The former NHS chief executive at the centre of concerns that hospital bosses ignored warnings about serial killer Lucy Letby was briefly in charge of Cornwall's hospitals after leaving the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Tony Chambers – who has said he will fully cooperate with any post-trial inquiry – was interim chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) for just five months from August 2021, three years after he stepped down from his role in Chester shortly after the arrest of Letby. Questions are now being asked about the Cornish Trust's recruiting process.

Nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty last week of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder another six babies. She was sentenced today and given a whole-life order due to the seriousness of the offences.

The government has ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind Letby's murders. A BBC investigation found that hospital bosses ignored doctors' warnings about Letby. The hospital also delayed calling the police despite months of warnings that the nurse may have been killing babies.

The BBC found that in January 2017 seven consultants on the neonatal unit at Chester – who had aired concerns about the killer – were summoned to a meeting with senior managers, including the hospital's CEO, Tony Chambers.

Lead consultant Dr Stephen Brearey says Mr Chambers told them he had spent a lot of time with Letby and her father and had apologised to them, saying Letby had done nothing wrong. Mr Chambers denies saying Letby had done nothing wrong. He said he was paraphrasing her father.

According to the doctor's account, Mr Chambers also insisted the consultants apologise to Letby and warned them that a line had been drawn and there would be "consequences" if they crossed it. Mr Chambers told the Panorama programme his comments to consultants had been taken out of context and that prompt action had been taken after he was first told of serious concerns in June 2016 – including reviews of deaths.

Mr Chambers said in a statement after Letby's conviction: "All my thoughts are with the children at the heart of this case and their families and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. I am truly sorry for what all the families have gone through. The crimes are appalling and I am deeply saddened by what has come to light. As chief executive, my focus was on the safety of the baby unit and the well-being of patients and staff.

"I was open and inclusive as I responded to information and guidance. There are always lessons to be learned and the best place for this to be achieved would be through an independent inquiry. I will cooperate fully and openly."

Mr Chambers stepped down from his chief executive job at Chester in September 2018, shortly after Letby's initial arrest. Sir Duncan Nichol, the Countess of Chester's chairman, said the decision was not linked to the probe into Letby.

Since then, Mr Chambers has held directorships at a series of other NHS trusts – commuting home to Lancashire at the weekends. He was appointed interim chief executive at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in December 2019, on a salary of more than £210,000 a year, before moving to the same position at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in August 2021, during which time he earned £100,000.

He left that role in January 2022, after full-time chief executive Steve Williamson was announced as joining the trust in October 2021. Mr Williamson, who had been running hospitals in Australia, has been in the post since Mr Chambers left.

We asked the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust about Mr Chamber's five-month tenure and for any details of a compensation package he may have received.

A spokesperson for RCHT simply said: "Tony Chambers was employed as interim chief executive at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from August 2021 and left in January 2022 when a permanent appointment was made." The trust pointed out that interim posts do not qualify for any severance payments.

In July 2021, RCHT issued a press release about Mr Chamber's appointment, in which it said Mr Chambers is "a highly experienced leader with a track record of managing large-scale acute hospital services".

Speaking of his role overseeing Cornwall's hospitals, Mr Chambers said at the time: "I am delighted to be joining a trust that is so focused on looking after its workforce and on continually improving the care it offers the population it serves. I've been struck by the warmth of the welcome I've received from staff I've spoken to already and I'm looking forward to meeting many more colleagues in the months ahead.

"As well as helping RCHT address the challenges that lie ahead, I am keen to work with our health and social care partners so that, together, we can maximise the benefits we offer our residents in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly."

In early 2022, after leaving RCHT, Mr Chamber became a director at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust, in charge of opening a new hospital. He took the helm of Queen Victoria NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead in February, again as interim chief executive, and stepped down in June, when a permanent replacement was found.