Lucy Letby's ex-boss admits 'I should've done better' with victims' parents

The former chief executive of the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies has denied being guilty of "utterly reprehensible behaviour" to keep doctors' concerns about the nurse from becoming public.

Tony Chambers was continuing to give evidence at the public inquiry into how former nurse Letby, who is serving 15 whole-life sentences for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven others, was able to carry out her crimes at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Yesterday Mr Chambers offered an apology to the families who had fallen victim to Letby and said his language had been "clumsy" in telling the killer nurse the hospital had "her back".

Senior doctors have told the Thirlwall Inquiry they felt their concerns that Letby was deliberately harming babies were not taken seriously enough by executives.

'I should've done better'

On his second day of evidence, Mr Chambers denied discussing details of the case with a colleague on a public train.

He also denied discussing potentially ruining the careers of the consultants and reporting them to the General Medical Council if they refused to "move on" from their concerns over Letby.

He told the inquiry: "My character is such that we always had a focus on patient safety and the wellbeing of our staff."

Read more from Sky News:
How the police caught Lucy Letby
Lucy Letby offered 'tips' on how to get away with murder - inquiry

On the hospital's failure to fulfil its duty of candour to parents, he added: "I absolutely acknowledged that we hadn't got that right. We could have done better, we should have done better. I should have done better."

Mr Chambers was asked by Richard Baker KC, representing some of the families of the babies, if executives had treated seriously the expertise of consultants over their concerns about Letby.

Mr Chambers said: "They were our experts, they were our doctors and they were the ones that were closest to these issues.

"But equally, what they were presenting, I think it may have been clear in their mind that they were making themselves understood, but in truth it was never quite as explicit as that. It was quite implicit.

"So it was felt that we needed to try and establish the causes because we understood from history that it was always not a simple single thing," he said, adding: "It was always multi-factorial."

Mr Baker said: "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.

"Now that is utterly reprehensible behaviour and unfitting of a CEO in the NHS isn't it?"

Mr Chambers replied: "Had that been what I had done then it would be. But I think it's an outrageous statement and I do not believe it represents my actions."

Letby is serving life in prison over the crimes committed between June 2015 and June 2016 while working as a nurse in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The inquiry chaired by Lady Justice Thirlwall is expected to hear evidence until early in the new year before issuing a report next autumn.

'I am sorry for the hurt'

The former medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Ian Harvey, issued an apology to the families of Letby's victims.

Mr Harvey had not spoken publicly before giving evidence at the inquiry, which is looking into how Letby was able to go on killing at the hospital.

Before beginning to give his evidence, he told the inquiry: "I am sorry for the hurt that has been caused to the families of the babies.

"It was only ever my desire to have a safe hospital and to be able to tell parents what had happened on the neonatal unit and if I failed in those aims, I am truly sorry."

He was asked by Rachel Langdale KC, counsel to the inquiry, if he believed he had failed in those aims.

Mr Harvey replied: "I think the simple fact that there was an increase in mortality is an indication that we got things wrong.

"I think I've made clear in my statement that I failed in my communication to the families, in the nature and quality of the information that they were given."

He said he "sincerely regretted" the police were not contacted after he expressed opinion they should be in June or July 2016. They were in fact not contacted until May 2017.

Mr Harvey is one of a number of executives giving evidence to the inquiry who have been accused of not taking seriously enough the concerns of senior doctors about Letby deliberately harming babies.

The executives have pointed to a lack of evidence as a basis for not taking further action.

(c) Sky News 2024: Lucy Letby's ex-boss admits 'I should've done better' with victims' parents