Lucy letby hospital rated ‘amazing’ and 'reassuring' during murders

Watchdogs rated baby killer Lucy Letby’s hospital as “good” when they visited during her murder spree after she had already killed five newborns. A health inspectors’ report, published one

day before the ex-nurse’s final shift, said parents described neonatal staff as “amazing” and “reassuring”, and they “felt confident about leaving their baby” in her unit. Letby, 33, will

spend the rest of her life in jail for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital from June 2015 to June 2016. The Care Quality Commission

team visited from February 16 to 19 2016, and conducted an unannounced inspection on March 4. Unknown to families, paediatric consultants there had already raised concerns among each other

and to senior hospital management over Letby. The CQC report rated the Chester hospital’s services for children as “good”, saying staff were “passionate about their work” and “committed to

providing high-quality care” – although “morale fluctuated” due to busy periods or low staffing. The neonatal unit was even nominated for an NHS Advancing Quality Alliance award. All five

categories checked were deemed “good”, apart from safety, which was said to need improvement. The inspectors included a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist plus a senior neonatal

midwife. They spoke with 44 employees, finding neonatal nurse staffing did not meet British Association of Perinatal Medicine standards. Their report added “all child deaths were reviewed by

a named paediatrician from the Child Death Overview Panel”. Grieving families of Letby’s victims may be in line for millions of pounds in compensation – some of the babies were left with

complex, lifelong medical issues. Claudia Hillemand, partner at specialist London law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, said any damages would be calculated to take into account what care a victim

child would need for life.