A consultant has revealed that doctors were put under pressure by hospital management not to make a fuss when they raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby. Dr Ravi Jayaram told Manchester Crown Court that his team first noticed unusual episodes involving babies in October 2015 and notified the senior director of nursing. However, no action was taken. The matter was raised again in February 2016 and the hospital’s medical director was informed, but the consultants did not hear back for three months. Ms Letby was not removed from front-line nursing until summer 2016.
Dr Jayaram expressed regret that he had not gone straight to the police instead of informing hospital management. He said that they were getting a lot of pressure from senior management not to make a fuss. On Tuesday, the court heard how Ms Letby is said to have attacked a baby girl, referred to as Child K, in February 2016. The Crown alleges that she struck at 03:50 GMT, less than two hours after the extremely premature youngster was born.
The designated nurse Joanne Williams said she left the baby to update her parents on the labour ward and Dr Jayaram said he felt “extremely uncomfortable” at being told Ms Letby would be there. He went to check on Child K and saw Ms Letby standing by the incubator and ventilator with no hands in the incubator. He noticed that the baby’s blood oxygen levels were dropping and the ventilator was not alarming.
Dr Jayaram said he gave rescue breaths to Child K and her chest began to move again and her oxygen levels went up. The baby was transferred later that day to Wirral’s Arrowe Park Hospital, where she died three days later. The prosecution does not allege Ms Letby caused her death. The trial continues.
Dr Ravi Jayaram has revealed that doctors were put under pressure by hospital management when they raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby in 2015 and 2016. The consultant told Manchester Crown Court that his team first noticed unusual episodes involving babies in October 2015 and informed the senior director of nursing, but no action was taken. The matter was raised again in February 2016 and the hospital’s medical director was informed, but they did not hear back for three months.
Dr Jayaram expressed regret that he had not gone straight to the police instead of informing hospital management. He said that they were getting a lot of pressure from senior management not to make a fuss. On Tuesday, the court heard how Ms Letby is accused of attacking a baby girl, referred to as Child K, in February 2016. The Crown alleges that she struck at 03:50 GMT, less than two hours after the extremely premature youngster was born.
The designated nurse Joanne Williams said she left the baby to update her parents on the labour ward and Dr Jayaram said he felt “extremely uncomfortable” at being told Ms Letby would be there. He went to check on Child K and saw Ms Letby standing by the incubator and ventilator with no hands in the incubator. He noticed that the baby’s blood oxygen levels were dropping and the ventilator was not alarming.
Dr Jayaram said he gave rescue breaths to Child K and her chest began to move again and her oxygen levels went up. The baby was transferred later that day to Wirral’s Arrowe Park Hospital, where she died three days later. The prosecution does not allege Ms Letby caused her death. The trial continues as Dr Jayaram’s testimony sheds light on the pressure put on doctors by hospital management not to make a fuss when they raised concerns about Ms Letby.