"Was Asked To Apologise To Her": Indian-Origin Doctor On 'Baby-Killer Nurse'

An Indian-origin doctor who is among those who had raised the alarm on UK's 'baby-killer' nurse has alleged that hospital authorities had asked him to apologise to her for his accusations.

Dr Ravi Jayaram, who is a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has told UK-based news organisation ITV News that he had been raising concerns about Lucy Letby months before the hospital alerted the police. Letby was convicted on Friday for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others.

Dr Jayaram said consultants first flagged their concerns about Letby after three babies died in June 2015. After more such deaths, they held several meetings with hospital executives on the issue. 

Referring to the minutes of one meeting, ITV News reported that the doctors were told to "draw a line" under the "Lucy issue" and to apologise to her for alleged 'victimisation'.

Dr Jayaram alleged that the chief executive at the time, Tony Chambers, had told consultants at the meeting in January 2017, "I'm drawing a line under this, you will draw a line under this, and if you cross that line, there will be consequences for you."

When doctors suggested approaching the police, they were allegedly dissuaded by hospital executives. 

The police were contacted almost two years after the first babies had died. "I do genuinely believe that there are four or five babies who could be going to school now who aren't," Dr Jayaram told ITV News. 

Letby, 33, was first arrested in July 2018 and charged in November 2020. She was found guilty of the murder of seven newborn babies and the attempted murder of six others by a jury at Manchester Crown Court on Friday. 

The jurors were given several possible motives by the prosecution during the 10-month trial. Her sentence will be pronounced on Monday.