Jeremy Hunt has apologized to the families of the victims of serial child killer Lucy Letby, saying he was sorry for “anything that didn’t happen that could have prevented such a heinous crime”.
Hunt was health secretary at the time. the former nurse murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
The MP and former chancellor told the Thirlwall inquiry that the Letby crimes were “a horrible tragedy” that “occurred on my watch” and “although I have no direct personal responsibility for everything that happens in every NHS district, you have the last word”. responsibility of the NHS.
And he added: “I want to record my apologies to the families for everything that did not happen and that could have prevented such a heinous crime.”
Hunt said coroners should be trained to detect signs or patterns of malicious harm in a healthcare professional’s work and that having “malicious actors” like Dr. Harold Shipman and Letby in the back of their minds could make a “big difference.”
The inquiry heard that a non-compulsory rollout of coroners began in 2019 in England and Wales.
They provide independent scrutiny of causes of death, address any concerns of bereaved families, work with coroners and review medical records.
Since last September, all deaths in any healthcare setting in England and Wales that are not investigated by a coroner are being reviewed by NHS coroners.
The investigation examines how Letby was able to carry out his crimes and the conduct of other people in the hospital and the culture in the NHS in general.
Letby, from Hereford, the most prolific child killer of modern times in the United Kingdom, is serving fifteen life sentences in prison after she was initially convicted and Manchester Crown Courtroom in 2023.
The 35-year-old woman killed her victims by injecting the babies with insulin or air or force-feeding them milk.
Last year, he tried to challenge his convictions before the Court of Appeals twice, but lost both bids.
In December, Letby’s lawyers said they would make a new attempt to challenge them on the grounds that the prosecution’s lead medical expert at his trial was “unreliable.”
Read more:
Who is Lucy Letby?
Senior conservative calls for new trial against Letby
One of the country’s most senior judges, Woman Justice Thirlwall, is leading the inquiry at Liverpool City Council. Results are expected in the fall.
Police are also continuing their investigation into Letby and the care of hundreds of other babies she cared for during her career.
Chair of the Woman Justice Thirlwall inquiry at Liverpool City Council. Photo: PA
Detectives have confirmed she was interviewed under caution in prison over further deaths and incidents in Chester and also at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she spent time in 2012 and early 2015.
