Doctor at nurse’s murder trial questioned over status of monitor
Lucy Letby denies murdering seven babies and trying to murder 10 others.
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A doctor has accepted he must not have turned back on a monitor for a baby girl allegedly attacked by nurse Lucy Letby.
The prosecution says Letby, 32, switched off the oxygen monitor during a collapse of the infant on the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
It is alleged it was the defendant’s third attempt to murder the youngster, known as Child G, within a fortnight in September 2015, as her oxygen saturation levels “significantly” dropped and she had to be moved to intensive care.
The incident is said to have taken place shortly after a consultant paediatrician fitted an intravenous cannula to Child G behind a privacy screen in a nursery room at about 3.30pm on September 20.
A nurse, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told jurors at Manchester Crown Court she heard Letby call for help from the nursery.
She said the screen was still up when she entered and a “concerned” Letby was trying to revive the youngster who was not breathing.
And she recalled a nearby monitor, which also measures heart rate, was not switched on.
On Wednesday, she confirmed to Ben Myers KC, defending, that she spoke to detectives last month after reading the opening speeches online which suggested Letby had switched off the monitor.
Mr Myers said: “From what happened you knew that was not the case?”
The nurse replied: “As far as I’m aware I believe that was not the case.”
She said two doctors, consultant Dr John Gibbs and registrar Dr David Harkness, approached her the same afternoon to apologise for leaving Child G behind the screen and for not turning the monitor back after completing the procedure.
Mr Myers said: “I suggest Ms Letby was cross that the doctors had left her behind the screen with the monitor off?”
The nurse said: “I don’t remember that.
“I remember her being concerned.”
Mr Myers said: “Do you recall she said this is something to make a formal complaint about?”
The witness replied: “I don’t remember but I went to my manager to report it myself without anyone suggesting it.”
Dr Gibbs told the court he could not remember whether Child G was screened.
He also could not recall whether Child G was connected to a monitor but said she “must have been” given her medical history after she was born extremely premature months earlier weighing just more than one pound.
Dr Gibbs said normally he would have told a nurse, ideally in the same room, when he was leaving but added when inserting a cannula a nurse would usually still be around.
He stated to police he couldn’t remember whether Child G’s monitoring equipment was switched off during a seventh attempt that day by medical staff to insert a cannula Mr Myers said to Dr Gibbs: “I am going to suggest that you and Dr Harkness left without telling any nurse that you had finished, could that have happened?”
Dr Gibbs said: “That should not have happened but I don’t remember who I spoke to.”
The retired consultant agreed it would be a “serious error” to have left a baby behind a screen without a monitor switched on and not inform a nurse.
Mr Myers said: “Later both you and Dr Harkness spoke to (the nurse) to apologise for that.
“Now that happened, didn’t it?”
Dr Gibbs replied: “I’m sorry but I don’t remember that.”
Mr Myers said: “If you had left a baby unattended without the monitor on and it’s a matter you had to apologise for, you would remember that?”
Dr Gibbs said: “I would expect so.”
Mr Myers said: “If you had left a baby like this would it have concerned you?”
“Yes,” said Dr Gibbs.
Mr Myers went on: “If it was very busy and you were being overstretched across different parts of the hospital, if you had to leave in a rush for instance?”
Dr Gibbs said: “That’s one reason I might not have had time to speak to a nurse like I should have done, but I can’t remember.”
Mr Myers said: “You apologised that she had been left behind a screen unattended?”
Dr Gibbs said: “If that is what (the nurse) says then that must have happened, I just don’t remember that.”
Mr Myers said: “And left the monitor switched off?”
Dr Gibbs said: “If that is what is she said then presumably that happened.”
Letby, originally from Hereford, denies murdering seven babies and trying to murder 10 others between June 2015 and June 2016.
The trial continues on Thursday.