Lucy Letby: Senior doctor's chilling seven-word response to early suspicions over killer nurse

A elder doc astatine Countess of Chester Hospital has told the Thirlwall Inquiry what helium instantly thought erstwhile suspicions were archetypal raised astir kid serial slayer Lucy Letby

A elder doc has revealed his chilling seven-word absorption aft being told slayer caregiver Lucy Letby was connected work for 3 babe deaths successful June 2015.

The kid serial slayer went connected to execution 4 much infants connected the neonatal portion astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital earlier she was moved to clerical duties successful July 2016 aft consultants raised concerns astir Letby with executives. The 34-year-old is presently serving is serving 15 whole-life orders aft she murdered seven babies and tried to execution 7 others betwixt June 2015 and June 2016.

Giving grounds astatine the Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding Letby’s crimes, neonatal objective pb advisor Dr Stephen Brearey admitted the 3 baby deaths successful June 2015 were “unusual” arsenic they amounted to the mean yearly mortality rate. When helium was told successful a gathering by the unit’s nursing ward manager connected July 2 that Letby was identified arsenic the 1 subordinate of unit contiguous connected each occasion, helium said his archetypal absorption was to say: “Oh no, not Lucy. Not bully Lucy.”

Dr Brearey told the inquiry: “It was a spontaneous remark erstwhile her sanction came out. It didn’t needfully signify anything. The full of the nursing squad that we worked with I believed to beryllium bully radical truthful I astir apt would person said that for immoderate of the nursing unit to beryllium honest.”

He said astatine the clip erstwhile helium conducted a reappraisal of those deaths helium did not judge Letby’s beingness was “overly concerning” due to the fact that it was a tiny portion and nurses could condense their shifts, and that clusters of deaths would not needfully beryllium dispersed retired crossed a year. Counsel to the enquiry Rachel Langdale KC asked: “Why ‘oh no, not bully Lucy’? What was the constituent of the ‘oh no’, what was the nexus being made successful your mind?”

“Well evidently immoderate portion of my caput was reasoning the worst," Dr Brearey responded. Ms Langdale asked: “What did your caput leap to?” Dr Brearey responded: “The interest that determination mightiness beryllium idiosyncratic harming babies.”

Asked if helium was alert astatine the clip of Letby’s onslaught spree astir chap kid slayer caregiver Beverley Allitt, the doc said: “I retrieve discussing it with colleagues due to the fact that I deliberation we were each alert of the lawsuit historically. It was determination and mightiness person been the crushed wherefore I said ‘not bully Lucy’. But determination is 1 happening to beryllium alert of it historically and different happening to beryllium considering it mightiness beryllium happening connected your unit.”

Dr Brearey said the decease of a babe girl, Child I, successful October 2014 was a “significant infinitesimal that raised my level of interest rather considerably”. The medic said the youngster’s decease aft a bid of collapses pursuing her instrumentality to the Countess aft periods of stabilisation erstwhile she was transferred to different infirmary had “set a fewer alarm bells going”.

Ms Langdale said: “By the clip of Child I you thought that deliberate harm whitethorn beryllium being caused here?” Dr Brearey said: “Yes, determination was sizeable interest astatine that stage.”

Ms Langdale said: “And adjacent earlier past astatine the gathering successful July erstwhile you said ‘oh no’, a causal nexus was made that idiosyncratic could beryllium doing this successful atrocious faith?” Dr Brearey responded: “Yes."

Ms Langdale said: “How is it if you thought idiosyncratic could beryllium sidesplitting babies successful atrocious faith, oregon harming them, you didn’t marque a nexus with deteriorations, oregon what we present cognize are attempted murders, to deliberation what are the origin for them?” Dr Brearey said: “I judge it wasn’t successful my caput and it’s evidently thing I person reflected upon and it should person been.

“It astir apt comes down to the workload I had astatine the clip successful doing this. Most of the reviews were done retired of hours. Dealing with mortality connected their ain was rather a sizeable workload on with my different duties. On reflection I bash consciousness determination was a batch of clues and incidents, successful presumption of the morbidity broadside of things, that would person brought america to the decision earlier that thing was wrong.”

Dr Brearey said helium was “exceedingly worried” pursuing the decease of Child O successful June 2016 arsenic helium noted an “unusual” rash which helium thought whitethorn person been akin to erstwhile rashes seen successful 2015. At the commencement of his grounds Dr Brearey apologised to parents of babies who Letby attacked and parents who are “involved successful the ongoing constabulary investigation”.

He said: “I’m atrocious for my portion successful not being capable to support your babies. I tin conscionable accidental that I tried my best, and I admit that astatine times my champion was not enough. I anticipation you each get the information and justness that you deserve.”

Dr Brearey acknowledged that the omission to enactment and admit humor trial results successful August 2015 and April 2016 which showed abnormally precocious insulin levels successful 2 babe boys – who Letby poisoned – was a “collective failure” of the consultants, unneurotic with laboratories successful Chester and Liverpool and “the strategy generally”.

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 inquiry, sitting astatine Liverpool Town Hall, is expected to beryllium until aboriginal 2025, with findings published by precocious autumn of that year.