Lucy Letby Inquiry – live: Killer ‘visited Alder Hey’ soon after removal as nurse

Child serial killer Lucy Letby visited Alder Hey Children’s Hospital just after she was dismissed from her nursing duties over safety concerns at her own hospital, a public inquiry heard.

Letby was switched to clerical work in July 2016 after senior consultant paediatricians raised the alarm about patient safety in her Countess of Chester neonatal unit.

But only months later in 2017, the 34-year-old was able to make a number of supervised trips to Alder Hey – one of the UK’s most prestigious children’s hospitals – to visit wards and outpatient clinics, the inquiry heard.

This year, she was sentenced to 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at her Chester ward in 2015 and 2016.

Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims.

She protested to the court “I’m innocent” as she was led from the dock when she was sentenced in July to her 15th whole-life order after a jury convicted her at retrial of the attempted murder of a baby girl.

In May, she lost her Court of Appeal bid to challenge her convictions from the first trial which took place between October 2022 and August 2023.

Referring to that judgment, Lady Justice Thirlwall said: “That judgment marked a watershed.”

She went on to say the subsequent speculation had impacted the families

Earlier, the inquiry chairwoman Lady Justice Thirlwall said speculaton over Lucy Letby’s convictions were distressing for the families of victims.

Among those putting foward questions is Letby’s own newly-appointed lawyer, Mark McDonald, who is preparing to launch an appeal for his client.

Here is speaks to The Independent on his case

The inquiry has concluded for the day and will resume on Wednesday at 10am.

Lucy Letby emailed the neonatal unit staff claiming in 2017, following the outcome of a grievance, according to the Thirlwall Inquiry

She said: “I was redeployed to the unit following serious professional allegations by members of the medical team…I have been fully exonerated and I will return in the coming weeks.”

It was only due to the persistence of doctors who were blowing the whistle that she did not return to the unit.

On 3 April 2017, there was a discussion between hospital executives about calling the police, but it didn’t happen for another month.

Stephen Cross, director for corporate and legal services created a document at the time which included the line: “In our view, there is no evidence to justify a criminal investigation.”

KC Langdale said the inquiry will look “at the content of this document in greater detail during the hearing, in terms of what it may reveal about the thinking of the executive directors at this time.”

The head of nursing at the Countess of Chester, Karen Rees, reportedly made a plea to allow her to begin working in the neonatal unit again.

The inquiry heard the head of nursing, described it as “immoral” that Lucy Letby was not being allowed to work directly with patients during this period.

She reportedly appears to have suggested concerns about Letby were based on “gut feeling” from the senior paediatricians and not evidence.

Rees said, “This allegation against Letby is massive and if anyone is of this belief then why have the police not been called?”

It was not until a year after Letby was removed from the unit that police were contacted by the trust’s chief.

Following a grievance raised by Letby, decisions were made by the executive to allow her to return, however, this was resisted by paediatricians.

KC Langdon told the inquiry: “Without the consultants’ [persistent] approach, it is likely Letby would have been permitted to return to the unit.”

On 2nd May 2017, chief executive Tony Chambers told Cheshire Police there was “no single factor” that had been identified about the babies’ deaths. However, he said in four cases no causal factor had been identified at all which was not usual.

He requested that Cheshire Police undertake a forensic investigation to exclude anything untoward.

The inquiry is hearing that there are records suggesting that medical director Ian Harvey was advised to contact the police in June 2016.

Rachel Langdale KC said on 29 June that year, Mr Harvey held a meeting with Stephen Cross, the director of corporate and legal services at the Countess of Chester Hospital trust, about the situation on the neonatal ward.

A contemporaneous note of that meeting written by Mr Cross states: “ADVICE ‘Police’ need to be involved now.

“Death of triplets has raised concern. Nurse was on duty at deaths. Sufficient level of concern that illegal activity in neonatal.”

Ms Langdale says Mr Harvey has stated he was “unable to recall the meeting”, and in his statement to the inquiry he added that he “does not remember anyone giving him advice at that point that the police should be contacted”.

At about the same time, Mr Harvey was also copied into an email chain involving the senior consultants in which it was suggested that the police should be called in.

Ms Langdale stated: “The Cheshire Police were not, in fact, contacted by the Trust until nearly one year later in April 2017.”

In a separate meeting, Mr Chambers is reported to have told doctors to call the police themselves. However, one doctor said in response “our career would be on the line if we called the police as it would be whistle-blowing.”

In a further warning, Dr Stephen Brearey said to Mr Chambers “you need to think about the police.”

“You need to leave this with us,” Tony Chambers said in response, according to the inquiry.