Letby hospital consultant says inquiry makes for grim reading
The Thirlwall Inquiry finds some babies could have been saved if action had been taken earlier.
Consultant paediatrician Dr John Gibbs, who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 when neonatal unit nurse Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven more, has criticized the final inquiry report. Gibbs stated the report is "grim reading" and reflected on the collective responsibility of consultants for some of the failings identified.
He expressed regret over not escalating concerns to the police earlier, stating, "I wish we consultants had been brave enough to follow our suspicions and escalate things to the police earlier." Lady Justice Thirlwall's 822-page report found a complete failure to protect babies on the neonatal unit at the hospital, with the police not notified earlier than they were, and hospital managers dismissing consultants' concerns repeatedly.
Gibbs acknowledged that hospital executives had multiple opportunities to act and potentially save babies' lives during the 11 months after Letby was moved off the unit. He also spoke of the failures within his team, specifically referencing a doctor who disregarded blood test results suggesting a baby had been poisoned with insulin in August 2015.
Gibbs emphasized the importance of examining the evidence used to convict Letby by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) due to the caliber of some individuals raising concerns.
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