Tony Chambers, the former chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital, testified at the Thirlwall Inquiry about the circumstances surrounding serial killer nurse Lucy Letby. During his testimony, Chambers revealed critical details about the hospital’s handling of concerns about Letby between 2015 and 2016.
Chambers acknowledged that he and other board members “simply didn’t see” the rising death rate among babies in the neonatal unit. He apologized to the families of Letby’s victims for any decisions he made in good faith that might have prolonged their pain.
In December 2016, after Letby had filed a grievance about being removed from the neonatal unit, Chambers held meetings with her and her family. During these meetings, Letby’s father, John Letby, was described as particularly aggressive. Chambers claimed that John Letby made threats, including wanting to report consultants to the General Medical Council and metaphorically threatening “guns to my head.”
Letby herself demanded that any mention of her removal from the unit be deleted from her personnel file and requested four apologies from the consultants who had raised suspicions about her. Chambers admitted to telling Letby “don’t worry Lucy, we’ve got your back” and telling her that a review by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health had “vindicated” her – though he later acknowledged this was not actually true.
The first time Chambers heard concerns about Letby was in a meeting on 29 June 2016 with consultant paediatricians. He described the allegations as “very shocking” but said there was “strong rebuttal” to the idea that she was deliberately causing harm, with significant support for Letby among staff.
On 27 March 2017, consultant Dr. Stephen Brearey suggested contacting the police, but Chambers did not write to the Cheshire Constabulary’s chief constable until 2 May, after consulting a criminal barrister. When questioned about this delay, Chambers insisted the hospital was open and candid with police about what they knew.
Counsel to the inquiry, Nicholas de la Poer KC, suggested that Letby was manipulative and successfully recruited Chambers to her side. However, Chambers disagreed, believing she simply wanted to return to the job she loved.
Letby was ultimately placed on clerical duties after 30 June and never returned to the neonatal unit. She was later convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.
Chambers maintained throughout his testimony that he was trying to manage a difficult situation and prevent further escalation, particularly from Letby’s father. The inquiry continues to investigate the full circumstances surrounding these tragic events.
