UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #24

[Sundial]

How she can remember that detail specifically but ‘cannot recall’ many of the major events for babies in this case makes me think this is something she’s just decided to come out with to suggest ‘staff incompetence’.. either way, I find it has absolutely no relevance to baby O’s ultimate collapse and death nor the liver injury inflicted IMO.

At this point IMO she is reaching the end of the babies and so far has given very few if not no examples of any other contributing factors to any collapses other than foul play IMO. So maybe she’s throwing anything out there to see what sticks, maybe.

Aswell as an abdomen issue that there is no recorded data of and she now cannot recall. But someone going for a cigarette and not washing their hands is something she remembers clearly…
MOO

I find this really strange tbh for the very points you mention. I cannot recall anyone I’ve worked with who want out for a cigarette and did or didn’t wash their hands even on the day before any shift I’ve had; let alone remember this years after it happened! Even when it’s been quiet or not, there’s just no way I’d ever be able to recall who even smoked.
It’s really odd this sticks out in her mind but she can’t recall the note about CPAP a baby wasn’t even on.
JMO

 

[Legal]

Of course, Lucy, a band 5 nurse, would be able to identify the rash better than the Head of the Neonatal unit. Then again, he is one of the gang of 4...


ETA His description is detailed and specific

Dr Stephen Brearey, in evidence on March 15, said Child O had a rash on his chest, on the right side, about 1-2cm in size. He said it was an "unusual" rash that was initially pupuric, and it later disappeared.

 

[marynnu]

12:09pm

The trial is resuming after a short break.
Letby says a 20ml saline bolus was given to Child O in response to a poor blood gas record. She says there was a delay as there was an issue with getting the line for Child O. She says she believes the bolus, which has 'time started: 1440', was in response to Child O's collapse.
A doctor's note recorded for the '~1440' collapse: '10ml/kg 0.9% sodium chloride bolus already given.'
Letby agrees the two desaturations for Child O that day were "profound" ones.
Letby's note: 'Approx 1440 [Child O] had a profound desaturation to 30s followed by bradycardia. Mottled++ and abdomen red and distended. Transferred to nursery 1 and Neopuff ventilation commenced. Perfusion poor'
Letby, when questioned, says babies would "frequently desaturate", to this level, and this happened prior to June 2015, and "often".

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

Letby's note: 'Approx 1440 [Child O] had a profound desaturation to 30s followed by bradycardia. Mottled++ and abdomen red and distended. Transferred to nursery 1 and Neopuff ventilation commenced. Perfusion poor'
Letby, when questioned, says babies would "frequently desaturate", to this level, and this happened prior to June 2015, and "often".

Frequently desaturated to the 30s? Maybe at CoC 2015-16, but I seriously doubt that was a common occurrence before then. JMO.

 

[Jayney404]

So…..this hospital was unlucky enough to hire numerous incompetent doctors and nurses who were unable to perform the basic duties of their role…. But able to construct a highly complex cover up and collaborate to pin a series of deaths on one very unlucky nurse! Hmmmm

 

[Sundial]

Also, if one did see a colleague do such an unhygienic thing, wouldn't you say something rather than then watch them spread germs all around the ward?

Reminds me a bit of the alleged sewage in the sinks but there appeared to be no mention of this to maintenance or other colleagues mention this either. Not that I’ve read at least.
Moo

 

[Legal]

12:20pm

Mr Johnson says when the doctor went to see Child O's parents, and during that time, Child O desaturated again, for the final time.
Letby says she does not remember this declining moment, but said she put out a crash call.
LL: "I remember the death, but not this precise moment where he declined and I put out a crash call."
Child O was intubated and efforts were made to resuscitate him. Letby says she did not recall seeing the rash disappear. She says she did not see what Dr Brearey and Dr Ravi Jayaram had seen.
Letby says she did not pull an NG Tube out of Child O's stomach.
An x-ray report for Child O is made at 4.46pm. It record: 'NG Tube in situ with its tip close to the cardia, this should be advanced by 10-15mm.'
An earlier x-ray report said the NG Tube was 'in a good position'.
Letby says a dislodged tube would still drain, as it would still be in the stomach.
Letby says the tube could be moved during the intubation process at 2.40pm.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Dotta]

Control yourself Dotta.

