Have you had sight of the RCPCH report?
It outlines the initial concerns over the neonatal mortality rate from June 2015 and how the hospital reviewed a number of deaths prior to inviting the RCPCH in to review the neonatal unit in July 2016, as a further response to the mortality concerns. The final report was published in November 2016.
The extract from the RCPCH report below is of interest. In my view the 'no obvious factors' comment is one which implies a consideration of deliberate harm.
3.10 The review team agreed that there were no obvious factors which linked the deaths and that circumstances in the unit were not materially different from those which might be found in many other neonatal units within the UK.
Here is an extract from the Guardian in June 2019.
Letby, originally from Hereford, had worked at the hospital for seven years and was training to work with babies in intensive care when she was detained last July. It is understood she was suspended a year earlier and before this she had been removed from clinical duties and placed in an administrative role.
Lucy Letby held on suspicion of eight murders and nine attempted murders of babies
www.theguardian.com
The police were originally approached by the CoCH in May 2017 and LL was first arrested in July 2018. Therefore she must have been suspended around the time the police were first contacted in May 2017.
@gill1109 mentioned previously that he recalled mention of the mortality rate abating during a period when LL was on holiday.
There were obviously huge concerns regarding the mortality, which only increased when no obvious cause could be readily identified and prompted the consideration of foul play.
If there were factors that collectively shone a light on LL then in such circumstances the hospital authorities have little choice but to act and in this case they initially moved LL to admin duties, which is effectively the least they could do.
They will have been aware of the potential for legal challenge and maybe ultimately an Employment Tribunal, but in the circumstances, if the decision making process is well documented then they will probably be seen to have acted with proportionality.
It's a case of damned if they do, damned if they don't. No doubt the merest concern about a nurse being implicated in the death of a patient will have the hospital authorities closing down the possibility of a repeat.
Suspension once suspected of a criminal offence in the workplace or one that could impact patient safeguarding/staff safety is also entirely proportionate and if they could interfere with witnesses, evidence or otherwise undermine the investigation.
I have consistently had NHS staff suspended immediately, once I am investigating them for less serious criminal offences. Of course they can appeal the decision but none ever have.
