- Calls for Investigation: Could Lucy Letby Have Been Stopped Sooner?
- Questions Over Delay: Why Did It Take 11 Months to Involve Law Enforcement?
- A Retrospective on Patient Safety: Learning Lessons from the Letby Case
Following the conviction of nurse Lucy Letby, Dr. John Gibbs, a retired consultant pediatrician who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, asserts that “lessons must be learned.”
A veteran doctor who worked at Lucy Letby’s hospital says the murdering nurse should have been stopped sooner.
Dr. John Gibbs, a retired consultant pediatrician from the Countess of Chester Hospital, questioned why it took administrators eleven months to involve law enforcement when suspicions were raised.
On Friday, Letby was found guilty of murdering seven infants and attempted to kill six in the neonatal unit.
When asked if the 33-year-old could have been stopped sooner and lives could have been saved, Dr. Gibbs stated, “I believe that should be investigated.”
“Partially, could Lucy Letby have been prevented earlier? I believe some of the guardians of the infants at the conclusion will inquire about this.
However, once we realized we had grave concerns about Lucy Letby and she was removed from the neonatal unit, why did it take 11 months before the authorities were contacted?
Why did it take so long for the police to arrive? This is a question that pediatricians, as well as the facility’s administrators, must investigate.
Following the verdicts, the government announced it would investigate the murders.
Dr. Gibbs added, “That would be very useful and lessons must be learned.”
Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a consultant pediatrician at the hospital who testified in Letby’s court case, stated that “things need to be revealed about why it took several months for action to be taken to protect babies after concerns were raised to the top brass.”
He also wondered why the hospital trust waited nearly two years to call the police after infant deaths.
Consultants first expressed concerns about the nurse in June 2015, after three infants died. As an increasing number of infants collapsed and died, consultants convened multiple meetings to express their concerns about Letby.
Dr. Jayaram wrote on Facebook, “The truth of what transpired during that period will shock you to your core when it is revealed.
“Patient safety should come before reputational damage, and sometimes the right solutions are unpopular. However, executive-level managers are compensated to make such decisions.”
“There are people out there, still earning six-figure sums of taxpayer money or retired with gold-plated pensions, who need to stand up in public to explain why they did not want to listen and do the right thing, to acknowledge that their actions may have facilitated a mass-murderer, and to apologize to the families affected by this.
“However, I suspect the response will be evasion and misinformation. And it is now my mission to ensure that they are held accountable moving forward.”
After the collapse of a child, Letby was ultimately transferred to a non-patient-facing role.
Letby was compelled to accept apologies from doctors.
According to ITV News, consultants, including Dr. Jayaram, were also required to repent to Letby.
In a letter to Letby seen by the broadcaster, the consultants felt compelled to write: “Dear Lucy. We apologize for any inappropriate remarks that may have been made during this difficult time. We deeply regret the anxiety and distress you have endured over the past year.
During this difficult period, patient safety has been our top priority.
Dr. Nigel Scawn, medical director at Countess of Chester Hospital, said Letby’s acts “deeply saddened and appalled” the trust.
“We are profoundly sorry that these crimes were perpetrated at our hospital, and our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of the infants who were injured or lost their lives.
We cannot even begin to comprehend what they have endured.
He added, “Since Lucy Letby worked at our hospital, we have made significant changes to our services, and I want to reassure every patient that they can have confidence in the care they will receive.”
