comforting nurse who guided her through her most desperate moments as her child lay listless in his cot.
“Trust me, I’m a nurse,” she smiled at her, and the mother did, completely. But within hours, her baby boy was dead, and the nurse in whom she had placed so much trust, who had been by her side through the darkest time of her life, was responsible.
The baby, identified only as Child E, was one of the victims of Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of seven counts of both murder and attempted murder over the course of 12 months, from June 2015 to June 2016. She was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges, and the jury could not reach verdicts on a further six counts of the same charge.
Read the full report by Holly Evans below.
How Lucy Letby comforted her victims’ parents as she hid evil secret
Doctor who helped catch Lucy Letby describes ‘nightmare’ event that convinced him she was killer - Video
02:00 , Matt Drake
One of the doctors who helped catch Lucy Letby has described a night that will be ‘in his nightmares’ and first made him suspicious of the killer nurse.
Dr Ravi Jayaram, who is a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, claims he had watched Letby ‘stand’ over a sick baby without raising any alarm or attempting to help.
“As I walked towards the incubator, I could see on the monitors that the oxygen saturations were dropping, and they’d dropped to a level that ordinarily the alarms would’ve been going off and the nurse would’ve called for help”, he told ITV.
“She was just standing there.”
Doctor who ‘caught’ Lucy Letby describes ‘nightmare’ event that made him suspicious
Could Lucy Letby have been stopped sooner? The missed opportunities to catch a killer revealed
01:03 , Matt Drake
Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby was free to target babies for nearly a year after she murdered her first patient as hospital leaders repeatedly ignored concerns raised by whistleblowers, The Independent has learned.
Staff raised concerns over three “unexplained” baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital in July 2015 but health chiefs failed to investigate the allegations, several hospital insiders have claimed.
Letby’s murderous rampage had started the month before and she went on to target another 14 infants over the next 12 months. The former nurse, 33, has now been found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others – becoming Britain’s most prolific child killer.
An external review into the hospital, set to be published after the trial, is expected to find multiple failures by the trust’s leadership to act on warnings, The Independent understands.
Read the full report by Rebecca Thomas below.
Could Lucy Letby have been stopped sooner? The missed opportunities to catch killer
Lucy Letby: the NHS needs to undergo a culture change
Sunday 20 August 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake
Calls for more powers for the independent inquiry into the Lucy Letby murders should be taken seriously. The inquiry must have the confidence of the public. But such calls are also partly symbolic. They are a way of expressing horror at such transgressive behaviour, and of demanding that the most strenuous efforts are made to avoid such terrible killings in future.
Steve Barclay, the health secretary, has set up an independent inquiry. However, it does not have full statutory powers, which may make it easier for managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital at the time of the murders to avoid giving evidence. Plainly, if there is any sign of this happening, the remit of the inquiry should be looked at again, but there are good reasons for avoiding the cumbersome bureaucracy of the Inquiries Act.
Read the full editorial below.
Lucy Letby: the NHS needs to undergo a culture change
Lucy Letby likely to be on 24-hour suicide watch
Saturday 19 August 2023 22:59 , Matt Drake
The child murderer may face 24-hour surveillance as she faces life in prison with no chance of parole.
Letby, 33, previously said she was suicidal after being blamed for the deaths of infants at the neonatal unit in Chester Hospital.
Ian Carson of the Prison Officers Association told The Mirror: “It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s under constant watch with eyes on her 24/7.
“It would be very embarrassing if she kills herself before justice gets done. Prison officials may decide instead to check in on her every 10 minutes if she’s not deemed such a risk.
"They’ll have more staff supervision not only to make sure she doesn’t commit suicide but also to make sure she doesn’t escape. Prison officials could keep her apart on a wing with others who have committed offences against children.”
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
Saturday 19 August 2023 21:00 , Matt Drake
The grieving families of Lucy Letby’s victims have demanded the government orders a full independent public inquiry into how the nurse was able to go on a prolonged killing spree at a neonatal unit.
