The hospital's chief executive told Lucy Levy, “We're rooting for you,” to calm her father who had “put a gun to his head” after he was removed from caring for his baby. This was revealed in a public investigation.
Tony Chambers said Levy's father was “very upset and very angry” and told two senior doctors that she had raised concerns that she was harming the newborn. He said he wanted to be fired immediately.
Ms Chambers told the Thirlwall Inquiry that she had tried to “defuse” the situation by telling the nurse that some tests had vindicated her and she could return to the neonatal unit.
According to the investigation, at the end of one meeting in February 2017, Lucy told Levy, “Lucy, don't worry, we'll support you.”
Mr Chambers admitted it was “awkward wording”, adding: “As I've said all along, the intent here is to avoid any potential escalation, and now, eight years later, as far as we know…these are things like you know. That's not correct.
Levy, now 34, has served 15 life sentences after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. I am doing it.
The inquiry, led by Mrs Justice Thirlwall, looked into the events surrounding the rise in deaths and collapses in June 2015, which was first identified after three sudden unexplained deaths occurred in just 14 days in June 2015. are.
Ms Chambers told an interview that Ms Levy's father, John, described how he felt the nurse had been treated by the hospital when Levy was removed from the neonatal unit in July 2016. “He was upset and very angry.”
He said: “Levy's father was very angry and threatening. By threatening GMC he only made an already difficult situation worse.” [General Medical Council] Introducer, he is threatening me with everything including putting a gun to my head. ”
A former hospital director told Mr Levy that he intended to have several senior doctors apologize to her after she won an internal grievance over her removal from the premature infants ward.
Investigative adviser Nicholas de la Pole KC suggested Levy had been “deeply manipulated”, using his knowledge that he had killed the infant to try to control the situation.
“I have to say at the time I didn't feel like I was being manipulated,” Chambers said. “It seemed like her father was pulling the strings, not Levy herself.”
Chambers began his disclosure by apologizing to the victim's family, but denied discouraging police from starting an investigation.
A former hospital director said he “wholeheartedly accepts” that the Countess of Chester's “systems had broken down” and that opportunities had been missed to stop nurses sooner.
Six times when he was asked to give an example of a personal failure, he stopped short of identifying his own mistakes.
Mr Chambers said: “First of all, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families whose babies are at the center of this investigation. I can only imagine, but cannot imagine, the impact this has had on your lives. I am truly sorry that the decisions and actions I took in good faith have prolonged the pain.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to participate openly and honestly in this investigation, and we look forward to receiving answers and making recommendations.”
Mr Chambers, who said he first learned of the death on June 29, 2016, told the interrogator in his witness statement: Happening. “
Mr. Delapole said Mr. Chambers had not acknowledged any personal failings, as the former hospital director acknowledged: [sic] And as head of the trust, I accept that I have to take some responsibility for that and I take responsibility for that. ”
Mr. Chambers also denied that he discouraged police from launching a criminal investigation during a meeting with executives in March 2017.
According to the minutes of the meeting, the then-chief executive told police there was “no evidence it was anything but a coincidence” and that executives believed the unexplained deaths and collapses were “certainly not a crime.” Ta.
“What we were saying is we found no evidence of a crime. You are the experts, please help us,” he said.
By the time of this meeting in May 2017, three external investigations had failed to rule out intentional or unintentional harm by Mr Levy, and several senior clinicians and the then Deputy Director of Nursing Sian Williams called for a police investigation.
Mr Delapole said Mr Chambers had failed to adequately explain to police the allegations against Mr Levy, which had been repeatedly raised by consultant paediatricians.
“I think that's an unfair proposition,” Chambers replied. “We shared with the police very openly and openly what we really believed as an understanding position at the time.”
The investigation continues.
