During a public inquiry held at Liverpool Town Hall, Karen Townsend, divisional director of urgent care at the Countess of Chester Hospital, expressed feeling “out of her depth” while addressing concerns from doctors regarding nurse Lucy Letby, who was later convicted of murder.
Ms. Townsend was questioned about her response when senior doctors raised alarms about an increase in unexpected deaths on the neonatal unit, which they believed was linked to Letby. She admitted to lacking “clinical insight” and stated she was influenced by the directives of the executive team.
“I probably felt out of my depth because I didn’t have the clinical insight… this was a very, very serious situation,” she explained.
The inquiry revealed that Ms. Townsend became aware of concerns in a meeting with Dr. Ravi Jayaram on 24 June 2016, shortly after the death of a triplet referred to as Baby O—a case for which Letby was later convicted. Although discussions about involving the police occurred on 30 June 2016, no action was taken until 2017.
When asked if she thought police involvement should have been considered by the end of June, she reiterated her feelings of inadequacy due to her lack of clinical experience.
She also faced scrutiny for not adding Dr. Jayaram’s concerns to the hospital’s risk register, claiming there were “no details” provided during their meeting.
Ruth Millward, a patient safety manager, highlighted a problematic culture within the NHS regarding communication. She remarked that there is a tendency to copy people into emails without ensuring they are genuinely informed.
She stated:
“There’s a very unhealthy culture in the NHS… it’s unfair to say I’m obliged to open an email and open an attachment and read it.”
Millward noted that consultants did not utilize formal governance processes to report their concerns effectively, which contributed to a lack of transparency and critical oversight.
Ultimately, Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder another seven, receiving 15 whole life prison terms. The inquiry continues as further details emerge regarding this tragic case.
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