BASIC failures by the hospital where killer nurse Lucy Letby worked had “fatal consequences” for babies, an inquiry into her crimes has heard.
They included not conducting swift, careful investigations into unexpected deaths, and whether they were connected.
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Peter Skelton KC, representing seven families, also said the police and coroner should have been informed at the outset, which could have had a “profound effect” on the course of events.
Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole life terms for murdering seven infants and trying to murder seven others, at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
The Thirlwall Inquiry, at Liverpool Town Hall, heard that even after she was suspected, there was “denial, deflection and delay on the part of the hospital executives”.
It was previously heard that speculation over Letby has caused “enormous additional distress” to the parents of her victims.
Opening the probe yesterday, Lady Justice Thirlwall referred to Letby losing a Court of Appeal bid to challenge her convictions from the first trial.
The chairwoman said: “That judgment marked a watershed. At last the parents had finality, or so it seemed. But it was not to be.
“In the months that followed… there has been a huge outpouring of comment from a variety of quarters on the validity of the convictions.
“As far as I am aware it has come entirely from people who were not at the trial. Parts of the evidence has been selected and there has been criticism of the defence at the trial.
“All of this noise has caused enormous additional distress to the parents who have already suffered far too much.
“It is not for me to set about reviewing the convictions. The Court of Appeal has done that with a very clear result.”
