NHS Executives and Accountability
NHS executives should be regulated similarly to medical practitioners, as highlighted by the pediatrician who first raised concerns about Lucy Letby. This call for regulation comes after clinicians' worries about her actions were mishandled.
Dr. Stephen Brearey, the pediatrician who initiated an initial review into the nurse's actions leading to a life imprisonment sentence for the murders of seven infants, emphasized the need for regulating the behavior and accountability of senior officials within the healthcare system.
He underscored that while doctors and nurses are held accountable by regulatory bodies, senior managers often appear to evade responsibility for their actions within various trusts. They might even transition to new trusts without facing consequences.
Brearey expressed concerns about the potential actions of such senior managers without a proper system in place to ensure their accountability. He discussed these concerns during an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today program, highlighting the lack of mechanisms to hold them responsible.
Recent developments include the government's announcement of an independent inquiry into the nurse's actions. This has led to demands from bereaved families and experts for a stronger investigation with statutory inquiry status. Such a status would compel witnesses to provide testimony.
A senior cabinet minister indicated that the consideration of a statutory inquiry is underway. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, mentioned that the prime minister is committed to a transparent process that provides answers for families and extracts lessons from the situation.
The next steps involve appointing a chair for the inquiry, who will collaborate with families to define the scope of the inquiry and determine its nature.
In 2015, following the unexplained deaths of seven infants, Dr. Brearey and other senior doctors enlisted an independent expert to review the situation. Although the report was shared with the medical director of Countess of Chester hospital in 2016, the concerns were dismissed, and Letby continued her actions, resulting in the deaths of five more babies.
Brearey highlighted a pattern wherein concerns raised by clinicians are distorted when brought to senior colleagues, leading to confusion and anxiety for the concerned parties. He lamented that this experience is not uncommon in the NHS, where issues are sometimes reframed to cast those raising concerns as problematic rather than addressing the genuine worries they present.
Following Letby's conviction, detectives have commenced efforts to reach out to more families who may have been impacted by her actions. This involves examining the records of over 4,000 babies born at both the Countess of Chester hospital and Liverpool Women's hospital.