yes, it is a male doctor
Dan O'Donoghue
Ms Letby is accused of attempting to murder the infant on 25 June 2016 after allegedly murdering two triplets, Child O and P, on the previous two days. First in the witness box today is a doctor, who can't be named for legal reasons. He worked the 25 June day shift
The medic was called to the neonatal unit shortly after 9am to treat Child Q after he vomited and needed breathing support. The court previously heard that Ms Letby was Child Q's designated nurse that day. Ms Letby was caring for another baby when Child Q desaturated
The doctor's notes record that after an hour Child Q's sats had improved and was no longer needing as intensive breathing support
His notes from that morning state 'presumed sepsis with secondary jaundice' for the cause of Child Q's collapse
Child Q made a reasonable recovery through the day, but by 19:20 he was described as 'looking tired' and the doctor took the decision to intubate him and place on a ventilator
The following day, Child Q's gases were unsatisfactory and it was suspected that he had necrotising enterocolitis (a serious condition that can affect newborns). He was transferred to Alder Hey where he quickly stabilised - his breathing tube was removed on 27 June
Ms Letby's defence lawyer, Ben Myers KC, is now questioning the doctor. He points out that the medic arrived on neonatal unit at 09:17 (Child Q crashed just after 9am). Myers says 'a fair amount of activity had happened already at that point', the doctor agrees
He also agrees that Child Q had a 'rapid' recovery from the collapse.
Mr Myers has just asked the doctor to explain to the court, in simple terms, what NEC is and what impact it has on babies
Mr Myers is taking the doctor over messages he sent to Ms Letby in late June/early July in regards to Child O - one of the triplet brothers who died. The court has previously heard that the boy was found with an 'impact' injury to his liver in post-mortem
In the messages, the doctor tells Ms Letby that another doctor on the unit was concerned that Child O's liver injury 'may have been caused by her chest compressions'
He says in those messages to Ms Letby that he spent '20mins in a cubicle going over everything' with the doctor, he says 'CPR was all at fifth rib space between the nipples'
But he says to Mr Myers that he does not have any independent recollection of that resuscitation and that he was managing the airway during it
The defence have previously argued that the liver injury sustained by Child O was a result of CPR - this is something that was rejected by expert pathologist Dr Andreas Marnerides, who reviewed the case, last week
