Significant changes made at Countess of Chester Hospital, says CEO

Significant changes and improvements have been made at a hospital where Lucy Letby murdered babies, its chief executive has told a public inquiry.

Jane Tomkinson said she was “truly sorry” on behalf of the Countess of Chester Hospital to the families of children who were killed or harmed by the former neonatal nurse in 2015 and 2016.

Giving evidence at the Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding Letby’s crimes, Ms Tomkinson said “numerous changes” had been made and the case would be “handled completely differently from ward to board” today.

Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others.

Ms Tomkinson joined the hospital trust in December 2022 as acting chief executive and took up the post permanently last February.

She told the inquiry: “I am really clear that there have been significant changes and improvements in the organisation between the period in question and the current day.

“The changes are very numerous but I would hope today that the response to anything like the events from 2015 onwards would be handled completely differently from ward to board.”

The parents of Letby’s victims have criticised the former senior management over claims they ignored warnings from consultant paediatricians about a potential link to her and babies dying or deteriorating.

Ex-chief executive Tony Chambers previously told the inquiry it was “outrageous” to suggest he had sought to stall a police investigation at every stage and had wanted to ruin the careers of two of the senior medics who brought the matter to his attention.

Ms Tomkinson said there was now a “clear way” for employees to escalate concerns about patient safety.

She said: “We are much more open to listening to our staff.”

Letby, originally of Hereford, was convicted of attempting to murder two baby boys by poisoning them with insulin.

At the time insulin was kept on the unit in a locked fridge but keys to it were passed among staff as and when needed.

Ms Tomkinson said the method of staff access to insulin had since changed with a “clear audit trail” provided by a “bespoke swipe card that is absolutely aligned to an individual staff member”.

She said: “The impact of the harms and deaths will never leave this hospital and rightly so, we will never forget it.

“But people want to focus on the future, learn from the past but reshape the future in a different way and certainly the feedback I have had for that is myself and the new executive team are making a significant difference at pace on delivery and culture.”

Ms Tomkinson agreed with the suggestion by Richard Baker KC, representing families of Letby’s victims, that the executive team in 2015 and 2016 did not follow various policies and processes including those on duty of candour and whistleblowing.

She said: “You can have all the policies and processes in the world but unless people feel accountable for following them then they will never be effective.”

The inquiry, chaired by Lady Justice Thirlwall, is hearing its final week of evidence at Liverpool Town Hall, with findings expected to be published in autumn.

Additional reporting by PA Media.