A former NHS chief executive who led the trust where serial child killer Lucy Letby worked has been awarded £1.4 million in damages after an employment tribunal found she was unfairly dismissed.
A Landmark Payout for NHS Whistleblower
Dr Susan Gilby, the former chief executive of the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, received one of the largest ever payouts to a former NHS employee. The ruling, made in February 2025, concluded she was forced out of her role after making a formal whistleblowing complaint.
Dr Gilby took over leadership of the trust in 2018, just weeks after Letby's arrest, and steered the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in December 2022, she was suspended from her position.
She subsequently took her case to an employment tribunal, which heard that in July 2022 she had submitted a grievance against the trust's then chairman, Ian Haythornthwaite. She alleged bullying, harassment, and undermining behaviour.
"No Amount of Money Can Compensate Me"
Speaking about the outcome, Dr Gilby expressed profound sadness over the treatment she endured. "I am deeply saddened that, having raised a protected disclosure in good faith, I was treated in such an appalling manner that I had no choice other than to seek justice," she stated.
She emphasised the personal and professional cost, adding: "I am yet to receive any meaningful apology from the trust for the harm caused to me or for the needless ending of my career. No amount of money can compensate me for the devastation of losing my career in this appalling manner."
Her legal representative, lead solicitor Ian Radford, confirmed the trust had agreed to the £1.4 million settlement. A further hearing scheduled for February will consider additional legal costs. Radford noted the case highlights a wider issue, stating there are "numerous other NHS whistleblowers" with little hope of similar justice.
Broader Calls for Cultural Change in the NHS
The British Medical Association (BMA) strongly criticised the trust's "appalling behaviour." Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA council chair, said the case must serve as a warning and called for an end to the "corrosive" culture that punishes those who speak up.
"The horrific scale of this cover-up shows the length that some trusts are willing to go to in an attempt to silence doctors," Dr Dolphin said in a statement.
The tribunal's decision underscores ongoing concerns about the treatment of whistleblowers within the National Health Service. The Countess of Chester NHS Trust, which has been at the centre of intense scrutiny since the Lucy Letby murders, was contacted for comment regarding the payout and the allegations.
