Lucy Letby inquest: bosses at Counter of Chester Hospital "facilitated a mass murderer"

Bosses at the Countess of Chester Hospital "facilitated a mass murderer" by ignoring concerns raised over nurse Lucy Letby, an inquiry has heard.

A mother told the Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding the crimes of Letby that her baby girl's death in October 2015 could have been prevented if "prompt and effective action" was taken following the deaths of three infants in June of that year.

Serial killer Letby injected air into Child I's stomach and bloodstream as she finally took her life on her fourth attempt.

In a statement read on her behalf, Child I's mother told the inquiry: "I believe the doctors and nursing staff should have acted earlier and those in positions of authority at the hospital should have listened to them instead of trying to create their own narrative that Lucy Letby was a victim of bullying and harassment.

"Someone should have investigated the concerns fully at the time. This is what management are paid so handsomely to do. They shouldn't have been concentrating on saving their own skins and jobs and reputations.

"Babies died because someone in an office being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds didn't want the hospital to look bad if they shut the neonatal unit down while they investigated why so many babies were deteriorating when they should have been thriving."

She went on: "I believe that much more should have been done after the first three babies had died within a short space of time in similar circumstances.

"Had prompt and effective action been taken at that time, so many other babies would have survived or not have suffered enduring life-changing harm.

"How many babies needed to die or be seriously harmed for action to be taken to stop Lucy Letby? Sadly, we all now know the answer.

"People paid huge salaries allowed this to happen. They made doctors apologise to Lucy Letby when she had murdered babies and continued to harm other babies. The Countess of Chester Hospital was totally blinded by self-preservation that they forgot why they exist - to remain true to the Hippocratic Oath."

Child I's mother told inquiry chair Lady Thirlwall that senior management should face sanctions if they ignore concerns raised by whistleblowers.

She said: "At the present time, there appear to be no sanctions against those who lied and kept information whilst babies were being killed and harmed by Lucy Letby.

"It was only when it became untenable to keep up the pretence that they finally opened up on the scale of concerns raised against her and the number of babies that she had harmed.

"I honestly believe that these people should have to explain why they didn't do something earlier. Why they ignored the multitude of concerns raised about Lucy Letby's conduct. Why their actions facilitated a mass murderer?"

Recalling her experiences with Letby on the unit, Child I's mother said: "Her face was always on the babies' fundraising pictures.

"I remember thinking she was a bit quiet and a bit odd. She always seemed a bit of a loner. We saw her around on the odd occasion but we didn't have much to do with her."

When she later received her daughter's medical records, she said she was "absolutely shocked" at how involved Letby was with Child I.

She said: "She is all over her notes. I have noticed a lot of the 'care' was when I wasn't present."

Concluding her statement, Child I's mother said: "Our baby would have turned nine this year. We should have been watching her grow and play with her siblings and friends.

"However, we have to somehow try to live with the fact all this has been taken away from her and us in the cruellest way possible. No parent should ever have to go through what we have been and continue to go through each and every day.

"To understand how easily my beautiful girl's death could have been prevented hurts even more.

"Forever and a day,I will continue to ask 'why?'"

Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.

The inquiry is expected to sit until early 2025, with findings published by late autumn of that year.

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