At the Countess of Chester Hospital, the nurse is accused of murdering
seven babies and attempting to murder ten more.
Ms Letby, 32, has denied all 22 counts.
A senior nurse who worked at the hospital’s neonatal section at the time
testified at Manchester Crown Court.
She was a shift leader on the night a baby, known as Child C in court, fell
and died.
That night, Ms Letby was not Child C’s allocated nurse. Melanie Taylor was
the name of another nurse.
After resuscitation operations for Child C were discontinued, Ms Taylor
addressed his parents about constructing a “memory box” for him, according
to the senior nurse.
According to the court, the senior nurse, whose identity has been withheld,
requested Mr Letby to redirect her attention to another sick kid on the
unit.
However, Ms Letby entered the room “a few times” with Child C’s parents
before the senior nurse instructed her to leave and leave the family to the
baby’s designated nurse.
The senior nurse was questioned if Ms Letby’s job that night included going
into the parents’ room.
“Not that I recall,” she said.
She asked Ms Letby to focus her attention on the second sick kid several
times but couldn’t recall how many times she did so.
Under cross examination by defence attorney Ben Myers KC, the senior nurse
agreed that the neonatal unit was experiencing increased demand while
staffing levels remained stagnant.
She also agreed with Mr Myers that Child C was in a “possibly vulnerable
condition” and that “there was a chance he could die” due to his size and
prematurity.
However, when asked by the prosecution if the increased demand and stagnant
staffing levels had “in any way impacted” the quality of care provided to
Child C, the senior nurse said “no.”
The trial is still ongoing.
seven babies and attempting to murder ten more.
Ms Letby, 32, has denied all 22 counts.
A senior nurse who worked at the hospital’s neonatal section at the time
testified at Manchester Crown Court.
She was a shift leader on the night a baby, known as Child C in court, fell
and died.
That night, Ms Letby was not Child C’s allocated nurse. Melanie Taylor was
the name of another nurse.
After resuscitation operations for Child C were discontinued, Ms Taylor
addressed his parents about constructing a “memory box” for him, according
to the senior nurse.
According to the court, the senior nurse, whose identity has been withheld,
requested Mr Letby to redirect her attention to another sick kid on the
unit.
However, Ms Letby entered the room “a few times” with Child C’s parents
before the senior nurse instructed her to leave and leave the family to the
baby’s designated nurse.
The senior nurse was questioned if Ms Letby’s job that night included going
into the parents’ room.
“Not that I recall,” she said.
She asked Ms Letby to focus her attention on the second sick kid several
times but couldn’t recall how many times she did so.
Under cross examination by defence attorney Ben Myers KC, the senior nurse
agreed that the neonatal unit was experiencing increased demand while
staffing levels remained stagnant.
She also agreed with Mr Myers that Child C was in a “possibly vulnerable
condition” and that “there was a chance he could die” due to his size and
prematurity.
However, when asked by the prosecution if the increased demand and stagnant
staffing levels had “in any way impacted” the quality of care provided to
Child C, the senior nurse said “no.”
The trial is still ongoing.
