Dr Ravi Jayaram slams NHS Bosses who failed to Stop Lucy Letby

Dr Ravi Jayaram has blasted hospital bosses for not apologising over failing to stop killer nurse Lucy Letby from murdering babies in her care.

Dr Jayaram is a senior paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital and his evidence helped convict Letby.

He had joined other doctors in warning NHS bosses about the serial killer months before police were called in.

Letby was convicted of seven counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder.

After she was jailed for life without the possibility of parole, Dr Jayaram has slammed hospital managers who allegedly ordered him and colleagues to apologise to Letby after raising their concerns.

Dr Jayaram said he is angry at the failure of bosses to apologise, given what has happened.

He was “incensed” by attempts from hospital managers to try and justify their decisions after the full extent of Letby’s crimes were revealed.

Dr Jayaram said it was “absolutely correct” that Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison.

He told ITV News: “But it doesn’t change the fact that parents of these babies and their families will never get back what’s been taken away from them.

“And it’s made me angry that she hasn’t had the courage to be there to face up to them.”

He added that he is also furious with NHS bosses who he says have failed to take responsibility for their actions that did not stop Letby sooner.

Dr Jayaram continued: “I think throughout this whole process there have been opportunities for those people who are at the top of the Countess of Chester to be able to put their hands up and admit that they got it wrong and apologise.

“They could have done this very early on, the very moment that Operation Hummingbird was launched.

“They could have done it at the point that Lucy Letby was first arrested. They could have done this at the point she was first charged.

“They could have done it as the trial progressed and more and more evidence came through.

“They certainly had a massive opportunity to do it on Friday when the verdicts were announced.

“And part of being a professional is being able to admit you got it wrong, it’s about being able to admit, and have the balls to actually put your hands up and say ‘we made a terrible mistake, we can’t undo it, but we apologise’.

“But instead, and this is what’s incensed me more than anything, they are still trying to find reasons why what they did was the right thing.

“For example, one of them said we weren’t loud enough in expressing our concerns. How much louder could we be?”

Dr Jayaram stated he had been trying to do his job and “look after babies and children” by raising his concerns.

He believes if bosses had taken action sooner, “four or five babies who could be going to school now who aren’t”.

After raising their concerns about Letby, a group of doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital were advised by bosses to apologise to her or face a possible referral to the General Medical Council.

In a letter, consultants allegedly wrote under duress:

“Dear Lucy, we would like to apologise for any inappropriate comments that may have been made during this difficult period.

“We are very sorry for the stress and upset that you have experienced in the last year. Please be reassured that patient safety has been our absolute priority during this difficult time.”

Police were called into the hospital nearly two years after the death of the first of the seven babies.

The Government has now ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind her murder spree, but Dr Jayaram has said it doesn’t go far enough.

He added: “There have been other inquiries into NHS scandals which have been statutory full public inquiries.

“Why on earth would this be announced as a non-statutory inquiry? Is the priority speed?

“I would much rather have an inquiry that asked the right questions and took as much time as it needed to get the right answers.”