Dr John Gibbs said the evidence presented to the public inquiry made for “grim reading” and expressed regret that staff were not “brave enough to follow suspicions” during the period between 2015 and 2016. The consultant, who worked at the hospital while the events occurred, linked his remarks to the case of Lucy Letby, in which seven infants died. His testimony forms part of an expanding body of testimony now before the inquiry.
Dr John Gibbs set out his position as a witness called to explain professional practice and decision-making in the ward where those deaths occurred. He recounted how concerns were handled at the time and reflected on missed opportunities to investigate alarming patterns more closely. The inquiry, which is examining the circumstances around those deaths, is considering such accounts alongside documentary and clinical records.
His testimony will be added to the inquiry’s evidence bundle and may be used to shape the inquiry’s eventual findings and recommendations. Investigators are focused on clinical governance, escalation procedures and how suspicions raised by staff were responded to. The issues raised by witnesses are likely to inform proposals aimed at strengthening oversight, safeguarding and incident reporting in similar clinical settings.
Families of the victims and the wider public continue to follow the hearings closely as the inquiry compiles evidence. Counsel and panel members will consider witness statements, including Dr Gibbs’s, as part of their work to establish an accurate account of events and to identify lessons for healthcare providers and regulators. The inquiry’s proceedings remain ongoing and further testimony is expected in coming sessions.
