A secret hospital review about the Lucy Letby case shows that three baby deaths had clear medical reasons and might not have happened with proper care. Dr Jane Hawdon from Londons Royal Free Hospital checked deaths at Chester hospital around 8 years ago; finding major care problems in 14 of 17 cases
The report (which jury never saw) points out that out-of-hours doctor coverage needed work‚ and staff needed better training for baby care procedures; including proper timing for giving medicine. Dr Hawdon found explanations for 13 cases that people thought were mysterious
Dr Hawdon found explanations for many of the so called ʼunexplainedʼ collapses of the babies but maybe more important was the concerns raised about suboptimal care
Only 4 deaths stayed without explanation: Baby A‚ I‚ O and P needed more investigation. The Royal College of Paediatrics did their own check-up back then but didnt connect Letby to any deaths - instead they saw problems like not enough workers
Claire McLaughlan who helped with that early review told the inquiry yesterday that claims against Letby came mostly from one doctor - Stephen Brearey. She said hospital managers didnt seem worried about Letby at first:
- They called her a good nurse
- Said it was just staff conflicts
- Didnt raise red flags
- Let previous reviews pass without concerns
McLaughlan now thinks they shouldʼve stopped their review when hearing about Letby worries‚ saying it was a missed chance to stop more deaths