A hospital boss has described claims that he stalled a police investigation into baby deaths, and sought to ruin the careers of two consultants, as “outrageous”, the public inquiry into the crimes of Lucy Letby has heard.
Former chief executive Tony Chambers did not ask Cheshire Constabulary to look into a mortality spike at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit until more than 10 months after he first became aware of concerns that Letby may be deliberating harming infants.
Instead the hospital opted to commission a series of reviews into the increased number of deaths on the unit in 2015 and 2016, while Letby was redeployed to an administrative role, in response to fears voiced by consultant paediatricians after the deaths of two triplet boys on successive days in June 2016.
In May 2017 police were finally brought in to investigate the concerns, although plans were in place weeks before to return Letby to the unit, after she launched a grievance against her redeployment, which was upheld.
Chairwoman of the inquiry Lady Justice Thirlwall at Liverpool Town Hall (Peter Byrne/PA)
On Thursday, the Thirlwall Inquiry heard Mr Chambers had a meeting with the hospital’s HR director on May 11 2017, shortly after he spoke to police chiefs.
A note of the meeting, concerning senior consultants Dr Ravi Jayaram and Dr Stephen Brearey, was outlined “plan re management” and listed the words “GMC”, “mitigation from whistleblowers” and “action plan to manage out”.
Mr Chambers said he thought at the time the police did not seem to feel a criminal investigation was “likely”.
He said: “I needed to have it clear in my mind what would happen if this stance was not accepted by the consultants and there was resistance to try to move forward and focus on the safety of the neonatal unit.”
Richard Baker KC, representing families of Letby’s victims, said: “You are making clear that if the consultants do not accept your decision to move on you are going to refer them to the GMC (General Medical Council) and potentially ruin their careers?”
Mr Chambers said: “No, that’s not what that note represents. That note represents a discussion that if the police inquiry does not go ahead then we may have a problem.
“We were almost just exploring how that might need to be resolved. It was never a plan.”
Mr Baker said: “I suggest to you this shows a very clear insight into your character.
The arrest of Lucy Letby (Cheshire Constabulary/PA)
“You were putting pressure on whistleblowers contrary to the hospital’s own patient safety policy and you were planning to have them disciplined and moved on if they didn’t accept it.”
Mr Chambers replied: “No, that is not the interpretation of this or my character.
“My character is such that we always had a focus on patient safety and the wellbeing of our staff.”
Mr Baker went on: “You sought at every stage to stall and obstruct the police being called or this being made public, and ultimately sought to ruin the careers of the consultants who brought this to your attention.
“That is utterly reprehensible behaviour and unfitting of a CEO in the NHS, isn’t it?”
Mr Chambers said: “Had that been what I had done then it would be, but I think it’s an outrageous statement and I do not believe that represents my actions.”
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, between June 2015 and June 2016.
The inquiry, sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, is expected to sit until early 2025, with findings published by late autumn of that year.