Former hospital bosses call for Thirlwall Inquiry to be suspended

Legal professionals for former bosses of the hospital the place killer nurse Lucy Letby murdered infants have requested for the general public inquiry into the occasions surrounding her crimes to be suspended.

Inquiry chair Girl Justice Thirlwall stated she had acquired the request from counsel for the administration workforce weeks after a panel of worldwide medical consultants blamed the deaths on bad medical care and natural causes.

She stated she had beforehand had comparable pleas from Letby’s authorized workforce and Conservative MP David Davis, who has referred to as for a retrial.

Submissions on the subject have been heard at Liverpool City Corridor, together with the closing statements.

Letby, 35, initially from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders for murdering seven infants and making an attempt to homicide seven others.

Girl Justice Thirlwall stated that attorneys for the previous hospital executives – chief government Tony Chambers, medical director Ian Harvey, director of nursing Alison Kelly and HR director Sue Hodkinson – had additionally written to the secretary of state for well being to hunt a suspension of the inquiry.

The findings of a panel of 14 worldwide consultants in neonatology and paediatrics had been revealed by Letby’s authorized workforce final month.

Chairman of the panel Dr Shoo Lee stated the consultants had pored over trial transcripts and medical data and so they “didn’t discover any murders”.

These findings have been handed to the Felony Instances Overview Fee (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice.

Letby’s authorized workforce hopes the fee will refer her case again to the Courtroom of Attraction.

A letter written by Letby’s solicitors to Girl Justice Thirlwall, seen by PA information company, stated a report based mostly on the inquiry’s findings could be of “little worth” if the convictions had been overturned.

It added: “It’s probably that the CCRC won’t take lengthy to think about the applying earlier than referring it again to the Courtroom of Attraction.

“It’s now clear there may be overwhelming and compelling proof that Lucy Letby’s convictions are unsafe.

“For the inquiry to be efficient and the taxpayers’ cash to not be wasted, we urge that the inquiry be suspended and to attend for the end result of the evaluation to happen.”

The CCRC beforehand indicated {that a} evaluation of the applying would take time as a result of complexity of the case.

A crowd of about 50 individuals gathered exterior Liverpool City Corridor earlier than the inquiry resumed for closing submissions, holding indicators claiming Letby was harmless.

Andrew Kennedy KC, in his closing submission on behalf of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Basis Belief, dismissed requires a suspension.

He stated: “Letby’s convictions stand. They’ve been examined in two unsuccessful appeals.

“A postponement, which might essentially be of indeterminate size, will not be warranted and it will serve to delay the implementations of suggestions which unhappily the proof on this inquiry have demonstrated are desperately wanted.”

In his closing speech, Neil Sheldon KC, who represents the Division of Well being and Social Care, stated classes from earlier instances the place well being professionals had harmed infants had not been learnt.

In 1991 a nurse, Beverly Allitt, murdered 4 youngsters at a hospital in Lincolnshire and in 2015 one other nurse, Victorino Chua, was jailed for murdering two sufferers at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

Mr Sheldon stated “There was a protracted standing failure to study the lesson of previous inquiries and investigations and to implement these classes.

“Advice have been made however inadequate motion has been taken.

“The tragic occasions on the Countess of Chester Hospital shouldn’t have been allowed to occur within the first place.”

Girl Justice Thirlwall is because of publish her last report this autumn.