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Letby Inquiry: 'Call Police' Plea Ignored

A public inquiry investigates why hospital executives ignored a nursing chief's pleas to call the police about Lucy Letby, who was later convicted of murdering and attempting to murder multiple babies.

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English

United Kingdom

Human Rights ViolationsHealthUkMurderNegligenceMedicalInquiryBabies

Countess Of Chester HospitalCheshire ConstabularyManchester Crown Court

Lucy LetbySian WilliamsIan HarveyTony ChambersLady Justice Thirlwall

What prompted the nursing chief to urge hospital executives to call the police?: A nursing chief, Sian Williams, noticed a pattern of baby collapses coinciding with Lucy Letby's shifts and urged hospital executives to call the police. Her concerns, which included a baby's repeated collapses only when Letby was on duty, were ignored.
How did hospital executives respond to the nursing chief's concerns about Lucy Letby?: Executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital prioritized their own internal investigations over immediately contacting the police, despite warnings from consultants about the potential for deliberate harm by Letby. This delay allowed Letby to continue working.
What ultimately happened to Lucy Letby, and what is the purpose of the Thirlwall Inquiry?: Lucy Letby was eventually arrested in 2018 and subsequently convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. The Thirlwall Inquiry is investigating the failures that allowed her to continue working for so long.
What were the reactions of some key hospital executives and consultants to the concerns about Lucy Letby?: Ms. Williams' analysis showed Letby was 80% more likely to be on duty when babies collapsed. Despite this, senior managers, including Tony Chambers, seemed more focused on protecting the hospital's reputation and avoiding potential harm to Letby's career than on protecting the babies.
Were the police ever contacted about possible deliberate harm at the hospital in the past? If so, how did the response differ from the Letby case?: The inquiry heard that in a previous incident involving possible deliberate harm on an adult ward, the police were immediately contacted. This contrasts sharply with the response to Ms. Williams' concerns regarding Letby, highlighting a significant difference in the handling of similar situations.

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