Lucy Letby raised alarm to save infant, baby deaths trial hears as consultant admits he blundered by leaving the sick infant alone with monitor switched off

Dr John Gibbs admitted he made 'a serious error' in leaving a sick infant alone
He acknowledged he should have handed over the child's care to a nurse
Baby G was left in a treatment trolley moments after a difficult procedure
Lucy Letby found the infant and shouted for help, the nurse's murder trial heard
Nurse and alleged killer Letby carried out emergency treatment to revive Baby G
Letby denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder a further ten

The consultant in charge of the neonatal unit where Lucy Letby is alleged to have murdered seven babies today admitted he had made 'a serious error' in leaving a sick infant alone behind a screen with her monitor switched off.

Dr John Gibbs, a paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital for 20 years, acknowledged that he and his registrar colleague, David Harkness, should have handed over the child's care to a nurse.

But the two medics left Baby G lying on a treatment trolley moments after carrying out a difficult cannulation procedure to give her fluids and antibiotics.

It was Letby, 32, who found the infant and shouted for help. Baby G's designated nurse rushed in to see her collapsed and not breathing, with the alleged killer carrying out emergency treatment to revive her.

The consultant in charge of the neonatal unit where Lucy Letby (pictured) is alleged to have murdered seven babies today admitted he had made 'a serious error' in leaving a sick infant alone behind a screen with her monitor switched off

Dr John Gibbs, (pictured) a paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital for 20 years, acknowledged that he and his registrar colleague, David Harkness, should have handed over the child's care to a nurse

The doctors' joint error only emerged when the nurse – who cannot be named for legal reasons - read a report of the prosecution's opening address at the start of Letby's trial in October.

Nick Johnson, KC, told the jury then that 'someone' had switched off a monitor when G collapsed on September 21, 2015, and that she was 'discovered' by Letby.

He added: 'As before, the constant presence was Lucy Letby'.

But on Tuesday the designated nurse recalled Drs Gibbs and Harkness coming to her later that day to apologise. They admitted to having switched off the Masimo monitor and forgetting to turn it back on. The two medics were both 'very, very apologetic,' she said.

Today, during a period of close cross-examination by Letby's barrister, Ben Myers, KC, agreed the error should never been made.

He insisted he could not recall either walking away from the monitor or offering an apology later in the day.

But he agreed with Mr Myers' assertion that 'it would be a serious error to leave a baby behind a screen with no monitor on'.

'Yes, he told the barrister. 'If we didn't speak to a nurse about that. I can't remember, but I shouldn't have done (it).

Dr Gibbs, who is now retired, said he accepted the accuracy of the nurse's recollection about leaving Baby G unattended. 'If that's what she says, it would have happened. I don't remember'.

Asked about her account of him and Dr Harkness leaving the monitor switched off, he again accepted it. 'If that's what she said, presumably that's what happened'.

Drs Gibbs and Harkness left Baby G lying on a treatment trolley moments after carrying out a difficult cannulation procedure to give her fluids and antibiotics

At the start of his evidence today Dr Gibbs told Philip Astbury, prosecuting, that 'given G's problems, and that she had needed to be ventilated five days earlier', she should have been monitored.

Any monitor being used to check a baby's wellbeing should only be removed if it was being moved to another part of the body a few moments later.

Mr Astbury: 'Should it ever be switched off?'

Dr Gibbs: 'No, not if it's the only monitor'.

Seven years after the event, he could not recall exactly what he did with the monitor. But he insisted: 'I would have checked she was stable at the time, otherwise I would not have left'.

He could not recall having a conversation with either Baby G's designated nurse or the manager in charge of the unit that day, Eirian Powell.

'If it had been a significant discussion usually the staff nurse would have recorded that…if something wrong had happened or there had been some worry.

'But if I'd been particularly concerned I should have recorded it in the medical notes and I didn't'.

Early in his cross-examination by Mr Myers, the consultant could not recall Dr Harkness helping him with the cannulation.

However, he knew from medical notes that there had been seven attempts, and that with a baby of G's small size and long history of such procedures it could be difficult to find a suitable vein to enter.

Babies could become distressed, and it was therefore 'not surprising' that G suffered a desaturation with bradycardia and apnoea that afternoon.

'It could distress her and cause her breathing difficulties, yes. But only 'could do'.'

It was Letby, 32, (pictured in an October court drawing) who found the infant and shouted for help. Baby G's designated nurse rushed in to see her collapsed and not breathing, with the alleged killer carrying out emergency treatment to revive her

Letby, (pictured) originally from Hereford, denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder a further ten

Asked whether a monitor might sometimes be switched off during a cannulation, he replied: 'It shouldn't be'. He added: 'I can't remember what happened with the monitor seven years ago'.

Mr Myers pressed him further, asking whether a baby that had been on a treatment trolley should be put back into a cot.

'Yes,' said Dr Gibbs.

Mr Myers: 'And if a screen has been erected, that should be removed?'

Dr Gibbs: 'At some stage, yes'.

Mr Myers: 'If the monitor has been removed, it should be re-attached?'

Dr Gibbs: 'Yes, definitely'.

The barrister then asked: 'And if it has been turned off, it should be switched back on?'

'Yes', said Dr Gibbs.

The consultant also agreed that a nurse – ideally the one designated to the baby – should be informed before a doctor departed.

'That's correct, yes. You should never just leave the baby there'.

Mr Myers reminded Dr Gibbs that earlier in the trial he had spoken about the issue of staffing levels on the neonatal unit. He suggested staffing levels had been sufficiently low to increase pressure on the unit, and asked whether a simultaneous rise in neonatal admissions had increased 'the possibility of something being missed or something going wrong'

Mr Myers put it to the consultant that he had done this. Furthermore, he had left the screen in place, failed to switch the monitor back on, and failed to inform a nurse that he and Dr Harkness were leaving.

Dr Gibbs replied: 'I can't remember. It should not have happened'.

To have done so would have been 'a serious error'.

The consultant said the doctors might have left 'in a rush' to attend another baby on the unit or a child on the paediatric ward.

Mr Myers reminded Dr Gibbs that earlier in the trial he had spoken about the issue of staffing levels on the neonatal unit.

He suggested staffing levels had been sufficiently low to increase pressure on the unit, and asked whether a simultaneous rise in neonatal admissions had increased 'the possibility of something being missed or something going wrong'.

Dr Gibbs replied: 'Yes'.

He also agreed that if Baby G had been left behind a screen, that was an example of that happening.

Letby, originally from Hereford, denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder a further ten.

Lucy Letby

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