The families join senior doctors and MPs who want the inquiry upgraded, amid fears it lacks the powers needed to unearth potential evidence of a cover-up at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and prevent a similar horror from ever unfolding in the NHS again.
Health secretary Steve Barclay announced an independent inquiry on Friday after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others in the hospital where she worked between June 2015 and June 2016.
But he stopped short of setting up an inquiry with statutory powers, meaning witnesses will not be required by law to attend, raising concerns that hospital managers could avoid being held accountable for putting reputation before child safety.
Read the full report by Matt Mathers below.
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand full public inquiry into serial killer nurse
Chester Hospital boss said he will work with any future inquiry
Saturday 19 August 2023 20:30 , Matt Drake
Ministers ordered an independent inquiry after Lucy Letby, 33, was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
Former Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Tony Chambers, who was in charge at the time, said he would cooperate “fully and openly” with the inquiry.
Dr Nigel Scawn, medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said in a statement on Friday: “Since Lucy Letby worked at our hospital, we have made significant changes to our services and I want to provide reassurance to every patient that may access our services that they can have confidence in the care that they will receive.”
But he walked away without answering as a journalist asked: “Why did hospital managers try to stop Lucy Letby from being investigated?”
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Saturday 19 August 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.
An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.
The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.
Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court.
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Inside the Lucy Letby trial: Doctors’ desperation, babies’ pain - and the indifference of their killer
Saturday 19 August 2023 19:30 , Matt Drake
Even though her face was hidden by a screen and her voice a harrowed whisper, those in court could sense that this was a defining point in the Lucy Letby trial.
Dr B was describing the moment a newborn triplet had died in agony – and entirely without reason – just 24 hours after his brother. As she watched the boys’ father lying crumpled on the floor, the paediatrician silently backed his desperate plea to have his one surviving son taken away from the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Because in that moment she saw that despite her own skill, dedication and professionalism, she was powerless against the “mortal danger” posed by the murderous nurse she was unwittingly standing next to. “Even though I didn’t beg”, she told the court, “in my heart I just wanted the baby to leave because I knew that was the only way he was going to live.”
Read the full report by Nigel Bunyan below.
Inside the Lucy Letby trial: Desperation, pain and a killer’s indifference
New laws could be introduced to force criminals to attend court for verdict
Saturday 19 August 2023 19:07 , Matt Drake
Criminals could be forced to attend court after Lucy Letby refused to attend her own sentencing for killing seven babies.
Letby, 33, refused to attend court for her remaining verdicts last Friday, August 18, and she isn't expected to appear for Monday's sentencing hearing either.
Sky News has reported that the government is looking to change the law to force criminals to appear for their sentencing.
A Ministry of Justice source said: "It's a final insult to victims and their families when criminals don't stand up to what they've done in court.
"We're committed to changing the law as soon as we can to ensure offenders face the consequences."
Letby, 33, cried loudly in the glass dock when the first guilty verdicts for two counts of attempted murder were read out in Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday, August 15.
Parents believe daughter was early victim after ‘blonde woman’ was seen by cot before ‘hell broke loose’
Saturday 19 August 2023 18:00 , Matt Drake
The parents of a girl who nearly died shortly after being born believe she may have been one of Lucy Letby's first victims.
Victoria and Mike Whitfield's daughter Felicity had a lung collapse three days after being born prematurely in November 2013.
Speaking to The Times, Victoria said she saw a blonde woman standing by her baby's cot before "all hell broke loose".
She added: "I don't know what it was, call it mother's instinct. I felt I needed to go down to the neonatal unit. I walked in — everything seemed quite calm. Lucy Letby was by [the cot] and then she walked out into the other room. I went to have a look at Felicity and within minutes all hell broke loose."
Whistleblowers 'treated like the problem'
Saturday 19 August 2023 17:34 , Matt Drake
NHS whistleblowers are "treated like the problem", leading medics have said, after it emerged that doctors who raised concerns about killer nurse Lucy Letby were forced to apologise to her.
