Lucy Letby: NHS managers must be held to account, whistleblower doctor says

Hospital managers should beryllium regulated successful a akin mode to doctors and nurses, the elder doc who archetypal raised concerns astir Lucy Letby has said.

Dr Stephen Brearey was the pb advisor connected the neonatal portion wherever serial slayer Letby worked and tried to rise the alarm successful October 2015.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme determination was "no evident accountability" for what NHS managers bash successful trusts.

She murdered 7 babies and attempted to execution six others successful a neonatal portion astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital, successful Cheshire.

The archetypal 5 murders successful each happened betwixt June and October 2015 and - contempt months of warnings - the last 2 were successful June 2016.

In an interview, Dr Brearey claimed elder unit astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital were disquieted astir reputational harm to the organisation.

He said that alternatively of acting connected his warnings helium and his colleagues lives were made precise hard - truthful overmuch truthful that they felt nether attack.

And helium claimed his acquisition was not uncommon successful the NHS.

The advisor added: "Quite often we'll spot elder managers who person nary evident accountability for what they bash successful our trusts and past determination to different trusts and you interest astir their aboriginal actions."

On Friday, the authorities announced an autarkic enquiry into the events surrounding the Letby case.

Dr Breary has said that fixed the devastating interaction her crimes person had connected truthful galore families, the enquiry should beryllium justice led and person statutory powers - truthful witnesses tin beryllium forced to springiness grounds if needed. Currently, the enquiry that has been announced is non-statutory, meaning it has lesser powers.

Separately, calls are increasing for the authorities to alteration the instrumentality to compel convicts to be sentencing. Letby refused to crook up successful the dock astatine Manchester Crown Court connected Monday.

Rishi Sunak said it was "cowardly that radical who perpetrate specified horrendous crimes bash not look their victims".