Hospital chiefs ‘facilitated mass murderers’

Hospital bosses “facilitate a mass murderer” by ignoring concerns about Lucy Letby, the mother of one of the babies killed by a neonatal nurse.

She said her daughter’s death in October 2015 could have been prevented if “quick and effective action” had been taken after three babies died in June that year at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Letby killed the baby girl, who could only be identified as Child I, by injecting air into her stomach and bloodstream.

In a statement read to the public inquiry into how Letby could have attacked the baby, Child I’s mother said: “I believe the doctors and nursing staff should have acted earlier.”

He added: “Those in authority at the hospital should have listened to her instead of trying to create their own narrative that Lucy Letby was a victim of bullying and harassment.

“Someone should investigate the concerns fully at that time. This is a very well-paid management. They should not concentrate on saving their skins and jobs and reputations.

“Babies are dying because someone in the office who is being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds doesn’t want the hospital to look bad for closing the neonatal unit while they investigate why so many babies are deteriorating when they should be thriving.”

He said “more needs to be done” after three babies died in a short period of time in similar circumstances.

“If quick and effective action had been taken at that time,” said the mother, “so many other babies would have survived or not suffered permanent harm.

“How many babies would have to die or be seriously injured for action to stop Lucy Letby? Unfortunately, we now know the answer.

“The big payers allowed this to happen. They made doctors apologize to Lucy Letby when she killed a baby and went on to harm other babies.

“The Countess of Chester Hospital is so blinded by self-preservation that they forget why they exist – to remain faithful to the Hippocratic oath.”

Child I’s mother suggested senior managers should face sanctions if they ignore whistleblower concerns.

“At this time, there seems to be no sanction against those who lied and withheld information when a baby was killed and injured by Lucy Letby.

“When it became impossible to keep up the pretense, she finally opened up about the scale of the concern it caused her and the number of babies she harmed.

“I’m sure these people should explain why they didn’t do something earlier.

“Why did they ignore so many concerns about Lucy Letby’s actions. Why did her actions make her a mass murderer.”

Recalling her experience with Letby in the unit, the mother of Child I said: “His face is always in the pictures of baby fundraisers.

“I remember thinking he was a little quiet and a little strange. He always seemed quiet. We saw him at the odd show but nothing to do with him.”

When she received her daughter’s medical records, she said she was “shocked” by the involvement of Letby.

He said, “He’s been in all the records. I’ve noticed a lot of ‘care’ while I’m gone.”

At the end of the statement, the mother of Child I said: “Our baby will be nine years old this year. We should watch him grow up and play with his brothers and friends.

“However, we must try to live with the fact that all this has been taken away from them and us in the most cruel way.

“No parent should have to go through what they have gone through and continue to go through every day.

“To know how easily a beautiful girl’s death could have been prevented is even more painful.

“Forever and a day, I will continue to ask ‘why?”‘

Letby, 34, from Hereford, will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of killing seven babies and attempting to kill another seven.

The public inquiry, overseen by High Court judge Lady Justice Thirlwall in Liverpool, is expected to last until early next year.

The findings are expected to be published in late fall 2025.