Lucy Letby Inquiry: Nursing chief’s ‘call police’ pleas ‘ignored’

The inquiry saw notes from a meeting between executives, managers and clinicians on 11 July 2016 which was exploring how to respond to consultants’ concerns about Letby.

Then-chief executive Tony Chambers was noted to have said: “There is correlation with a nurse but we know change in acuity and activity.

He added: “A week ago only option to ring the police but now more info.

“We can create harm to nurse – fragile toxic.

“Need to protect it.”

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

Another consultant, John Gibbs, said: “Main worry is nurse therefore must be totally supervised. Cast iron assurance.”

Later that month, Letby was moved to clerical duties in the hospital’s risk and patient safety department rather than continuing to work on the neonatal unit.

Cheshire Police were called in by Mr Chambers in May 2017.

Letby continued to work at the hospital until her first arrest in July 2018.

The 34-year-old, 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 Thirlwall Inquiry is expected to sit until early 2025, with the findings published by late autumn of that year.