The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) called for reform of the disciplinary system to ensure that staff who speak out about problems are protected from "retribution".
Dr Naru Narayanan said: "It's an appalling reminder of a culture which persists today in some parts of our NHS despite the many, many warnings we've had over the years.
"All too often whistleblowers are treated by bad employers like the problem and find themselves on the receiving end of threats and bullying to remain silent.
"Speaking up can end careers. If you are not white it's an even bigger risk. It's an act of bravery when it should just be the cultural norm.
"People find themselves at the centre of witch-hunts and placed on disciplinaries. This fuels a culture of silence which can have terrible consequences for patients.
"We've had report after report identifying the lack of an open culture where concerns can be raised without repercussions. It's likely any investigation into the Letby case will find the same."
Leading barrister says inquiry into Lucy Letby may not bring 'closure'
Saturday 19 August 2023 17:09 , Matt Drake
Sir Robert Francis KC is a barrister who specialises in medical law and has chaired several high-profile inquiries.
These include two into the care provided by Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust and Freedom to Speak Up Review into the treatment of NHS staff who raise concerns.
The Mid Staffs scandal is seen as one of the worst cases of hospital care in modern history.
Speaking to The Independent, Sir Robert said: "I understand entirely that some will wish a public, statutory inquiry to be set up immediately. The pain and anguish being suffered by the bereaved parents and families is unimaginable and my heart goes out to them.
"However, those calling for a public inquiry need to consider whether it is fair or necessary for them to be put through a process which would undoubtedly take years and not necessarily deliver the closure many will seek.
"It will be recalled that the Shipman Inquiry, a statutory inquiry held in public only concluded after publishing six reports in about five years.
"Furthermore, it is not clear to me that an inquiry now could even be started until the police have concluded their investigations. From what I have read they are intending to investigate a great number of cases in order to determine whether other crimes have been committed.
"There is also a need to consider what other inquiries, reviews or inquests have already been undertaken or are in progress now.
"I suggest that the best way forward would be for the Government to appoint an independent chair to consult all interested parties with regard to the scope required for an inquiry, its terms of reference and whether statutory powers are required and then publish advice on what form the inquiry should take."
‘We stand by her’: Lucy Letby’s friend says killing ‘not in her nature’ before verdict
Saturday 19 August 2023 16:18 , Matt Drake
A friend of Lucy Letby has revealed that her friends have ‘stood by her’ and ‘won’t believe she’s guilty until she says she is’, in revelations taken from BBC‘s Panorama - which was filmed before her guilty verdict.
In the programme, Dawn, who met Letby at secondary school, described the nurse as ‘goofy’ and ‘kind’.
See the video below.
‘We stand by her’: Lucy Letby’s friend supports nurse in interview before verdict
Calls grow for full public inquiry into hospital’s handling of serial killer nurse
Saturday 19 August 2023 15:14 , Matt Mathers
Calls are growing for a full public inquiry into serial killer nurse Lucy Letby’s murders amid fears the probe announced will lack the powers needed to get justice for the families and prevent future deaths.
Health secretary Steve Barclay announced an independent inquiry on Friday after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked between June 2015 and June 2016.
Click here for the full report.
Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Saturday 19 August 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.
An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.
The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.
Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court:
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Carers who kill: Lucy Letby joins a gruesome list of medical monsters, from Harold Shipman to Beverley Allitt
Saturday 19 August 2023 14:00 , Natalie Crockett
Killer nurse Lucy Letby joins a grim list of medical professionals who exploited their position to harm the vulnerable patients they were supposed to care for.
Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others, one of them twice, at a hospital neonatal unit.
Prosecutors said Letby, 33, was a “calculated opportunist” who used the vulnerabilities of premature and sick infants to camouflage her acts.
In 2015 and 2016, there was a significant rise in the number of babies who suffered serious and unexpected collapses in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Below, we look at the most notorious examples of Britain’s medical murderers.
