Lucy Letby inquiry – live: Email shows nurse warn ‘this is potentially very serious’ as deadly trend emerges
A public inquiry into the events surrounding the crimes of Lucy Letby has heard how an email written by her nursing boss revealed concerns over a pattern of baby deaths linked to the killer.
Director of nursing at Chester of Countess Hospital, Alison Kelly, wrote in an email to other managers: “Aah!! Can you please look into this… if there is a staff trend here … this is potentially very serious!!”
The message, sent in May 2016, followed a meeting to discuss the high number of deaths and Letby, said Rachel Langdale KC, counsel to the inquiry.
The inquiry is looking into how Letby was able to attack babies on the hospital’s neo-natal unit in 2015 and 2016, and how its bosses dealt with concerns from her colleagues.
Lady Justice Thirlwall started the opening day of inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall by addressing the doubts that have been cast over Letby’s convictions for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others.
She said: “All of this noise has caused enormous additional distress to the parents who have already suffered far too much.”
“It is time to get on with this inquiry,” she concluded.
