dr. Susan Gilby became chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in August 2018, shortly after the arrest of nurse Lucy Letby, who was later convicted of killing seven children and attempting to murder seven others[1][2][3]. In July 2022, Gilby made a complaint of bullying, harassment and undermining behavior by the trust's chairman, Ian Haythornthwaite[1][3]. An employment tribunal ruled in February 2025 that the trust had unfairly dismissed her following this complaint[3]. Non-executive directors Ken Gill and Ros Fallon drew up a plan, code-named Project Countess, to remove her, including deleting hundreds of messages and documents[2]. Gilby was suspended and expelled from her job in December 2022, denying her access to the documents[1][5]. The trust was ordered to pay her £1.4 million in damages for unfair dismissal[1][2][3]. Gilby stated that this was a protected notice and she was forced to seek justice through the courts[2][3]. The British Medical Association described the trust's behavior as appalling and warned of prosecution for bullying whistleblowers[2][3].