Hospital managers criticized for failing to report rise in neonatal deaths to watchdog

An inquiry has revealed that hospital managers at the Countess of Chester failed to report a rise in neonatal deaths to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during a 2016 inspection. This occurred nine months after Lucy Letby began her crimes. CQC director Ann Ford criticized the hospital for not being transparent about the "unexplained and unexpected" deaths. She stated that the hospital had a professional obligation to inform inspectors about these serious concerns. The inquiry also noted that important records from the inspection, including meetings with senior managers, have been lost or destroyed. Ford acknowledged the CQC's shortcomings in managing disclosures and indicated a need for improvements.