The chief prosecution witness in the Lucy Letby murder trial has called for a police investigation into hospital executives, claiming the serial killer 'could have been stopped'. Dr Dewi Evans said he will ask Cheshire Police to probe the Countess of Chester Hospital's management for corporate manslaughter.
Dr Evans, a retired consultant paediatrician who gave evidence on all 13 victims, told BBC North West Tonight that 'a number of red flags' were overlooked by management. He said concerns were raised by consultants after the first three deaths, but no action was taken, and a post-mortem should have been ordered on one baby. He added that the significance of high insulin levels in another baby's blood was missed, which should have alerted staff to poisoning.
Dr Stephen Brearey, the senior doctor who first raised concerns about Letby, said NHS managers should be regulated like doctors and nurses, citing 'no apparent accountability'. Letby, a neonatal nurse, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the hospital between 2015 and 2016.
The Countess of Chester Hospital's acting chief executive, Jane Tomkinson, said the trust welcomes an independent inquiry and will support the ongoing police investigation. She declined further comment due to legal considerations.
