Guardian investigation also reveals Countess of Chester hospital executive feared contacting police would ‘damage reputation’
Lucy Letby’s colleagues were ordered to apologise to her after repeatedly raising concerns that the nurse may have been behind a series of unexplained baby deaths, the Guardian has learned.
After the conclusion of the 10-month trial, a Guardian investigation based on new documents, interviews with hospital consultants and reporting from the trial, has found that: The trial at Manchester crown court heard how Letby was found to have been on duty during three unexplained deaths of babies and a life-threatening collapse over 14 days in June 2015. This was the same number of babies as would die in an average year on the unit.
It added: “We were not commissioned to conduct detailed case note reviews but given the circumstances we recommend that this is initiated immediately, prioritising the deaths that were considered unexpected.” In a meeting called to discuss these reports on 26 January 2017, Chambers said he had spent hours talking to Letby and her father and that he believed she was innocent, according to internal documents seen by the Guardian and interviews with two paediatric consultants, Dr Steve Brearey and Dr John Gibbs.
After Letby’s removal from the unit in July 2016 there were discussions about contacting the police but the hospital decided to carry out two external reviews first. Chambers added: “Whilst inevitably there are lessons to be learned for us all, I believe the trust can demonstrate that it has taken the concerns that you have raised very seriously, and has been open and transparent with the coroner, our regulators, and as far as the police investigation allows, with staff, parents and the public.”
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