Former Medical Director Acknowledges “Potential Missed Opportunity” Regarding Letby

The individual who previously served as medical director at the hospital where Lucy Letby perpetrated attacks and murders against infants admitted to a “potential missed opportunity” to prevent her actions. Ian Harvey, who is now retired, held the position of most senior clinician at the Countess of Chester Hospital during the period between June 2015 and June 2016, when Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others. A public inquiry investigating the circumstances surrounding Letby’s offenses was informed that the hospital did not report a series of three unexplained infant deaths in the neonatal unit in June 2015 as a serious incident. Mr. Harvey stated that despite there being nothing to “link them together,” this oversight constituted a “potential missed opportunity.” The Thirlwall Inquiry, convened at Liverpool Town Hall, heard that on August 13, 2015, Mr. Harvey received an invitation to a Serious Incident Review meeting concerning the death of the fourth infant, identified as Baby E. Mr. Harvey testified that no connection was established between Baby E’s death and the three deaths that occurred in June of the same year. Rachel Langdale KC, who serves as counsel to the inquiry, questioned Mr. Harvey about whether Letby was mentioned in August 2016, when the hospital was assisting the coroner in preparing for an inquest into the death of Baby A, which had occurred in June of the previous year. Ms. Langdale stated, “By then, you had all been talking in various meetings about whether Letby is killing babies.” She further inquired, “Do you think the coroner was adequately informed about the suspicions and concerns you had about Lucy Letby killing babies, and whether or not Lucy Letby was looking after this baby?” Mr. Harvey responded that he did not know. Ms. Langdale also questioned Mr. Harvey regarding his absence from a meeting intended to discuss the deaths of two triplets, Baby O and Baby P, which happened on consecutive days in June 2016. She remarked, “It’s hard to imagine anything more serious in the hospital.” Mr. Harvey stated he “couldn’t say” why he did not attend the meeting. Subsequently, the inquiry was presented with an email exchange involving several consultants, to which Mr. Harvey was copied. In an email dated June 29, 2016, Dr. Murthy Saladi wrote: “At the moment we are all under suspicion and the only agency who can investigate all of us I believe is the police.” Another consultant, Dr. Ravi Jayaram, replied, indicating that he and Dr. Stephen Brearey were “trying to meet with the execs ASAP to discuss exactly this” but that “they do not seem to see the same degree of urgency as we do.” Mr. Harvey then responded to all the doctors on the email chain, stating, “this is absolutely being treated with the same degree of urgency… all emails cease forthwith.” When asked why he requested that all emails stop, he explained that he was attempting to “dampen down” an “extreme situation.” He admitted, “I fully accept that I got that completely wrong,” adding, “That email doesn’t read as it should have done.” Earlier in his testimony, Mr. Harvey requested to address the inquiry, expressing that he was “sorry for the hurt” inflicted upon the families of Letby’s victims. He further stated, “It was only ever my desire to have a safe hospital and to be able to tell the parents what had happened on the neonatal unit, and if I failed in those aims, I am truly sorry.” Letby is currently serving 15 whole life terms in prison, having been convicted of seven counts of murder and eight counts of attempted murder, which includes two attempts on the same victim. The inquiry is scheduled to continue until early 2025.