Lucy Letby's trial resumes at Manchester Crown Court this morning. We're continuing to hear evidence in relation to Child G. Ms Letby is accused of attempting to murder the baby three times at the Countess of Chester Hospital in September 2015
Ben Myers KC, defending, is questioning a former nursing colleague of Ms Letby about the events of 21 September 2015. Child G had projectile vomited and had difficulty breathing on the morning of that day.
Yesterday, the nurse told the court that Ms Letby shouted for help with Child G on the afternoon of 21 September. The nurse responded and noticed that the monitor had been switched off, which was "not normal protocol", but refuted any suggestion Ms Letby had turned it off.
She explained to Mr Myers that two doctors had apologised to her, as they had not switched the monitor back on. She agreed that the monitors should have been turned back on.
Dr Peter Fielding, who was a senior house officer on the Countess of Chester neonatal unit in 2015, is now in the witness box
The court is now being shown Dr Fielding's notes from the morning of 21 September when Child G fell ill. They start with a summary of the baby's health, notes she is premature and has chronic lung disease. Also notes medicines that she was on at the time.
Dr Fielding, in questioning from Mr Myers, says he didn't witness the projectile vomiting incident and by the time he arrived on the unit Child G was 'recovering'
Dr John Gibbs, who was working as a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester in 2015, is now in the witness box.
Dr Gibbs tells the court he attended the neonatal unit and examined Child G after she had projectile vomited and her blood saturations fell to 30%. Dr Gibbs described that as a 'severe desaturation'
Dr Gibbs said: 'It’s just unusual for a premature baby who had been feeding entirely satisfactorily since returning from Arrowe Park Hospital to be projectile vomiting'
Dr Gibbs is recalling the difficulty of fitting a cannula on Child G on the afternoon of 21 September. He said given the level of intensive care she had had in her life, it was difficult to find a vein
Dr Gibbs says he cannot remember what room or what type of cot Child G was in, he also cannot remember what he did after fitting the cannula (given this is seven years ago)
Asked if she was attached to a monitor, he can't remember but says 'given her problems she should have been on monitoring yes'
He says if a sensor from the monitor is taken off a baby's body part - in order to fit a canula - then it should be fitted to another body part. He says 'it shouldn't be left off'...he adds that there 'shouldn't be no monitoring at all'
Asked what he did after the cannula was fitted, he says that he doesn't remember but he wouldn't have left Child G alone. He says he would have alerted a nurse on the unit. Asked if there was any subsequent conversations, he says he 'can't remember'
Mr Myers is now questioning Dr Gibbs. He asks the medic whether gastro-oesophageal reflux, that Child G was suffering with, could cause projectile vomiting - he says 'possibly'
Mr Myers is now asking about the monitor. He asks Dr Gibbs if the monitor is switched off during cannulation - he says 'it shouldn't be'....he adds that he can't remember what happened with Child G's monitor on 21 September
Dr Gibbs agrees that it would be a 'serious error' for a baby to be left behind a screen, detached from a monitor and no nursing staff told - but says he cannot remember if he did this
Mr Myers puts it to him that this is what happened and cites evidence from a nurse, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said he and another doctor apologised for doing this. Dr Gibbs says he cannot remember, but adds if the nurse said this then 'it must have happened'
Senior nurse Caroline Bennion is now in the witness box.
Ms Bennion is being cross examined by Mr Myers KC about her recollection of the events of 21 September. She is being taken back over the clinical notes from that day
Ms Bennion says she does not have a recollection of 'who was doing what' at 15:30 that day (when Child G was cannulated)
Ms Bennion agrees that as Child G was an extremely premature baby she 'did have the potential at any stage to deteriorate'
Eirian Powell, who was the neonatal manager at the Countess of Chester in 2015, is now giving evidence. She is being asked about the events of 21 September. She tells the court she was due to give Child G her immunisations that day
She says that there was 'some instability' with Child G's temperature and was told she 'wasn’t well enough at that time', so the immunisations were withheld
Other than her immunisations, Ms Powell said she cannot remember any other issues reported to her with Child G
Statements from expert witnesses are now being read to the court. The first was from Prof Simon Kenny and second Dr Stavros Stivaros. These statements are agreed evidence, meaning defence agree with content
Court now adjourned, back tomorrow.
