Giving evidence yesterday Sir Robert Francis KC said ‘there ought to be a means of disqualifying someone from being the chief officer or senior director or a director of an NHS organisation'.

Sir Robert highlighted the powers of the General Medical Council to bring to book senior doctors but added: ‘There is no such, no such procedure for the non-clinical manager and the result I'm afraid is that people who haven't done terribly well, one way or the other, may leave one job.

‘You will then find they crop up in another job because there is no overall certification as to whether someone is a fit and proper person at any given time to do these roles.

‘So I am in favour of there being a system of regulation that at least has that element to it.'

Letby is serving 15 life sentences for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven more between June 2015 and 2016.

The inquiry is expected to sit until early 2025 with findings published in autumn of next year.