I had good intentions - Letby safeguarding boss

The caput of safeguarding astatine the infirmary wherever Lucy Letby killed babies has told a nationalist enquiry she had "good intentions", contempt failing to escalate concerns astir the nurse.

Alison Kelly was manager of nursing and enforcement pb for safeguarding astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital erstwhile Letby murdered 7 infants and tried to termination 7 others.

Senior advisor Dr Stephen Brearey told Ms Kelly successful May 2016 that determination were concerns astir Letby's links to unexplained deaths connected the unit, the enquiry heard.

However Ms Kelly said astatine the clip she "just didn't spot it arsenic a safeguarding concern".

The Thirlwall Inquiry, which is examining however Letby was capable to perpetrate her crimes, heard Ms Kelly did not taxable a safeguarding referral to the section safeguarding committee until March 2018.

Giving grounds astatine Liverpool Town Hall, Ms Kelly said: "There was nary articulation of the existent issues, cipher had seen her bash anything.

"There was presumption utilized similar 'gut feeling' and 'drawer of doom' which didn't pinpoint immoderate issues to bash with Letby, truthful connected the ground of that, I didn’t person immoderate facts oregon grounds that I could basal my decisions on."

Barrister Nicholas de la Poer KC, counsel to the inquiry, asked wherefore Ms Kelly did not study the concerns raised by doctors to NHS England successful July 2016.

She said the determination not to bash truthful "was a truly good balance" and she saw the concerns reported by doctors arsenic "hearsay".

However, she accepted that looking back, it was a safeguarding contented and she should person treated it arsenic such.

"But neither did anybody else," Ms Kelly said.

"I instrumentality my duties very, precise seriously… but I was inactive relying connected the teams from the portion upwards to bring immoderate safeguarding concerns to maine and cipher did."

Mr de la Poer asked if she was "deliberately" trying to "withhold" accusation astir idiosyncratic perchance harming babies.

Ms Kelly replied: "No, arsenic I person said, connected reflection determination were actions that I didn’t get close but the actions I did instrumentality were done with bully intentions."

The enquiry heard Ms Kelly's safeguarding referral came successful March 2018, astir a twelvemonth aft Cheshire Police were archetypal called to analyse unexplained deaths and collapses connected the unit.

Ms Kelly accepted the referral was "not elaborate enough".

Mr de la Poer asked: "Is it due to the fact that you had a feeling of hostility towards the consultants and you didn’t deliberation the constabulary probe was going anywhere?"

Ms Kelly said: "That's not true."

Before questioning began, Ms Kelly asked to marque a connection to the enquiry successful which she expressed her condolences to each of the families affected.

"I’m truly atrocious for each the distress they’ve experienced implicit the past fewer years and are presently experiencing arsenic we beryllium present today," she said.

"I didn’t get everything close astatine the time, nevertheless the decisions I made were done with the champion intentions."

Letby, past 34, was convicted of murdering 7 babies and attempting to execution 7 others, including 2 attempts connected 1 infant, betwixt June 2015 and June 2016.

She is serving 15 full beingness sentences.

The nationalist enquiry is present successful its 11th week and is expected to beryllium until aboriginal 2025.

Its findings volition apt beryllium published successful autumn adjacent year.