‘Significant changes and improvements’ to hospital since Letby attack spree
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Significant changes and improvements have been made at a hospital where Lucy Letby murdered babies, its chief executive has told a public inquiry. Jane Tomkinson said she was “truly sorry” on behalf of the Countess of Chester Hospital to the families of children who were killed or harmed by the former neonatal nurse in 2015 and 2016.
Giving evidence at the Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding Letby’s crimes, Ms Tomkinson said: “I am really clear that there have been significant changes and improvements in the organisation between the period in question and the current day.
“The changes are very numerous but I would hope today that the response to anything like the events from 2015 onwards would be handled completely differently from ward to board.”. Ms Tomkinson joined the hospital trust in December 2022 as acting chief executive and took up the post permanently last February.
The parents of Letby’s victims have criticised the former senior management over claims they ignored warnings from consultant paediatricians about a potential link to her and babies dying or deteriorating. Ex-chief executive Tony Chambers previously told the inquiry it was “outrageous” to suggest he had sought to stall a police investigation at every stage and had wanted to ruin the careers of two of the senior medics who brought the matter to his attention.