Hahaha
Easier said than done
But I will try

 

[Blondiexoxo]

Also, if one did see a colleague do such an unhygienic thing, wouldn't you say something rather than then watch them spread germs all around the ward?

From what we’ve heard about LL I think she would have atleast text a colleague about this, if it happened.

She also seems to dislike Mel which adds some weight to the idea that if guilty she targeted specific babies during fits of anger IMO. For baby O if guilty it could be a culmination of rage, wanting attention from doc choc aswell as a need to finally follow through with an attempt to harm siblings after failing the attacks on the sets of twins. Double impact for the parents having to experience the anguish of losing multiple babies. Doesn’t bear thinking about, it’s all coming into focus clearly now for me IMO

 

[Sundial]

So…..this hospital was unlucky enough to hire numerous incompetent doctors and nurses who were unable to perform the basic duties of their role…. But able to construct a highly complex cover up and collaborate to pin a series of deaths on one very unlucky nurse! Hmmmm

Not forgetting they are all allegedly messaging or on their phones (like frantic) on every shift. Apparently, if they are being honest, as the accused stated.
JMO

 

[Legal]

12:24pm

Mr Johnson says Child O's mother, in agreed evidence, said her baby was 'changing colour' with 'prominent veins.' She says she later saw that in Child P.
Letby says she didn't see that herself.
The father of Child O said 'you could see his different veins - it looked like he had prickly heat, like something oozing through his veins'.
Letby says she did not see anything like that.
She accepts she saw a red-purply blotchy rash and a red abdomen.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Sundial]

From what we’ve heard about LL I think she would have atleast text a colleague about this, if it happened.

She also seems to dislike Mel which adds some weight to the idea that if guilty she targeted specific babies during fits of anger IMO. For baby O if guilty it could be a culmination of rage, wanting attention from doc choc aswell as a need to finally follow through with an attempt to harm siblings after failing the attacks on the sets of twins. Double impact for the parents having to experience the anguish of losing multiple babies. Doesn’t bear thinking about, it’s all coming into focus clearly now for me IMO

There’s also the female doctor who went off with dr choc to the tea room. The kettle hadn’t even boiled and he was called back.

 

[Legal]

Interesting that she can remember each of the babies' rashes so well despite forgetting so many other details. And none of those memories match those of the parents and other doctors...

 

[Legal]

12:28pm

In police interview, Letby said she believed she had done chest compressions and drew up some drugs. Letby says after looking at records, she now believes she was just involved in medications.
Mr Johnson suggests Letby is distancing herself from the CPR so it could not be said she caused the liver injury to Child O. Letby denies this.
Letby says she "does not know" how Child O got the liver injury.
Letby denies injecting air into Child O to cause an air embolous, or inflicting a liver injury on him.
NJ: "These things all happened on your watch, didn't they?"
LL: "Yes."
Letby says she disputes an account that Dr Brearey told her not to come in after that shift.
NJ: "Were you bothered by what you witnessed?"
LL: "Of course I was bothered."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[katydid23]

Nick Johnson KC suggests that Lucy Letby made false entries on a nursing chart to show that baby O was given some ventilation known as CPAP. He says the baby didn't receive this. NJKC: "You were covering for air you’d given him weren’t you?" Lucy Letby: "No"


[wow, is this^^^ a new accusation?]

Judith Moritz

@JudithMoritz
Court earlier heard evidence from a consultant who said he saw an unusual rash on baby O after the baby's collapse. Lucy Letby says "I don’t believe that’s what I saw. I saw mottling. But if that’s what he saw… and that’s what people take as being true, then yes…"

Court hears that a registrar who had been treating baby O left the room to speak to the baby's parents, and that after he left the baby deteriorated again. Nick Johnson KC: "That was baby O’s final decline wasn’t it.. do you remember it?" Lucy Letby: "No"

Court has heard past evidence from baby O's parents, and from a consultant, all of whom described the baby changing colour and having prominent veins. Nick Johnson KC: "That’s the truth isn’t it?" Lucy Letby: "I can’t comment on their truth. I didn’t see anything like that"