Read more here:
Carers who kill: Letby joins gruesome list of medical monsters from Shipman to Allitt
Nurse Lucy Letby joins list of UK’s most notorious child killers
Saturday 19 August 2023 13:15 , Natalie Crockett
A nurse was unmasked as the worst serial killer of children in modern UK history on Friday after a jury found her guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six more while working on a neonatal unit.
Lucy Letby, 33, was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital when she carried out the string of attacks on tiny, premature babies between 2015 and 2016.
Jurors spent 22-and-a-half days deliberating before reaching their verdicts in one of the UK’s most high-profile criminal trials.
The nurse, who is facing life behind bars, joins a list of the UK’s most twisted child murderers.
Read more here:
Lucy Letby joins list of UK’s most notorious child killers
Doctor who helped catch Lucy Letby describes ‘nightmare’ event that convinced him she was killer
Saturday 19 August 2023 12:30 , Natalie Crockett
A doctor who helped catch killer nurse Lucy Letby has described a night that will be “in his nightmares” and first made him suspicious of the killer nurse.
Dr Ravi Jayaram, who is a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, claims he had watched Letby ‘stand’ over a sick baby without raising any alarm or attempting to help.
“As I walked towards the incubator, I could see on the monitors that the oxygen saturations were dropping, and they’d dropped to a level that ordinarily the alarms would’ve been going off and the nurse would’ve called for help”, he told ITV.
“She was just standing there.”
When was Lucy Letby arrested? Key dates in the investigation of baby-killing nurse
Saturday 19 August 2023 12:00 , Natalie Crockett
Neonatal nurse Letby was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven babies, making her one of Britain’s most prolific child serial killers.
The 33-year-old deliberately injected infants with air or poisoned them with insulin between June 2015 and 2016. Other babies, who had been born prematurely or had specific vulnerable needs, were harmed by being fed excessive amounts of milk while one was physically assaulted. She was also convicted of attempting to murder six other babies.
Here are the key dates surrounding the investigation:
‘Concerns’ that inquiry does not have power to compel witnesses to give evidence
Saturday 19 August 2023 11:10 , Natalie Crockett
Samantha Dixon, Labour MP for Chester, said she wrote to Health Secretary Steve Barclay calling for a full independent and public inquiry as soon as Lucy Letby was found guilty.
She welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s announcement that it had ordered an independent inquiry, but she raised concerns about it being a non-statutory inquiry.
“I do have some concerns about the risks around a non-statutory inquiry in that people are not obliged to attend and to give evidence,” she told BBC Breakfast.
“So I have replied to him and asked him why he has come to that decision, given that there are these risks and that we need full answers.”
She added: “A non-statutory inquiry almost relies on the goodwill of witnesses to attend. They are not obliged to attend, they’re not compelled to attend.”
‘Common features’ on Letby case and other maternity failures
Saturday 19 August 2023 10:19 , Natalie Crockett
Dr Bill Kirkup, who led the reviews into poor care in maternity units in Morecambe Bay and East Kent, said there were “common features” between the Lucy Letby case and reviews he has conducted into poor care in maternity units in other hospitals.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I think there are a number of common features that underpin a lot of these different investigations and ring bells with what I’ve been hearing about what happened in the Countess of Chester Hospital, particularly the difficulty in persuading people that there’s a real problem here that must be investigated and must be looked at properly and independently.
“And particularly the chasm that can open up between clinicians who are reporting problems and managers who don’t necessarily want to hear.”
He added: “I heard yesterday for the first time in this connection, the phrase ‘protecting reputation’ on the part of the Trust and that rings a massive bell for me because that’s been a feature of everything that I’ve been involved with for the last 12 years or so.
“The first reaction of people under these circumstances in management, controlling organisations, is to protect reputations - the organisation’s reputation, their own reputation.
“And when that comes ahead of being open and honest about what’s going on, that’s tragic. We have to be able to stop this.”
The chilling ‘souvenirs’ of baby deaths killer nurse Lucy Letby kept under her bed
Saturday 19 August 2023 09:41 , Matt Mathers
A note of medications given to a baby boy as he fought back from the brink of death was among items found under nurse Lucy Letby’s bed.
