Lucy Letby failed nurse placement for being 'cold'

Lucy Letby failed her last twelvemonth pupil caregiver placement due to the fact that she was "cold" and lacking empathy with patients and families, a nationalist enquiry has heard.

Her assessor, Nicola Lightfoot, told however she felt Letby did not person the "overall characteristics" to go a palmy nurse.

The Thirlwall Inquiry heard Letby aboriginal passed a retrieval placement aft requesting a caller assessor, claiming she felt "intimidated" by Ms Lightfoot.

She went connected to execution 7 babies and effort to termination a further 7 connected the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal portion betwixt June 2015 and June 2016.

Ms Lightfoot, lawman ward manager connected the hospital's children's unit, told the inquiry, which is examining however Letby was capable to perpetrate her crimes, she recovered the caregiver to beryllium "cold".

"I did not find a earthy warmth exuding from her which I expect from a children's nurse," she said.

In her last study connected the past University of Chester pupil successful July 2011, Ms Lightfoot wrote: "At the infinitesimal Lucy requires overmuch much support, prompting and supervision than I would expect astatine this signifier to let her to suffice arsenic a competent practitioner."

She said she recovered that Letby's objective cognition was "not wherever it should be", and that she "struggled" to clasp accusation connected medicine dosages and to recognise broadside effects of communal drugs.

Any pupil who failed their last placement had the accidental to repetition it and execute the competencies they had not achieved successful a 4 week retrieval, the enquiry heard.

Ms Lightfoot said astatine the clip she believed Letby would not person been successful a presumption to beryllium signed disconnected wrong 4 weeks, truthful "could not objectively continue" arsenic her mentor.

Letby's adjacent mentor, Sarah Jane Murphy, said she was "conflicted" astir passing the pupil caregiver successful airy of Ms Lightfoot's comments but said she had met the standards required aft the retrieval placement.

Describing Letby arsenic "quiet and shy", she said: "She didn't amusement bully interpersonal skills with children, parents, nurses oregon the wider team."

She added that Letby "often had rather an expressionless look" which immoderate unit "found awkward".

Ms Lightfoot besides told the proceeding she overheard an "inappropriate" remark from Letby successful the aftermath of the deaths of 2 triplets successful June 2016 - who Letby was convicted of murdering.

She said she overheard her telling a colleague: "You'll ne'er conjecture what's happened."

Ms Lightfoot said: "The mode she said it seemed similar she was talking astir immoderate benignant of breathtaking lawsuit she had witnessed.

"It wasn't an due effect to the decease of a child.

"I person never, and I person ne'er since, seen a effect similar that to a caregiver progressive successful a patient's passing."

The enquiry continues.