Coroner never told by hospital bosses of Lucy Letby suspicions, inquiry told

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A coroner said hospital bosses never told him of suspicions that a member of staff may be responsible for a number of baby deaths, the public inquiry over Lucy Letby’s crimes has heard. Was that information communicated to you by Mr Cross?” Mr Moore said: “No.” Mr de la Poer said: “If you had been told that, what – if anything – would have been your reaction?” Mr Moore said: “I would have explored exactly what the concerns were that Mr Cross or the trust had and if necessary would have spoken to the police.” He said those concerns were not mentioned either to himself or then-senior coroner for Cheshire Nicholas Rheinberg in February 2017 when they met Mr Cross and the hospital’s medical director Ian Harvey. Mr Rheinberg is a very experienced, diligent and thorough coroner and I have no doubt he would have contacted the police probably before Mr Harvey and Mr Cross had left the room.” open image in gallery Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders Mr Moore, who replaced Mr Rheinberg as senior coroner in March 2017 and retired himself in June 2022, added: “The provision of timely, accurate and truthful information is fundamental to the coronial process. It demands complete candour from healthcare professionals, clinicians, nurses and from hospital staff and also from trust management, and a failure to disclose to the coroner any information which may have a material bearing on a coronial case, whether it’s been through the coronial process already or is pending, is to mislead the coroner and to mislead the court.” Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.