Nurse Lucy Letby ‘thought caring was healthy babies was “boring” and was upset at move from intensive care ward’
A NURSE accused of murdering seven babies found caring for healthy tots “boring” and did not want to leave intensive care, a court heard.
Lucy Letby, 33, allegedly embarked on a year-long killing spree while working on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Jurors heard how the unit was split into four rooms – intensive care in nursery one, high dependency care in nursery two and the “outside nurseries” in rooms three and four for babies preparing to home.
Letby allegedly argued with a senior colleague when she was asked to work in one of the outside nurseries.
She was also “unhappy” if made to work shifts in either room three or four, it was said.
Senior nurse Kathryn Percival-Calderbank told Manchester Crown Court: “She expressed that she was unhappy at being put in the outside nurseries.
“She said it was boring and she didn’t want to feed babies. She wanted to be in intensive care”.
Jurors heard how staff, including Letby, would “migrate” to the intensive care room to assist if “anything was going on”.
But Ms Percival-Calderbank said: “It was more that we were worried for Lucy’s mental health because it can be upsetting, emotional and sometimes exhausting as well at the end of a shift, if you’re constantly put in that stressed situation all the time.
“Sometimes you’ve got to come out of that environment and be in an outside nursery.”
The nurse recalled the alleged argument in June 2016 where Letby was said to be “upset” at the shift allocation.
Jurors were told she went into the outside nurseries but was “not happy with the decision”.
When asked if the nurse “made it plain” that she preferred working in intensive care, Ms Percival-Calderbank agreed.
The court heard previously Letby was a “constant malevolent presence” on the neonatal ward.
She allegedly murdered seven babies and attempted to kill ten others between June 2015 and June 2016.
Some of the newborns were repeatedly targeted by the nurse – including one baby Letby is alleged to have killed after three previous failed attempts.
Consultants at the hospital grew suspicious of the “significant rise” in the number of babies dying or suffering “catastrophic” collapses.
Letby denies all 22 charges, which are said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016.
A court order prohibits identifying the surviving and deceased children and prohibits identifying parents or witnesses connected with the babies.
The trial continues.