Tony Chambers feared doctors harmed Lucy Letby after her arrest for baby deaths at the hospital.
Dr. Gilby thought the team would be shocked that a staff member was arrested for murder. Testifying at the Thirlwall Inquiry, she expected the hospital’s leaders to be upset.
Chambers told her he didn’t think harm was done and that no single cause was found for the collapses. Dr. Gilby responded that finding a cause wasn’t his job, stating that even one collapse is a worry.
Chambers worried that doctors harmed the nurse and feared a wrongful conviction might happen. He felt sure she wouldn’t be charged; it was his deep conviction.
Letby moved to non-clinical work back in June 2016 after doctors feared she harmed babies then. They saw deaths of triplet boys on two days.
Executives hired people to probe the mortality rate; Tony Chambers and Ian Harvey made this move. Police weren’t called until May 2017, and the hospital did not report it earlier.
Dr. Gilby sensed Chambers and Harvey mistrusted the doctors, thinking they were wrong about their concerns. They also found no real proof of harm.
She said they dismissed the doctors’ worries often, thinking the doctors looked for someone to blame. It seemed the doctors could not accept bad outcomes.
She felt like she had “problem doctors” who needed to be handled, it appeared. The situation was difficult, and she tried to understand all sides.
Dr. Gilby spoke with Dr. Stephen Brearey, who led the neonatal unit at the time, soon after she began her job there. He explained the pattern of events to her, including both clinical details and the aftermath.
It became clear the collapses weren’t all explainable, and she understood it quickly. She even exclaimed when she heard a detail.
Dr. Brearey said, “You get it, we’ve tried for years.” They spent three hours reviewing the timeline, covering clinical and non-clinical aspects.
She learned about babies’ histories, noting that they were doing well and ready to go home. They then suffered sudden collapses, she learned.
Usually, adults worsen gradually, and vital signs change slowly in the ICU. What Dr. Brearey described was unheard of, she stated seriously.
One case alone would have been enough; she would have wanted to investigate fully. This response was as a medical leader.
Dr. Gilby later replaced Tony Chambers, who resigned back in September 2018, after all of the turmoil. The inquiry resumes on March 17 in Liverpool.
Lady Justice Thirlwall’s findings are expected this fall, and people await the details.