An inquiry report has singled out several managers and senior staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital for their inaction, which allowed serial killer nurse Lucy Letby to continue harming babies. Colleagues reportedly dismissed fears from doctors that Letby was to blame for a spike in infant deaths, enabling her to remain on the wards.
According to the Thirlwall Inquiry's findings, medical director Ian Harvey failed to consider whether steps should have been taken to safeguard babies. Harvey expressed sincere regret for not calling the police sooner, but stated that consultants did not provide him with sufficient evidence to involve detectives. He characterized the concerns raised as an increase in deaths without an understood cause, rather than concrete evidence against an individual.
Lady Justice Thirlwall's report noted that Harvey had a duty to consider safeguarding measures and failed to do so. Alison Kelly, the former director of nursing, admitted to missing an opportunity to protect babies. While denying concealing the mortality spike or being slow to respond, she acknowledged she should have been more attentive and that the situation warranted a more timely investigation. Kelly claimed her heavy workload meant she often missed emails and suggested other staff should have escalated concerns directly. Notably, despite being the hospital's safeguarding lead, she did not report the consultants' concerns to the local safeguarding board, local safeguarding officer, or NHS England, which, she admitted, would have led to earlier notification of the police and likely Letby's suspension.
The report also found fault with Tony Chambers, the hospital's chief executive. Chambers, a former nurse himself, stated he sided with Letby after doctors raised concerns, partly because she had won an employment grievance against the Trust. He denied stalling the police investigation for ten months to protect his reputation or that of the hospital. However, medics described him as dictatorial and aggressive, and the report concluded he lost objectivity and made poor decisions.
Eirian Powell, head of the neonatal unit, also faced criticism for her continued support of Letby as deaths mounted. Powell maintained there was no proof implicating Letby and was reportedly vociferous in her support for the nurse's continued presence on the ward as late as May 2016. She later admitted that, in hindsight, the police should have been called and that she failed in her duty to protect the babies. The report suggested Powell's judgment may have been influenced by her positive view of Letby as an exceptional nurse who was always available for extra shifts.
Furthermore, the report deemed it "ridiculous" that Karen Rees, director of nursing care, allegedly based her request for a neonatal consultant's removal from the ward on a baseless belief that the consultant and Letby had a prior relationship. The report stated that Rees's willingness to make such an unfounded accusation demonstrated a loss of judgment. The inquiry accepted that Rees, Kelly, and Powell initially believed Letby was not responsible for the spike in deaths, but concluded that loyalty may have prevented them from considering the doctors' concerns with an open mind and prioritizing safeguarding.