Former bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies, and attempted to kill seven more, are coming under scrutiny today at the Thirlwall Inquiry. In the fourth day of the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall, opening statements from former senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital are to read out. It comes following days’ of evidence in which they have come under criticism for failing to properly deal with the attacks by the 34-year-old nurse. On Wednesday, questions were asked on why hospital bosses didn’t contact police despite doctors’ concerns. And on Thursday, Peter Skelton KC, representing another seven families, said number of “basic failures” by the hospital had resulted in “fatal consequences”. He said: “The first failure was to conduct swift, careful and methodical investigations into why each of the deaths occurred and whether there were connections between the deaths. That was a major and catastrophic failure.”
Lucy Letby inquiry live: Top hospital bosses come under scrutiny for ‘failures leading to fatal consequences’
Thirlwall inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at a neo-natal unit (EPA/AP)
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Former bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies, and attempted to kill seven more, are coming under scrutiny today at the Thirlwall Inquiry.
In the fourth day of the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall, opening statements from former senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital are to read out.
It comes following days’ of evidence in which they have come under criticism for failing to properly deal with the attacks by the 34-year-old nurse.
On Wednesday, questions were asked on why hospital bosses didn’t contact police despite doctors’ concerns.
And on Thursday, Peter Skelton KC, representing another seven families, said number of “basic failures” by the hospital had resulted in “fatal consequences”.
He said: “The first failure was to conduct swift, careful and methodical investigations into why each of the deaths occurred and whether there were connections between the deaths. That was a major and catastrophic failure.”
Letby was nicknamed “Nurse Death” by junior doctors after she was removed from duties on the neo-natal ward in 2016 but hospital bosses still did not contact police until eight months later.
Letby was sentenced to 15 whole-life orders following her convictions for the crimes in 2015 and 2016.
Key points
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Alex Ross13 September 2024 10:02
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Today’s hearing due to start in five minutes
The fourth day of Thirlwall Inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall starts at 10am. We’ll be covering it right here
Alex Ross13 September 2024 09:55
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Reminder of Letby’s crimes
Letby, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims.
She carried out the crimes between June 2015 adn June 2016.
Alex Ross13 September 2024 09:48
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Trusts accepts there were ‘ignificant communication failings’
As we heard yesterday from legal representatives of families unhappy about the communication from the hospital, Andrew Kennedy KC, representing the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust, acknowledged the issue.
He said: “The trust accepts that from July 2016 there were significant communication failings such that it failed in its duty of candour towards the parents.”
He added: “The trust remains committed to assist in any way it can and it recognises that the inquiry will identify failings on its part and potentially on the part of others.
“That’s a vital exercise so that it and the wider NHS may learn from those failings.”
Alex Ross13 September 2024 09:47
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Parents ‘kept in the dark’
One major issue coming out of the evidence over the past few days is the apparent failure by the hospital to keep families informed over the deaths of the babies.
On Wednesday, solicitors for the counsel said this would be looked at during the coming weeks of the hearing.
Yesterday, Peter Skelton KC, who is representing seven families of Letby’s victims, claimed there was failure was not to inform the families that the deaths were being investigated.
Mr Skelton said: “You will hear from some of the parents over the next few weeks about how they were kept in the dark about the collapses of the babies and the concerns and investigations that were being undertaken into their babies’ deaths.”
He said the consultants who flagged concerns about Letby “deserved the gratitude” of the families and had acted with “tenacity” and “courage” in “genuine fear of adverse professional consequences”.
Alex Ross13 September 2024 09:38
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Damning indictment by solicitor representing families
At yesterday’s hearing, we heard from Peter Skelton KC, who is representing seven families of Letby’s victims.
He criticised the hospital for not being quick enough to investigate Letby despite concerns raised by doctors over the baby deaths.
He said: “The first failure was to conduct swift, careful and methodical investigations into why each of the deaths occurred and whether there were connections between the deaths.”
He said it meant vital information was overlooked and that the cluster of deaths and collapses should have been escalated to senior management within the hospital trust immediately, so they could have overseen investigations.
He added: “From the outset, and without prejudice and without pre-judgment, it should have been in the minds of those conducting and overseeing the investigations that the cluster of unexpected and unexplained deaths might have been caused by the criminal acts of a member of hospital staff.”
Alex Ross13 September 2024 09:07
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NMC admits it could have sanctioned Letby sooner
No interim order was placed on Lucy Letby following her arrest.
Addressing this issue Ms Jones said: “We have seriously reflected on the decision not to apply for an interim order until Lucy Letby was charged, and have determined that our guidance in place at the time was not sufficiently clear to allow us to act on an extraordinary case such as this one in which a serious police investigation was underway in relation to potentially multiple instances of murder.
“We accept that it was not right for the NMC to wait to apply for an interim order until Lucy Letby was charged, and we considered that in this case, the fact of the arrest could have been sufficient to justify an interim order application, given the serious nature of the concerns and the absolute importance of maintaining public safety and also public confidence in the profession.”
Holly Evans13 September 2024 07:00
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This is why I think Lucy Letby is guilty – and you should too
There’s a new circus in town and its butterfly-themed banners are emblazoned with the name of a nurse called Lucy Letby. Increasingly, vocal supporters would have us believe that the 34-year-old has been wrongly convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more for which she has received 15 whole-life prison sentences.
Pitching her as a loving nurse whose life of selfless dedication has been wilfully destroyed because of a problematic neonatal unit in need of a scapegoat for the babies that died on their watch, she emerges as a perfect heroine, you might think, for the next Netflix blockbuster.
Except that in the real world, the evidence tells us there has been no miscarriage of justice. Letby was convicted by not just one, but two, juries at two separate trials. Having spent nights and early mornings compiling a 17,000-word timeline of that lethal year at the Countess of Chester Hospital, like them, I have no doubt of the culpability of this nurse.
Read the full article here:
This is why I think Lucy Letby is guilty – and you should too
Lucy Letby’s new legal team prepares to launch a fresh appeal over the killer’s convictions, but is there really a new case to answer? No, says Nigel Bunyan, who has spent countless hours examining the evidence and putting together a timeline of what happened
Holly Evans13 September 2024 06:00
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Breathing tubes dislodged during Lucy Letby shifts prior to killings, probe told
Breathing tubes became dislodged on 40% of shifts that Lucy Letby worked as a trainee nurse in Liverpool before she went on her killing spree at the Countess of Chester Hospital, a public inquiry has heard.
Letby, 34, is understood to have completed two work placements at Liverpool Women’s Hospital between October and December 2012, and January and February 2015.
The Thirlwall Inquiry is examining how the 34-year-old was able to murder seven babies and attempt to murder others from June 2015 to June 2016.
Read the full article here:
Holly Evans13 September 2024 05:00
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Former Tory minister says he was quoted £100,000 for Lucy Letby court transcript
A Tory former minister probing the case of killer nurse Lucy Letby has complained after he was quoted £100,000 to obtain a transcript of her trial.
He said it was eventually reduced to £9,000 but insisted such documents should be freely available to parliamentarians.
Read the full article here:
Holly Evans13 September 2024 03:00
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/lucy-letby-news-inquiry-latest-parents-appeal-innocent-thirlwall-b2612196.html