Hospital chiefs ignored police plea by top nurse ‘spooked’ by Letby, probe hears

Hospital executives ignored pleas from a nursing main to telephone successful the constabulary aft she was “spooked” by a baby’s signifier of deteriorations erstwhile Lucy Letby was connected duty, a nationalist enquiry has heard.

Former lawman manager of nursing Sian Williams was tasked by elder absorption astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital to undertake a unit rota investigation pursuing a bid of unexpected deaths and collapses of infants connected the neo-natal unit.

The Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding slayer caregiver Letby’s crimes has heard consultants told bosses astatine the extremity of June 2016 that diligent information was astatine hazard and that Letby could beryllium inflicting deliberate harm.

Bosses responded by commissioning an outer reappraisal and a fig of interior reviews alternatively than bringing successful Cheshire Police, the enquiry has heard.

Giving grounds connected Tuesday, Ms Williams said her staffing reappraisal discovered that Letby was “80% much apt to beryllium connected work either during oregon earlier a babe collapsed”.

She presented her findings to the enforcement squad successful mid-July but considered them truthful important that she sought retired aesculapian manager Ian Harvey the adjacent time for a one-to-one meeting.

Ms Williams said she highlighted to Mr Harvey the repeated overnight collapses of 1 babe connected 3 occasions erstwhile Letby was connected work but past went backmost to being unchangeable during the time erstwhile she was not present.

She said: “That spooked me, I person to accidental that spooked me.”

Ms Williams told Shahram Sharghy, representing immoderate of the families of Letby’s victims, that Mr Harvey replied that helium would cheque the information.

Mr Sharghy said: “Did helium oregon immoderate different subordinate of the enforcement squad look amazed oregon so disquieted by what you had told them astir your findings?”

Ms Williams said: “I don’t callback them saying thing that would springiness maine that impression.”

She besides told the executives astir a erstwhile juncture “many years ago” erstwhile the constabulary were called successful astir imaginable deliberate harm being caused connected an big ward astatine the hospital.

Ms Williams said: “I got a telephone telephone from a erstwhile main enforcement saying could I travel down? He said idiosyncratic had brought this interest that idiosyncratic whitethorn beryllium switching disconnected pumps which present fluids to patients, I deliberation it was successful the precocious dependency setting.

“We had a precise little speech and said we some believed we should pass the constabulary and they would marque their determination arsenic to what do. So helium rang the police.

“The constabulary came successful consecutive away. They didn’t privation you to bash your ain probe oregon thing similar that.”

She said she urged bosses to see a akin people of enactment but was repeatedly told they had “taken advice” that they had bash to their ain probe first.

Mr Sharghy said: “In presumption of the fig of times you raised the contented astir calling the constabulary and it not being accepted, bash you consciousness determination was thing incorrect with the operation oregon the strategy wrong the spot that efficaciously didn’t perceive to concerns of elder individuals specified arsenic yourself?”

Ms Williams replied: “Yes, I got the content they had taken proposal – wherever from I couldn’t accidental – and they firmly believed they were pursuing what they should person done.”

She stated to the enquiry that she believed the enforcement squad were “clear successful their minds” the deaths were owed to mediocre attraction and that Letby was not deliberately harming babies.

Mr Sharghy said: “Who discouraged you from going to the constabulary yourself?”

Ms Williams said: “I wasn’t privy to each the accusation … I should person gone. However, the consultants didn’t bash it.”

Mr Sharghy said: “And did you cognize due to the fact that of either from your acquisition connected the erstwhile juncture oregon from conscionable wide mundane life, that you could person contacted the constabulary anonymously?”

Ms Williams said: “I ne'er adjacent thought astir doing it anonymously.”

The enquiry saw notes from a gathering betwixt executives, managers and clinicians connected July 11 2016 which was exploring what to bash with Letby pursuing the concerns raised by consultants.

The past main enforcement Tony Chambers was noted to person said: “There is correlation with a caregiver but we cognize alteration successful acuity and activity.

“A week agone lone enactment to ringing the constabulary but present much info.

“We tin make harm to caregiver – fragile toxic.

Consultant Ravi Jayaram was noted to person said: “Should not beryllium blinkered to the unspeakable. Fine balance, my objectivity compromised.”

Another advisor John Gibbs said: “Main interest is caregiver truthful indispensable beryllium wholly supervised. Cast robust assurance.”

Later that month, Letby was moved to clerical duties successful the hospital’s hazard and diligent information section alternatively than continuing to enactment supervised connected the neonatal unit.

Cheshire Police were yet called by successful Mr Chambers successful May 2017, but Letby continued to enactment astatine the infirmary until her archetypal apprehension successful July 2018.

Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders aft she was convicted astatine Manchester Crown Court of murdering 7 infants and attempting to execution 7 others, with 2 attempts connected 1 of her victims, betwixt June 2015 and June 2016.

The enquiry is expected to beryllium until aboriginal 2025, with the findings published by precocious autumn of that year.