The former chief executive of the Countess of Chester hospital has apologised to the families of the victims of Lucy Letby, but said the failure to “identify what was happening” sooner was “not a personal” one.
Tony Chambers led the NHS trust where neonatal nurse Letby, who fatally attacked babies between June 2015 and June 2016, worked.
He was giving evidence at the Thirlwall Inquiry and was questioned on how he and colleagues responded when senior doctors raised their concerns about Letby, 34 and who has been sentenced to 15 whole-life terms for seven murders and seven attempted murders.
Mr Chambers started his evidence by saying: “I just want to offer my heartfelt condolences to all of the families whose babies are at the heart of this inquiry
“I can’t imagine the impact it has had on their lives.
“I am truly sorry for the pain that may have been prolonged by any decisions that I took in good faith.”
He was then pressed on how much personal responsibility he should take for failings at the trust which permitted Letby to carry on working after suspicions had been raised with Mr Chambers.
“I wholeheartedly accept that the operation of the Trust’s systems failed and there were opportunities missed to take earlier steps to identify what was happening,” he said.
“It was not a personal failing,” he said. “I have reflected long and hard as to why the board was not aware of the unexplained increase in mortality.”
Mr Chambers also said he believed the hospital should have worked more closely with the families involved as he said: “I do believe on reflection the communications with the families could have and should have been better.”
The Thirlwall Inquiry is examining events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, following the multiple convictions of former neonatal nurse Letby.
A UK ticket-holder has won £177m in the EuroMillions draw, making them the third biggest National Lottery winner ever.
The winning numbers were 07, 11, 25, 31 and 40, with Lucky Stars 09, 12.
No one has come forward to claim it yet, and players have been urged to check their tickets as soon as they can.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, operator of the National Lottery, said: “Wow, it has been a truly incredible night for a single UK ticket-holder who has scooped tonight’s jaw-dropping £177m EuroMillions jackpot!
“The win has landed them a spot on the National Lottery’s Rich List, as they have become the third biggest National Lottery winner of all time!
“What a wonderful win right before Christmas, and we cannot wait to pay out this amazing prize.”
The FA has launched an investigation into allegations that suspended Premier League referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card ahead of a match.
Mr Coote booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a match against West Brom in October 2019.
The Sun claims that the day before, he discussed carding the player with a Leeds fan he had met online, then after the game messaged him saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
Mr Coote insists nothing improper took place.
He said in a statement: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
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The previous comments Coote made about Liverpool
An investigation has now been opened to get to the bottom of the claims surrounding the already-suspended referee.
After the most recent allegations, a spokesperson for Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) told Sky Sports News: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that Code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by The FA.”
It added: “We will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.
In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed.
Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.
Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering withshort-term memory problems, due to the operation. But on Wednesday, she said that her memory is now “improving”.
“My short-term memory is really improving a lot every day,” she said, adding: “It has been an example to me of how much sleep helps me recover from everything.
“If I feel a bit confused or I’m struggling to concentrate, I just got to sleep, and I wake up just completely renewed and refreshed.
“I know that my brain needs lots of sleep.”
The 57-year-old ended the update by thanking fans for their “ongoing support”.
‘Out of the woods’
Speaking during a livestream on Tuesday, McCall’s partner Douglas said the star is “definitely out of the woods” during her recovery.
“She’s quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at 10pm and has a nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon,” he said.
He added that the presenter is off work until mid-January and has “a lot of time to relax and recuperate”.
Douglas told fans: “It’s been a very, very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We’re definitely out of the woods.”
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and together they present a weekly lifestyle podcast called Making The Cut.