Lucy Letby case: Doctor says questions must be asked about whether killer nurse could have been stopped earlier
A retired doctor who worked at the same hospital as Lucy Letby says questions must be asked about whether the killer nurse could have been stopped earlier.
Dr John Gibbs, a retired consultant paediatrician who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, also questioned why managers took 11 months to involve police when suspicions were raised.
It comes after Letby was on Friday found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six other infants at the hospital’s neonatal unit.
Asked if the 33-year-old could have been stopped earlier and lives could have been saved, Dr Gibbs told Sky News: “I think that needs to be looked into.
“Partly, could we have stopped Lucy Letby earlier? And I think some of the parents of the babies towards the end will be asking that.
A corridor within the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. Pic: Cheshire Constabulary/CPS
“But then, once we have realised, we had great concerns about Lucy Letby, and she was removed from the neonatal unit, why did it take 11 months for the police to then be called in?
“That is something that, we as paediatricians have to look at, but also the managers need to answer, why it took so long for the police to come in.”
Read more:
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More families told their children could be victims
Following the verdicts, the government said it would launch an inquiry into the killings.
“That would be very useful and lessons need to be learnt,” Dr Gibbs added.
It comes after Dr Ravi Jayaram – a consultant paediatrician at the hospital who gave evidence in Letby‘s court case – said there are “things that need to come out about why it took several months from concerns being raised to the top brass before any action was taken to protect babies”.
Dr Ravi Jayaram. Pic: Rex/ITV/Shutterstock
He also questioned why it took almost two years from when the first babies died for the hospital trust to contact the police.
Consultants first raised concerns about the nurse after three babies died in June 2015. As more babies collapsed and died, consultants held several meetings to raise their concerns about Letby.
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Writing on Facebook, Dr Jayaram said: “The truth of what happened during that time will shock you to the core as it comes out.
“The safety of patients should come above any risk of reputational damage and sometimes the right decisions might be difficult and unpopular, but executive-level managers are paid to do just that.
“There are people out there now, still earning six-figure sums of taxpayers’ money or retired with their gold-plated pensions, who need to stand up in public to explain why they did not want to listen and do the right thing, to acknowledge that their actions potentially facilitated a mass-murderer and to apologise to the families involved in all of this.
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“However, I suspect the response will be fudge and misinformation and it is now my mission moving forwards to make sure that they are held to account.”
Letby was eventually moved into a non-patient-facing role, after the collapse of a child.
Lucy Letby pictured as she was arrested in 2018
Doctors were forced to apologise to Letby
Consultants, including Dr Jayaram, were also forced to apologise to Letby, according to ITV News.
In a letter to Letby seen by the broadcaster, the consultants felt pressured to write: “Dear Lucy, we would like to apologise for any inappropriate comments that may have been made during this difficult period. We are very sorry for the stress and upset that you have experienced in the last year.
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“Please be reassured that patient safety has been our absolute priority during this difficult time.”
Medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr Nigel Scawn, said the whole trust was “deeply saddened and appalled” at Letby’s crimes.
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Chester Hospital ‘appalled’ by Letby’s crimes
“We are extremely sorry that these crimes were committed at our hospital, and our thoughts continue to be with all the families and loved ones of babies who came to harm or died.
“We cannot begin to understand what they have been through.”
He added: “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.”
UK
‘Major incident’ declared in Northern Ireland as wildfire breaks out amid higher-than-normal temperatures
A major incident has been declared in Northern Ireland after a wildfire broke out, the latest in a series of blazes seen across the UK over the past week amid soaring temperatures.
More than 100 firefighters and 14 fire appliances were at the scene of the “significant” wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said.
The fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”, the service said.
The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI
“Local residents are requested to avoid the area, a number of roads have been closed, to help support firefighting operations,” the fire service added.
“We ask that all members of the public remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire at this time. We can reassure members of the public that normal service delivery is being maintained.”
More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.
On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.
Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”
Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week
Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.
In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
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Wildfires spread across nature reserve
Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.
Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.
The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.
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