Hospital Executive Admits Failures in Handling Concerns Over Lucy Letby

Alison Kelly, former safeguarding lead, acknowledges delays and missteps in responding to warnings about the convicted nurse's actions.

Alison Kelly, former director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital, admitted to an inquiry that she failed to identify concerns about Lucy Letby as a safeguarding issue in 2016.
Senior doctors raised alarms about Letby's potential connection to a spike in neonatal deaths as early as May 2016, but police were not informed until nearly a year later.
Kelly conceded she did not act promptly on key evidence linking Letby to the deaths, citing workload and a lack of clear articulation from consultants.
The inquiry revealed that hospital management prioritized internal reviews over immediate safeguarding measures, delaying police involvement until 2017.
Kelly apologized to victims' families, admitting her decisions were flawed despite being made with 'the best intentions,' and acknowledged breakdowns in trust between clinicians and leadership.