‘Complete failure’ to protect babies from killer nurse Lucy Letby, inquiry finds

Thirlwall Inquiry/PA Wire

By Kim Pilling, Eleanor Barlow and Josh Payne, PA Media

Some babies could have been saved from death and harm at the hands of Lucy Letby if safeguarding action had been taken earlier, an inquiry prompted by the child serial killer’s crimes has found.

The Thirlwall Inquiry was launched in 2023 in the wake of the former nurse’s multiple convictions for murder and attempted murder of infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Publishing her final report, Lady Justice Thirlwall (pictured) concluded there was "a complete failure" to protect babies on the neonatal unit, despite doctors raising repeated concerns.

No-one seemed to have understood that "safeguarding action is required when a member of staff is suspected of causing deliberate harm and does not require colleagues to be sure of guilt", she said.

The inquiry found dysfunctional management and governance, a gulf between hospital leadership and clinicians, and failure to understand the fundamentals of safeguarding, she continued.

Lady Justice Thirlwall, one of the country’s most senior judges, went on: “How many lives could have been saved had the hospital acted differently? This is something we will never know for sure.