- Senior Manager Suspended Following Lucy Letby’s Conviction
- Allegations of Disregarding Warnings
- Independent Investigation Ordered by the Government
A top manager who oversaw nursing when Lucy Letby murdered and severely damaged infants was suspended.
Alison Kelly and other Countess of Chester Hospital administrators have been accused of disregarding Letby’s warnings.
Ms. Kelly, the director of nursing for the Rochdale Care Organisation, a member of the Northern Care Alliance, has been suspended “in light of information” that arose during the trial.
Letby received a life sentence on Monday.
Following a 10-month trial, the former nurse was found convicted on Friday of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others.
Letby injected neonates with air on purpose, forcibly fed others breast milk, and poisoned two of the infants with insulin.
The neonatal unit head consultant told Letby that hospital officials ignored concerns and silenced doctors.
In October 2015, Dr. Stephen Brearey first raised concerns about Letby. She proceeded to attack and murder two more infants after no action was taken.
Despite months of warnings that the nurse may have been murdering infants, the hospital delayed contacting the police.
The government has ordered an independent investigation into the “horrific” baby homicides committed by Letby.
We welcome the independent inquiry announced by the Department of Health and Social Care into the events at the Countess of Chester and will cooperate fully to help ensure that all lessons are learned,” an NHS England spokesperson said Monday.
Alison Kelly was suspended by the Northern Care Alliance after Lucy Letby’s trial and an independent investigation.
Ms. Kelly is the director of nursing for the Rochdale Care Organisation, which is part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which operates five institutions in the Greater Manchester region.
According to the trust’s website, she has more than 30 years of nursing experience and served as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital for eight years before assuming her current position.
Ignored cautions
Before June 2015, two or three infants died annually in the hospital’s neonatal unit. In that month, three died within two weeks.
Five homicides happened between June and October 2015, and two in June 2016 despite months of warnings.
Dr. Stephen Brearey, the neonatal unit’s chief consultant, was the first to express concern to hospital administrators, including Ms. Kelly, that Letby may be injuring infants.
He claimed he demanded Letby’s removal from duty in June 2016, following the last two homicides. The hospital administration initially refused.
Letby was assigned to the risk and patient safety office, where she had access to confidential documents from the neonatal unit and was near senior managers who were tasked with investigating her.
In 2018, the hospital detained and suspended Letby, three years after Dr. Brearey first raised the alarm.
On Friday, Cheshire Police announced her guilty conviction after a two-year investigation.
Two infant-related attempted murder trials against Letby were acquitted, while four were deadlocked.
