Lucy Letby was 80 per cent more likely to be on duty when babies collapsed or died unexpectedly, a head nurse told the public inquiry today.
Sian Williams, deputy director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital, discovered that the neonatal nurse had been regularly present when babies fell ill shortly after she murdered her last two victims in June 2016.
The head nurse claimed she repeatedly urged senior managers to go to the police, but said they refused and “didn’t want to listen”.
Instead, Letby was removed from the unit and another 10 months passed before officers were called to investigate.
The 34-year-old is serving 15 life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more between June 2015 and June 2016.
Williams told the inquest that Letby (pictured) was more likely to have been on duty during the incidents.
Deputy chief nursing officer Sian Williams (left) spoke at the public inquiry today.
The Thirlwall Inquiry, which is investigating Letby’s crimes, heard that Ms Williams was asked to analyze staff rotations and medical records after doctors raised suspicions that Letby was deliberately harming patients, after the death of two triplet brothers in consecutive shifts, in June 2016.
“What I remember is that the consultants had done a staffing review themselves and came up with the name Letby, so we were tasked with reviewing that, which is what Julie Fogarty (head of midwifery) and I did,” he said.
“We came to a similar (finding) as the doctors: that she (Letby) was 80 percent more likely to be on duty during or before a baby’s collapse.”
Williams said she was so alarmed by the findings that she immediately reported them to the hospital’s medical director, Ian Harvey, and human resources director, Sue Hodkinson.
She also spoke to Alison Kelly, director of nursing, “several times” about the possibility of calling the police.
She revealed that she had previous experience, in another job, where the police were contacted amid suspicions that a member of staff was tampering with equipment in a high dependency unit, and because of this she felt “uncomfortable” with the decision. of Condesa’s senior managers not to call the agents to investigate.
She added: “I told them, I spoke to Alison Kelly on several occasions and I remember Karen Rees (director of nursing for urgent care) in my office saying we had to go to the police, and she (Alison Kelly) said she had followed some advice and that was it, she didn’t want to listen.
Court artist’s drawing of Lucy Letby giving evidence during her trial at Manchester Crown Court
Body camera footage released by Cheshire Police of Lucy Letby’s arrest
Letby is serving 15 life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more between 2015 and 2016.
“The executives said they had followed the advice and that we had to do our own investigation first.”
Williams admitted she had a responsibility to go to the police and regretted not doing so after realizing Letby was the common factor in the babies’ deaths.
The inquest heard that after the deaths of the triplets, known as Babies O and P, the consultants were so concerned about “foul play” that they saved a bag of feed that had been given to one of them to check if it had been tampered with. . with.
But, although calling the police was initially considered, notes from a senior management meeting a week later revealed that the decision was made to carry out its own internal investigations and call in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to carry out an investigation. external review. .
Williams broke down in tears and admitted that the hospital had shown no compassion toward the babies’ parents when they were kept in the dark about such investigations for months – and even years – after suspicions arose.
He agreed that it was “deplorable” that they had to find out about them through newspaper articles, but insisted that Mrs Kelly had told him what he “could and could not tell them”.
Ms Williams said: “I can’t deny that I’m sitting here advocating effective communication for this because it was poor, there’s no doubt it was poor.”
Rachel Langdale, counsel for the inquiry, said: “With little compassion or understanding of his anxiety and position.”
She tearfully replied: “I can’t argue with it, I haven’t been in your position and, thinking about it, that’s one area we could have improved on.”
Williams also admitted “misleading” the mother of Baby C, a premature baby killed by Letby, at a meeting to discuss the Royal College review, when she was told the inquiry was simply a “formality to check staffing levels.” .
Lucy Letby appears by video link during an appeal against her conviction for attempting to murder a newborn baby, at the Court of Appeal in London, Britain, on October 24.
Lucy Letby worked in the neonatal unit at The Countess of Chester Hospital (pictured, file)
Image of the hallway inside the neonatal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital (showing the entrances to nurseries 2, 3 and 4)
Richard Baker KC, representing Baby C’s parents, said: “You knew there was a real suspicion that a nurse had murdered her baby and that, in your opinion, the police should be called.” It is misleading not to keep parents informed if that is a real concern.
“Yes,” Mrs. Williams replied. “We were told what we could or could not say…because the investigation had not yet concluded, the executive team was still of the opinion that there was no foul play.”
Mr Baker continued: “You must have had the feeling of being part of a cover-up.”
She responded, “I was uncomfortable with the whole thing, which is why I kept asking why they don’t bring the police.”
Asked if she wanted to say anything to Baby C’s mother, who was at Liverpool Town Hall to hear the evidence, Mrs Williams said: “How desperately, desperately I am sorry for the lack of communication and the whole situation, which on reflection I might have been very different.
The investigation continues.