Lucy Letby boss admits ‘crass’ letter to babies’ families

The inquiry has heard that neonatal clinical lead Dr Stephen Brearey raised concerns about Letby at a meeting a month earlier on 11 May.

Dr Brearey previously told the inquiry he felt the number of deaths in 2015 and early 2016 were “exceptional” and highlighted to Mr Harvey that it was “unusual” that six out of the nine deaths had occurred between midnight and 4am.

He said he told him that there had been a number of reviews, including one from an external neonatologist, and the only common theme was Letby having been on duty.

Mr Harvey said that “did not accord with my recollection of that meeting” and he did not remember Dr Brearey being “that detailed or that assertive”.

Rachel Langdale KC, counsel to the inquiry, put it to Mr Harvey that Baby O and Baby P “should never have died after that 11 May meeting, should they?”

“[Letby] could have been off the ward and referred to the police then,” she added.

Mr Harvey said: “I would not accept as a result of that meeting that the conversations we had and the approach that Dr Brearey and the nursing staff had, that there was anything that would have supported such action.

“Dr Brearey was entirely supportive of the action that came out of the meeting and it was highlighted that one of the actions was the reporting of any further collapses or incidents.”