NJKC: "You injected air into baby O's stomach" LL: "No" NJKC: "You injected air into his circulation causing air embolus" LL: "No" NJKC: "Through violent mechanism you inflicted liver injury" LL: "No" NJKC: "These things all happened on your watch" LL: "Yes"

After the triplets died in June 2016, Lucy Letby was offered time off to help cope. She refused it, and said she wanted to carry on working. Nick Johnson KC: "Were you not bothered by what you’d witnessed?" Lucy Letby: "Of course I was bothered".

 

[Legal]

12:35pm

Messages are shown between Letby and the doctor from 9.14pm on June 23:
Doctor: 'Your notes must have taken a long time - Had you documented anything from this morning?'
LL: 'Only a little. Had the other 2 to write on as well and sorting out the ffp etc. Left signing for drugs until tomorrow'
A nurse also messaged Letby: 'F***in hell, what happened?'
LL: 'Can't Think straight so took a while'
LL: 'Blew up abdomen think it's sepsis'
Letby says it's not a term she uses often, but she had seen it before.
LL: 'Had big tummy overnight but just ballooned after lunch and went from there'
Letby tells the court that is what she said, having been reviewed by a doctor and Child O had a loopy bowel. She says she is referring to distention found prior to 8am.
LL, at 9.33pm: 'Worry as identical'
Mr Johnson: "Were you setting up a false narrative here?"
Letby: "No, that's not what I'm suggesting at all."
NJ: "You had already set your plan in motion by pumping air into [Child P] before you left."
LL: "No."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[katydid23]

12:09pm

The trial is resuming after a short break.
Letby says a 20ml saline bolus was given to Child O in response to a poor blood gas record. She says there was a delay as there was an issue with getting the line for Child O. She says she believes the bolus, which has 'time started: 1440', was in response to Child O's collapse.
A doctor's note recorded for the '~1440' collapse: '10ml/kg 0.9% sodium chloride bolus already given.'
Letby agrees the two desaturations for Child O that day were "profound" ones.
Letby's note: 'Approx 1440 [Child O] had a profound desaturation to 30s followed by bradycardia. Mottled++ and abdomen red and distended. Transferred to nursery 1 and Neopuff ventilation commenced. Perfusion poor'
Letby, when questioned, says babies would "frequently desaturate", to this level, and this happened prior to June 2015, and "often".

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

Babies frequently desaturate to 30% level? And often? Isn't that the brink of death and likely for cardiac issues at that point?

 

[Jazmania]

The chance of having naturally-conceived identical triplets is estimated at between 1 in 60,000 to 1 in 200 million they are so rare. If guilty she murdered two of them.

 

[Legal]

12:48pm

Letby is asked to look at a Datix form she had written [a form used by staff when issues have been highlighted, such as clinical incidents], on the documentation ['Employees involved' has Letby's name].
The form said 'Infant had a sudden acute collapse requiring resusctiation. Peripheral access lost.'
Dr Brearey said the information in the form was 'untrue', and he said he didn't believe at any point IV access was lost.
Asked about this, Letby says: "Well, that's Dr Brearey's opinion."
The form adds: 'SB [Brearey] wishes amendment to incident form - Patient did not lose peripheral access, intraosseuous access required for blood samples only.'
Letby says she does not believe her Datix report was untrue at the time.
NJ: "You were very worried that they were on to you, weren't you?"
LL: "No."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Kemug]

The texting is really out of control!

I am actually beginning to wonder if there were occasions when she was so busy texting that she didn't bother to feed babies at all.

 

[Blondiexoxo]

This is horrific. She allegedly pumped air into baby P before she left her shift after baby O died? She also suggested ‘sepsis’ as the cause of baby O’s death, then followed up with ‘worry because identical’…since when was sepsis genetic?

Dr B and Dr J were both wrong about the rash, and nice nurse Lucy the most experienced and qualified of the bunch was the only one who’s remembered it correctly. Even though she remembers little else about the events in 2015-2016.

If guilty she is a monster.
MOO