LUCY Letby’s hospital bosses have shockingly demanded the public enquiry into the nurse’s crimes to be called off.
Former senior executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital made the call after police said staff at the hospital could face prosecution for gross negligence manslaughter as the investigation widened.
PAFormer executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital have called for the enquiry into the baby deaths to be called off[/caption]
PAKiller nurse Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of the murders of seven babies and for attempting to murder seven others[/caption]
EPAA report into the deaths by a panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists found medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths on the neo-natal unit[/caption]
Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials 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.
Inquiry chair Lady Justice Thirlwall said she received the request last month from counsel for the management team that had been at the hospital when killer nurse Letby attacked babies in 2015 and 2016.
The letter, seen by The Guardian, warned the final report would “not only be redundant but likely unreliable” if it was not put on hold.
Lady Justice Thirlwall also revealed these same lawyers had written to the Health Secretary to seek a suspension of the inquiry.
The written request from solicitors joins a similar plea from Conservative MP David Davis, who has previously described Letby’s convictions as “one of the major injustices of modern times”.
Lawyers made the application just weeks after an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists concluded that bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths on the neo-natal unit.
They represented chief executive Tony Chambers, medical director Ian Harvey, director of nursing Alison Kelly, and HR director Sue Hodkinson.
The medical findings from the panel have been passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice.
Letby’s legal team are hopeful the case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal.
The letter from solicitors for the hospital executives has requested the final report be delayed until after the conclusion of the former nurse’s CCRC application.
The letter said: “It is estimated that over £10 million has been spent so far on the inquiry.
“It is now clear there is overwhelming and compelling evidence that Lucy Letby‘s convictions are unsafe.
“For the inquiry to be effective and that taxpayers’ money not be wasted, we urge that the inquiry be suspended and to wait for the outcome of the review to take place.”
The Thirlwall Inquiry into the deaths is hearing closing submissions from a number of people this week, including the families of Letby’s victims.
Submissions will be heard later at Liverpool Town Hall alongside closing statements.
This follows the conclusion of the evidence at the hearings which began in September.
Lady Justice Thirlwall is due to publish her final report this autumn.
PALetby being arrested by police at her home in 2018[/caption]
PAA court artist sketch of Letby during her trial[/caption]
It comes as Cheshire Constabulary, which has been carrying out an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital, widened its search.
The force is now looking at cases of gross negligence manslaughter, and said it had identified and notified people in connection with its investigation into the deaths.
Cheshire Constabulary added that its investigation did not impact Letby’s murder and attempted murder convictions.
However, Letby’s barrister Mark McDonald said expert medical evidence compiled by her defence team “points the finger in a very different direction” from where the police are looking.
He said last week: “It is astonishing that on the eve of the legal argument to stop the Thirlwall Inquiry, the police have decided to issue a press release discussing gross negligence manslaughter.
“We now have substantial and significant expert evidence which completely demolishes the prosecution case against Lucy Letby and points the finger in a very different direction to that which the police are currently looking.
“It is time they take a step back and ask themselves whether have they made a huge mistake.”
A separate police probe into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital during Letby’s time as a nurse between 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing.
Timeline of horror – how Letby targeted babies
LUCY Letby carried out her horrific crimes in a year-long period at Countess of Chester Hospital.
She used insulin and air to inject newborns while working on the neo-natal ward.
The collapses and deaths of the children were not “naturally-occurring tragedies” and instead the gruesome work of “poisoner” Letby.
Her rampage was finally uncovered after staff grew suspicious of the “significant rise” in the number of babies dying or suffering “catastrophic” collapses.
Letby was found to be the “common denominator” among the horrifying incidents.
Officers then searched her three-bedroom home in Chester and discovered a chilling cache of evidence.
The nurse had scribbled haunting notes in diaries and on Post-It notes, including one that read: “I am evil I did this.”
The note added: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.
“I am a horrible person.”
A probe into whether Letby harmed any other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital is ongoing.
A corporate manslaughter investigation is also ongoing, as is now a gross negligence manslaughter one.
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