Families of Lucy Letby victims use civil courts to ‘seek answers’ | UK News

Nearly 20 families of Lucy Letby’s victims are seeking compensation, nine years after the former neonatal nurse began her crimes.

A lawyer representing some of the parents said they were using the civil actions to get “explanations and answers” that were “seriously lacking.”

Tamlin Bolton, of Switalskis Solicitors, told Metro.co.uk the families have suffered a “tragedy” and are using all legal channels available.

NHS Resolution, which handles concerns and disputes, currently has 18 open compensation claims on its books, according to information released by the body following a Freedom of Information Act request.

Files relating to Letby, 34, were examined over a period from 2015 to 2016 up to the current financial year.

Data shows there were fewer than five a year ago.

The baby serial killer, who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, is currently in prison serving 15 life sentences for seven murders and seven attempted murders.

Ms Bolton, a senior associate solicitor in the clinical negligence department, said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on the progress of each individual claim.

“However, our clients at Switalskis Solicitors asked us to represent them several years ago, before any criminal charges were brought.

“Although compensation was never the goal, prior to Lucy Letby’s arrest, filing a civil lawsuit was seen as a way to uncover the truth about what happened to their children at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

“The families I represent have experienced a tragedy for which explanations and answers have been sorely lacking for several years.

“It is understandable that they now intend to use all legal avenues to establish what happened to their children and obtain justice.”

Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others, including attempting to kill one of the newborns twice.

On July 2, a retrial jury convicted her of attempting to kill a “very premature” infant named Baby K, in a hearing that followed her convictions nearly a year earlier.

According to NHS Resolution data, a total of 18 compensation claims are currently pending in Letby.

The fallout from the Letby affair also includes the ongoing Thirlwall Inquiry, which is looking into relevant events at the hospital and across the NHS.

Ms Bolton said: “Following the criminal trial there was evidence to suggest that concerns had been raised about Lucy Letby prior to police involvement.

“Of course, this was not part of the criminal proceedings against Lucy Letby.

“Lady Thirlwall has been appointed to chair a public inquiry into whether the conduct of staff and internal procedures at the Countess of Chester contributed to a failure to protect these babies from harm.”

Jo Chapman, a partner in the childhood brain injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, believes families should receive interim payments because of the ordeal they and surviving children are still going through.

“Babies who survived Lucy Letby’s attempted murder but suffered injuries they would not otherwise have suffered will receive compensation to meet their lifelong needs as a result of their avoidable injuries,” she said. “Factors such as the extent of the child’s needs and their life expectancy will influence the amount of compensation.”

“Sometimes the payment of final benefits is delayed because experts cannot definitively determine a child’s prognosis and lifelong needs.

“It is, however, crucial that these children and their families are not left without any support during this time.

“They should be able to access interim compensation payments to cover their immediate and ongoing needs until the experts make a final decision.”

In response to Metro.co.uk’s freedom of information request, NHS Resolution said compensation claims could take “years to settle and close”.

The answer is: “Claims reported/received in a given year often relate to incidents that occurred many years previously.

“Due to the nature of clinical negligence claims and the level of investigation required to resolve them, claims received and notified in a particular year may take years to be settled and closed.”

A year ago there were fewer than five claims, and NHS Resolution believed that disclosing the exact amount would breach data protection.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “Our condolences go out to the families affected. We are unable to comment further due to patient confidentiality.”

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