The consultant paediatrician whose evidence helped to convict nurse Lucy Letby of murdering newborn babies has told the public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her crimes that he and his colleagues should have gone to the police much sooner instead of waiting for permission from managers.

The killer nurse had already murdered five infants by then and during the inspection period but inspectors were not told of the rise in baby deaths

Inspectors from a healthcare watchdog were not told of concerns about unexplained and unexpected deaths at the hospital child killer Lucy Letby worked at, a public inquiry has heard. A team from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a routine inspection of the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit on a four-day visit in February 2016 with unannounced visits in the weeks that followed.

Health inspectors were not told of concerns about unexplained deaths at a hospital’s neonatal unit where Lucy Letby worked, a public inquiry has heard. A team from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) watchdog carried out a routine inspection of the Countess of Chester Hospital over four days in February 2016.

The Care Quality Commission were not told of concerns about unexplained deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit where Letby worked. | ITV News Granada