Caroline and Liz run through the evidence of the final week of witnesses, including that of Jane Tomkinson, the current chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

She tells the inquiry that things have significantly changed in the nine years since Lucy Letby murdered babies on the neo-natal unit and that senior managers are more open and better at listening to staff than before.

We also hear from an expert statistician and Cambridge academic Sir Professor David Spiegelhalter, who explains that while the 2015 spike in deaths was unusual for the Countess, it wasn’t particularly rare from a national perspective and other units had similar neo-natal mortality rates.

Caroline and Liz also talk to journalist David James Smith about Lucy Letby’s chances of securing a new appeal, and his time as a commissioner on the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Moore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

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Caroline and Liz are back with the first week of evidence from the Inquiry of the New Year. They explain the testimony of MP Jeremy Hunt, who was Health Secretary, when Lucy Letby murdered and harmed babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in 2015 and 2016.

He apologised to the families and said he took ultimate responsibility for a failure to implement recommendations from previous NHS inquiries, which may have helped catch Lucy Letby sooner.

He talks about how it took 20 years to install independent medical examiners in hospitals and said that if one had been in post when Lucy Letby was working it might have made a difference.

Caroline and Liz also talk to barrister Tim Owen about the extraordinary press conference held by Lucy Letby’s new barrister shortly before Christmas and what this means for her attempts to overturn her convictions.

And they also discuss a speech made by MP David Davis in the House of Commons this week when he used Parliamentary privilege to call for a retrial.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Guest: Tim Owen, Double Jeopardy - The Law and Politics Podcast

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In this final episode before The Inquiry takes a break for Christmas, Caroline and Liz explain the evidence of Nicholas Rheinberg, the Senior Coroner for Cheshire. He said he was ‘horribly disappointed’ at being kept in the dark about the consultants’ concerns about Lucy Letby and horrified that the paediatricians allowed him to carry out an inquest into the death of Baby A without telling him the real reason for how they believed the baby boy died.

We also hear from Sir Rob Behrens, the former Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. He gave evidence on the culture of the NHS and described why scandals involving patient deaths keep occurring. He said there is a small pool of individuals that run NHS hospitals who are like ‘The Magic Circle.’ He said these individuals need to be subject to regulation, like doctors and nurses, to stop the ‘revolving door’ of failing bosses moving from hospital to hospital without any detriment to their careers. 

Sir Rob also criticised the public inquiry system itself and called for the Government to set up a new body to make sure their reports and recommendations are not simply shelved, but acted upon in the future.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Jamie East

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

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In this week’s episode, Caroline and Liz bring the evidence of Sir Duncan Nichol, the hospital’s board chairman. He was also the head of the NHS when nurse Beverley Allitt murdered children at a hospital in Grantham. He tells the inquiry it was a ‘serious failure’ by the Countess of Chester Hospital not to tell the families of the babies harmed what was going on and he apologised for not keeping their children safe.

We also hear how the coroner was also kept in the dark about the spike in deaths and that a nurse was suspected of killing babies. Assistant Coroner Alan Moore said senior managers kept back vital information which would have prompted the police to be called.

And we hear from other non-executive board directors who describe how tension and conflict between the paediatricians and senior managers affected their response to the crisis.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Moore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

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Caroline and Liz have another update from the Thirlwall Inquiry where the Medical Director Ian Harvey was accused of “fobbing off” the mother of one of the babies who was killed by Lucy Letby. He also denied withholding evidence from the coroner. But he admitted not commissioning a forensic review of the deaths which may have uncovered a crime sooner was a missed opportunity.

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In today’s episode Caroline and Liz have the evidence for the first time from the two most senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Ian Harvey and Tony Chambers have never spoken before but they appeared before Lady Justice Thirlwall. They apologised to the families of the babies who were killed and harmed by Lucy Letby for not communicating with the parents properly and they were challenged on why they were slow to act and slow to accept what the consultants were telling them.

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In this episode Caroline and Liz have the evidence from some of the senior managers from the Countess of Chester Hospital. It's the first time we've heard from them, and all accepted mistakes had been made in the way the concerns about Lucy Letby had been dealt with.  But Tony Chambers, the Chief Executive, was reluctant to accept any personal failings, and Alison Kelly, the Director of Nursing, blamed others for the fact she was slow to respond to an email about a spike in baby deaths and a link to Lucy Letby. The Director of People, Sue Hodkinson said she should never have told Lucy Letby she would soon be back on the ward. We also heard that Lucy Letby's father, John, wanted the consultants to be sacked.

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A big week at the Thirlwall Inquiry as the managers get their chance to speak and to answer the criticisms that they were too slow to act to stop Lucy Letby. First up is Alison Kelly, The Director of Nursing. We’ll be bringing you extra episodes all week this week to reflect what’s happening here in Liverpool.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Moore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

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In this episode Caroline and Liz have the evidence of former Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Wenham, the police officer who was instrumental in launching the police investigation into Lucy Letby’s crimes.

They also hear from one of the key doctors in the case - Dr Stephen Brearey - the lead consultant on the neo-natal unit. He apologised to the families of the babies murdered and harmed by Lucy Letby, saying he tried to do his best to protect their children but admitted his best was not good enough.

He said the pressures of his day job in the NHS meant he was too busy to properly review cases of babies who collapsed and died and he failed to spot she was harming patients sooner.

He also revealed that he now believes Lucy Letby had killed other children on his unit for some time before she killed Baby A - the first of seven babies she was convicted of murdering - in June 2015.

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In this bonus update the Head of the Neo-Natal Unit Dr Stephen Brearey told parents he was sorry his actions had not been enough to stop their children being harmed and killed. He also accused Lucy Letby of harming babies BEFORE she killed Baby A in June 2015. And he admitted he and others missed opportunities which could have stopped her.

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Moore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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