Investigation requested into hospital executives for corporate manslaughter

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【Summary】Hospital executives who failed to act on concerns about nurse Lucy Letby, convicted of murdering seven babies, should be investigated for corporate manslaughter, according to a medical expert. Consultants had raised concerns about Letby as early as 2015, but hospital management did not take action. The expert believes that if managers had acted sooner, some deaths could have been avoided. The former chair of the hospital trust claimed that the board was misled by executives.

FutureCar Staff Aug 20, 2023 7:24 AM PT

Investigation requested into hospital executives for corporate manslaughter

Hospital executives who failed to act on concerns about serial killer nurse Lucy Letby should be investigated for corporate manslaughter, according to the prosecution's lead medical expert. Retired consultant paediatrician Dewi Evans plans to write to Cheshire Constabulary to request an investigation into the "grossly negligent" bosses who did not address fears about Letby while she was on her killing spree. The executives also blamed other NHS services for some of the unexplained deaths and claimed there was no evidence against Letby other than coincidence.

Letby, 33, was convicted on Friday of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Consultants who raised concerns about Letby as early as 2015 have stated that babies could have been saved if hospital management had taken action sooner. The head consultant of the neonatal unit, Dr Stephen Brearey, first raised Letby's association with an increase in baby collapses in June 2015. Other consultants continued to express concerns, but executives were reluctant to involve the police due to concerns about the hospital's reputation.

Dr Dewi Evans, who was asked by Cheshire Police to investigate a series of collapses on the neonatal unit, believes that the bosses could have prevented three murders if they had acted more urgently. He plans to write to the police to request an investigation into corporate manslaughter and criminal negligence. The former chair of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sir Duncan Nichol, claimed that the board was misled by hospital executives, who stated that there was no criminal activity pointing to any one individual, despite concerns. The board was not made aware of the rise in incidents until July 2016.

An independent inquiry into Letby's crimes was announced by the government on Friday, but some are calling for a full public inquiry with statutory powers. The care of 4,000 babies who were admitted to the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital during Letby's work placements is being reviewed by the police. Letby is due to be sentenced on Monday, but she has indicated that she will not participate in the hearing.

The Countess of Chester Hospital has made significant changes to its services since Letby worked there, according to Dr Nigel Scawn, the medical director. He wants to reassure patients that they can have confidence in the care they will receive.