Lucy Letby 'agitated' by specialists' arrival, trial told

Nurse Lucy Letby became "agitated" when a team of specialists arrived to help with the treatment of a premature baby boy, her trial has heard.

Ms Letby is accused of trying to kill the boy, referred to as Child N, on three occasions at the Countess of Chester Hospital in June 2016.

The nurse is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others between 2015 and 2016.

The 33-year-old, originally from Hereford, denies 22 charges.

The prosecution allege Ms Letby made her first attempt on Child N's life on 3 June, before carrying out two more attacks 12 days later.

Child N's deteriorations were consistent with some kind of "inflicted injury" or him having received an injection of air, the jury has heard.

Manchester Crown Court heard how doctors were called to attend the baby boy on several occasions throughout the day of 15 June.

Ms Letby "called for help" after the boy's first "profound desaturation" shortly before 07:15.

Nursery nurse Jennifer Jones-Key, who was working that morning, told the court how Ms Letby, who was just beginning her shift, came onto the unit to "say hello", as the pair were friends.

Ms Jones-Key said: "I think the monitor then went off, so Lucy went over to see. [Child N] went quite pale, I think he'd stopped breathing."

The nurse said she assisted Ms Letby with breathing support until doctors arrived.

The court heard how medics struggled to fit Child N with a breathing tube due to help unexplained "swelling" in his throat.

The tube was eventually fitted and the boy stabilised for several hours before crashing again that afternoon.

Ms Letby's nursing note from 14:50 that day recorded that Child N "became apnoeic" and that there was "fresh blood" around his mouth.

Doctors again struggled to insert a breathing tube, the court heard.

At 19:40 there was a further "profound desaturation" and Child N required resuscitation and six doses of adrenaline before he stabilised.

A doctor, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she remembered Ms Letby being "agitated" when a team of specialists from Alder Hey Hospital arrived to help with Child N's treatment.

She said: "She approached me a few times and said 'who are these people, who are these people?'.

"From working alongside the nurses and doctors at Chester, I felt that it was out of character from what I'd experienced previously in a medical emergency."

In a message to a colleague that evening, Ms Letby said: "[Child N] poorly, bled again and became apnoeic. Two anaesthetic consultants failed to intubate.

"Sat having a quiet moment and want to cry."

In a message to another colleague, Ms Letby said she was "losing the will".

In his opening address last October to the jury, Ben Myers KC, defending, said Child N was another baby who received "sub-optimal care" - not from the defendant - and should have been treated elsewhere at a specialist "tertiary" unit.

Questioning Ms Letby's former colleague Ms Jones-Key, Mr Myers asked if in her opinion, Ms Letby was a "capable and hard working nurse". She agreed.

Mr Myers asked, to her knowledge, whether Ms Letby only gave "the highest level of care" to the babies assigned to her.

Ms Jones-Key responded: "Yes, definitely."

The trial continues.

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