Lucy Letby: NHS England 'persuaded' trust boss to take new job

The antheral who was main enforcement of the NHS spot wherever Lucy Letby murdered 7 babies, said helium was asked to instrumentality a apical occupation successful London aft the serial slayer had been arrested.

Tony Chambers went connected to get 3 elder NHS jobs pursuing the nurse's apprehension for murdering babies.

And successful a now-deleted blog, helium wrote astir being "persuaded" to instrumentality the occupation successful London by a elder NHS England boss.

NHS England said its London portion had been unaware of the execution probe.

Earlier this month, Letby was convicted of the execution of 7 babies and the attempted execution of six others astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. She volition ne'er beryllium freed from prison.

A BBC probe recovered paediatric consultants connected the neonatal portion wherever she worked had raised concerns astir her for much than a twelvemonth earlier the Countess of Chester NHS Trust called successful constabulary to investigate.

The doctors felt their concerns had been ignored by elder infirmary bosses astatine the spot - portion Mr Chambers was main executive.

They were adjacent asked to apologise to the nurse, pursuing an interior disciplinary process.

Mr Chambers resigned from the Countess of Chester NHS Trust successful September 2018, 2 months aft Letby's arrest. He past moved to a relation with the Northern Care Alliance, an NHS assemblage successful Greater Manchester.

But successful January 2020, portion constabulary were inactive investigating aggregate murders successful Chester, helium was appointed interim CEO of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust, successful eastbound London.

In a blog, which was published connected the trust's website soon aft his appointment, helium said helium was asked to determination to London by a elder NHS England official.

"Having had a agelong and varied vocation successful the NHS I've made tons of friends, including Sir David Sloman, the NHS Regional Director for London," wrote Mr Chambers.

"He's been trying to transportation maine to travel and enactment successful London for a fig of years, and I saw this arsenic an accidental to bash thing different."

The blog has present been deleted, but it was seen by BBC News earlier being removed.

The BBC understands NHS England besides had a typical connected the interrogation sheet for the post, and that a notation was provided by the Countess of Chester NHS Trust.

However, the BBC besides understands his assignment to pb the London spot was made erstwhile Mr Chambers was efficaciously blocked from getting akin jobs successful the north-west of England.

NHS England bosses successful the North West did not see him a suitable campaigner to go a main enforcement astatine different spot successful the portion astatine that time, BBC News was told: "There were opportunities [after Chester]," said 1 NHS source, "but helium didn't get immoderate jobs."

Letby was charged with murdering babies successful November 2020. And Mr Chambers near the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust successful August 2021.

He past joined the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, wherever helium worked arsenic interim CEO until January 2022.

He was subsequently appointed interim CEO of the Queen Victoria Hospital successful West Sussex, successful February of this year, months aft Letby's proceedings had started. He resigned successful June.

BBC News understands each the appointments were approved by NHS England, with a typical connected each interrogation panel.

NHS England said each interim CEO posts were made "through a competitory process tally by the applicable trusts".

It said Mr Chambers had besides been offered the occupation successful London "following a competitory process": "As determination manager for London, Sir David Sloman was not alert of the events astatine the Countess of Chester erstwhile Tony Chambers was appointed," it added.

"NHS England has successful the past fewer weeks strengthened the acceptable and due idiosyncratic model by bringing successful further inheritance checks and ensuring that assessments are recorded connected the nationalist physics unit grounds strategy truthful that they are transferable to different NHS organisations arsenic portion of their recruitment processes."