‘We took too long’: Jeremy Hunt offers apology to families of Letby’s victims
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Former health minister says medical examiners, who spot cases of intentional harm, could have been in place earlier. Jeremy Hunt has said ministers took “too long” to introduce medical examiners to investigate deaths in the NHS, as he apologised to the families of Lucy Letby’s victims.
Giving evidence at the Thirlwall inquiry on Thursday, the former health secretary said he had “ultimate responsibility” for the NHS at the time Letby committed her “appalling crime” of murdering babies at the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015 and 2016.
“It happened on my watch as health secretary and, although you don’t bear direct personal responsibility for everything that happens on every ward in the NHS, you do have ultimate responsibility for the NHS,” he said. “Insofar as lessons were not learned from previous inquiries that could have been, or the right systems were not in place that could have prevented this appalling tragedy, then I do have ultimate responsibility and I want to put on record my apology to the families for anything that didn’t happen that could potentially have prevented such an appalling crime.”.
The inquiry, led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, is examining the circumstances surrounding the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven others by Letby on the hospital’s neonatal unit. The former nurse, 35, is serving 15 whole-life prison terms but maintains her innocence. Her legal team is preparing a legal challenge to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