The record of emergency drugs provided to the infant was written on a paper towel during his 30-minute resuscitation at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.
Letby, 33, gave rescue breaths to the youngster, Child M, after she responded to his cot monitor alarm.
Kim Pilling reports:
The chilling ‘souvenirs’ of baby deaths killer nurse Letby kept under her bed
Doctors who raised concerns about Letby where ordered to apologise to her
Saturday 19 August 2023 09:12 , Matt Drake
Senior doctors who flagged concerns about Lucy Letby were ordered to apologise to her by a boss at the hospital where she murdered seven babies, it has been reported.
Colleagues of Letby warned for months that the nurse had been the only medic present during the sudden collapses and deaths of a number of premature babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
But they were told to apologise in January 2017 after two reviews found no wrongdoing against her, The Guardian reports.
After one of the reviews Tony Chambers, then the hospital’s chief executive, said he had spent hours talking to Letby and her father and believed she was innocent.
Mr Chambers then ordered the consultants to apologise to Letby and said she would return to work on the unit imminently, the paper said. However, she did not return to the neonatal unit and a police investigation began four months later.
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims demand answers on why killing spree wasn’t stopped sooner
Saturday 19 August 2023 08:54 , Matt Mathers
The families of babies murdered by Lucy Letby have vowed to continue their search for answers as pressure mounted on the hospital where she worked over what more could have been done to stop her killing spree.
The 33-year-old “rogue” nurse was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital over a year in 2015 and 2016.
The families of her victims have said they have been left “heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb” by her actions.
Gwyn Wright reports:
Families of Lucy Letby’s victims vow to continue search for answers on why she killed
Give inquiry extra powers if witnesses do not come forward, Conservative MP urges government
Saturday 19 August 2023 08:30 , Matt Mathers
The inquiry into mass murderer Lucy Letby should be given extra powers if witnesses do not come forward to give evidence, a Conservative MP has said.
Ministers have already launched a probe but it is a non-statutory inquiry, meaning people are not required by law to attend.
Dr Caroline Johnson, a consultant who represents Sleaford and North Hykeham and sits on parliament’s health committee, said she thought the government’s initial decision was the right one but added that extra powers should be given to the inquiry if they were needed.
She told BBC Radio 4 Today: “We need lessons to be learned and answers quickly. I appreciate that people can’t be compelled in the same way but I would hope nevertheless people would still come forward.
“If you have a situation where people don’t come forward - and extra powers are needed by the person who leads the inquiry - then the government will need to look again at the type of inquiry.
“But in the first instance the government’s probably taken the right approach of doing the inquiry quickly.
‘Completely remarkable’ doctors raising concers were not listened to - Tory MP
Saturday 19 August 2023 07:59 , Matt Mathers
It is “completely remarkable” that doctors raising concerns about mass murderer Lucy Letby were not listened to, a Conservative MP has said.
Dr Caroline Johnson, a consultant who represents Sleaford and North Hykeham and sits on parliament’s health committee, said bosses at the Countess of Chester hospital where Letby worked had questions to answer.
“When you’ve got seven consultant paediatricians, experts in their field, looking after babies on a neo-natal ward…who are telling you…that these events are unusual…to then say that you’re not going to take action seems completely remarkable to me,” she told BBC Radio 4.
Letby’s mother cried out as daughter found guilty of murder
Saturday 19 August 2023 07:00 , Jane Dalton
Killer nurse Lucy Letby remained entirely emotionless as the jury returned guilty verdicts in the hospital baby poisoning trial that lasted nine months, but her mother sobbed uncontrollably and wailed at the jury:
Lucy Letby’s mother cried out as daughter was found guilty of murder
Watch: Police footage shows neonatal unit
Saturday 19 August 2023 06:30 , Jane Dalton
Letby joins list of UK’s most notorious child killers
Saturday 19 August 2023 05:55 , Jane Dalton
The nurse is now the worst serial killer of children in modern UK history, after the likes of the Moors murderers:
