A former NHS chief executive, brought in to lead the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered babies, has been awarded £1.4 million in damages after a tribunal ruled she was bullied out of her job.
A Leadership Role Amidst Scandal
Dr Susan Gilby, a 62-year-old consultant anaesthetist, was promoted to chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in September 2018. She took over following the sudden departure of her predecessor, Tony Chambers, who was in charge during Letby's killing spree. Chambers left after paediatricians threatened a vote of no confidence over his handling of their initial suspicions about the nurse.
Dr Gilby told an employment tribunal in Liverpool that she successfully steered the trust through the Covid-19 pandemic and was making significant progress in improving governance and culture. However, the situation deteriorated with the appointment of former BBC accountant Ian Haythornthwaite as chairman of the hospital board in late 2021.
Bullying and a 'Project' to Force Her Out
Dr Gilby claimed she was 'harassed, intimidated and undermined' by Mr Haythornthwaite, who she accused of prioritising finances and cost-cutting over patient safety. When she raised concerns and blew the whistle on his 'aggressive' behaviour, she was suspended and later resigned in December 2022.
The tribunal found that after Dr Gilby's complaint, Haythornthwaite and other board members devised a plan, codenamed 'Project Countess', to remove her. Judge Dawn Shotter said documents, including a favourable 2019/20 appraisal, were deleted or destroyed. The board, containing five accountants, was found to be 'hell bent on putting finances over patient care.'
Dr Gilby described a 'distressing and traumatising' meeting in July 2022 where Haythornthwaite launched a fierce verbal attack, banging his hand on the table. 'His behaviour was threatening and upsetting. It was bullying, pure and simple,' she said.
Failed Resolution and a Costly Settlement
Despite attempts by Dr Gilby's lawyers to settle the claim out of court, which would have saved public money, the Trust was unwilling to engage. 'We were just met with an absolute wall,' she stated. The tribunal upheld her claim of unfair dismissal last year, leading to the £1.4 million compensation payout—one of the largest ever made by the NHS to a former employee. The total cost to the taxpayer, including legal fees, is likely more than double that amount.
Dr Gilby told the BBC her claim 'was never about the money' but that the ordeal had ended her NHS career. 'I've felt extremely isolated, and definitely feel that I am regarded as a pariah in the NHS,' she said. 'There is an unwritten rule that you do not take the NHS to court.'
She criticised a culture where 'perpetrators were able to do this because it wasn't their own cheque book,' adding it was 'sickening' that people with such values reach senior positions in public bodies.
Ian Haythornthwaite, 65, resigned on the day the tribunal judgement was published. A spokesman for the Trust confirmed the case had been 'resolved through a mutually agreed settlement.' Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the hospital's neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.
