Tubes 'dislodged' at another ward where Letby did shifts

Babies’ breathing tubes were dislodged at a significantly higher rate while Lucy Letby was working as a trainee nurse at a hospital in Liverpool, an inquiry heard yesterday.

- REBECCA THOMAS

An audit of incidents at Liverpool Women’s Hospital showed that babies had their breathing tubes dislodged on 40 per cent of Letby’s shifts. Usually this incident would only occur on 1 per cent of nurse shifts.

Letby worked as a trainee nurse at the hospital in Liverpool and completed two placements in 2012 and then in 2015, before she went on her killing spree at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Earlier this year, a jury found Letby guilty at retrial of attempting to murder Child K, a baby girl, by deliberately dislodging her breathing tube in February 2016.

Speaking on the third day of the Thirlwall inquiry, barristers Peter Skelton KC and Richard Baker KC spoke on behalf of the families of Letby’s victims and criticised those supporting “conspiracy theories” over Letby’s innocence.

“Everybody who recklessly promotes conspiracy theories or who parrots without questioning the same tired misconceptions about this case should be ashamed of themselves,” Mr Baker said.

During his opening statement, Mr Baker revealed the audit over incidents at Liverpool Women’s Hospital where Letby did placements between October and December 2012 and January to February 2015.

Later in 2015, Letby committed five murders and attempted to kill three other babies.

Mr Baker also accused medical director Ian Harvey of lying to families over the outcomes of investigations into the deaths of their babies.

Mr Harvey later wrote a letter to mother and father C and to other families on 3 March 2017 stating that the Royal College report had indicated “a small number of areas of investigation”.