Lucy Letby wrote a group email to nurses claiming she had been ‘completely exonerated’ just days after doctors were told to ‘draw the line’ under their suspicions that she had killed and harmed babies in her care.
The serial child killer told colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital she had been ‘transferred’ from the neonatal unit following ‘serious’ allegations which were ‘unfounded and ‘untrue’.
In the email she said she would be back “within weeks” and urged them to be “sensitive and supportive” towards her on her return, the public inquiry heard.
Letby, 34, was removed from primary care in July 2016 after pediatricians raised concerns with management that she was behind a spike in unexpected and unexplained infant deaths and collapses.
But seven months later, CEO Tony Chambers told consultants to “draw the line under the ‘Lucy issue'” after claiming two external investigations had found no evidence of criminality.
Letby, 34, was convicted between June 2015 and June 2016 of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the Countess’ neonatal unit.
Letby’s crimes took place at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked as a nurse
Mr Chambers, the inquiry heard, was ‘dictatorial’ at the extraordinary meeting in January 2017 and ordered medics to apologize to Letby for alleged derogatory comments after she complained that some had publicly called her the ‘angel of death’.
Days later, on January 31, Letby sent the group email to nurses on the ward, writing: “Dear colleagues, I was transferred from the ward in July 2016 following serious and disturbing allegations of a personal and professional nature by some members. of the medical team. From then until now I have been unable to visit or contact the unit while these matters were investigated.
“After thorough investigation, it was determined that all allegations were unfounded and untrue, and I have therefore been fully exonerated. I have received a full apology from the trust.
“As you can imagine, this entire episode has been painful for me and my family. In the coming weeks I will begin my return to the unit. I need colleagues who are sensitive and supportive at this time.
‘Thank you very much Lucy Letby.’
The investigation found that the advisers refused to drop their concerns and Letby’s return was delayed. Hospital bosses eventually called in Cheshire Police in May 2017 and she continued to work for the Countess in an administrative role until her arrest 14 months later.
Nurse Ashleigh Hudson told the inquiry she had no idea Letby was accused of deliberately harming babies until she received her email, as the inquiry was kept ‘quiet’ and ‘secret’.
She said none of the consultants shared their concerns with the nursing team or were “candid” with them.
Lucy Letby, 34, from Hereford, serves 15 life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies
A general view of the Countess of Chester Hospital, where nurse Lucy Letby worked
It wasn’t until Letby was arrested and police began looking “forensically” at shifts and events that things started piling up and they realized Letby had harmed patients, Sister Hudson added.
Both she and another nurse, Melanie Taylor, described the text messages Letby sent them in response to the babies’ deaths as “inappropriate” and “sickening.”
Nurse Taylor also told the inquiry about an incident where Letby came up to her at the start of a shift and told her in an ‘excited’ and ‘gossip-like manner’ that a baby had just died.
She said the incident seemed unusual to her, adding: “There were parts of her personality that were a bit strange to me.
‘I didn’t have any suspicion… that didn’t occur to me. Personally, I had no problems with her nursing care, but I did not like her way of talking to other staff members. I didn’t think it was the most professional.’
Letby, from Hereford, is serving 15 life sentences after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court between June 2015 and June 2016 of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others, with two attempts against one of her victims.
The research is expected to take place at Liverpool City Hall until early next year, with the findings due to be published in late autumn 2025.