The former director of the hospital where Lucy Letby killed babies has apologized to the victims’ families but denied discouraging police from launching an investigation.
Tony Chambers told the Thirlwall inquiry he “wholeheartedly accepted” that the “systems at the Countess of Chester Hospital failed” and that opportunities were missed to stop the nurse earlier.
However, he stopped short of identifying his own mistakes when he was asked six times to give examples of his personal failures.
Chambers began his testimony at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday, saying: “From the outset I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families whose babies are at the center of this investigation.
“I can only imagine – well, I can’t imagine – the impact this has had on your lives and I am truly sorry for any pain that may have been prolonged by decisions or actions I took in good faith.
“I am very grateful to have this opportunity to participate openly and honestly in this investigation and I hope that answers can be found and recommendations made.”
Letby, now 34, is serving 15 life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another seven in the hospital’s neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.
The inquiry, led by Lady Justice Thirlwall, is examining the events surrounding the rise in deaths and collapses that year, which were first identified following three sudden and unexplained deaths in just 14 days in June 2015.
Chambers, who said he was only informed of the deaths on June 29, 2016, told the inquiry in his witness statement: “I wholeheartedly accept that the operation of the trust’s systems failed and that opportunities were missed to take steps to identify what was going on. happens.”
When repeatedly questioned by counsel to the inquiry, Nicholas de la Poer KC, as to whether Chambers accepted any personal culpability, he said: ‘It’s really very difficult to answer that question, Mr De la Poer.
“As a general manager, as a board, you are very dependent on the processes that exist within the hospital and that are set up, that are assured by independent people, that they are robust and good and that is why I think that is the failure – that we just didn’t see it.”
De la Poer said Chambers did not identify any personal failings, prompting the former hospital boss to admit: “I take it fully (sic) and accept that as a responsible officer for the trust I have to take some responsibility for that, some responsibility for that must take. ”
Chambers further denied discouraging police from launching a criminal investigation when executives met with senior officers in March 2017.
Minutes of the meeting show the then-CEO told police there was “no evidence other than coincidence” and that executives believed the unexplained deaths and collapses were “certainly not criminal.”
“What we said is that we cannot find any evidence of crime. You are the experts, please help us,” he said.
By the time of this meeting in May 2017, three external reviews had failed to rule out intentional or unintentional harm by Letby, and several senior doctors and the then deputy head of nursing, Sian Williams, urged a police investigation.
De la Poer said Chambers failed to provide police with a full account of the allegations against Letby that were repeatedly made by pediatricians.
“I think that’s an unfair proposal,” he replied. “We shared very openly and candidly with the police what we believed to be the situation as we understood it at the time.”
The investigation continues.