The report from Lady Justice Thirlwall into the conduct of former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been published in Liverpool on Tuesday morning, concluding a public inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital that preceded criminal convictions.
Background and convictions
Letby, aged 36, is serving 15 whole‑life orders after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court of the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of seven others. The offences related to events that occurred between June 2015 and June 2016 at neonatal units at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
The Thirlwall Inquiry was established to examine the circumstances and systems that allowed the events to occur and considered evidence over several months of hearings. Publication of the report was delayed and has appeared almost a year later than originally anticipated.
Parallel processes and outstanding legal matters
The publication comes while several other processes remain active. Inquests into the deaths of six of the babies for which Letby was convicted were postponed and have been rescheduled for May next year following the decision to withhold the inquiry report until September.
Letby has been refused permission to appeal against her convictions on two occasions in 2024. Separately, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body that examines potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence submitted on Letby’s behalf by an international panel of medical experts. Defence counsel has also submitted numerous expert reports to that body.
Defence objections and expert disagreements
Members of Letby’s defence team have been publicly critical of the inquiry’s premises. Defence lawyer Mark McDonald has told broadcasters that he believes expert evidence submitted to the CCRC undermines the safety of the convictions and that the inquiry may have proceeded on an incorrect assumption if Letby is innocent.
"If she is innocent, as I believe, as 30‑odd experts believe, then everything that has gone before the inquiry and every recommendation has operated on the wrong premise," Mr McDonald said.
The defence camp has also experienced internal disputes: two experts who had been instructed to assist the defence withdrew from the team, citing concerns about the "scientific credibility" of some evidence, according to published reports.
Implications and areas of interest
The Thirlwall report is likely to inform a range of responses, from changes in hospital procedures and oversight to possible recommendations for investigatory and prosecutorial practice. It will also be scrutinised by the CCRC as it considers the expert material put forward by the defence.
Observers will watch closely how the findings influence the scheduled inquests and whether they prompt any further legal applications or policy changes. The delayed inquests into six deaths remain a separate statutory process and will proceed in light of the published inquiry report.
- Venue of inquiry: Countess of Chester Hospital (events examined by Thirlwall Inquiry)
- Convictions: seven murders and seven attempted murders (June 2015–June 2016)
- Custodial sentence: 15 whole‑life orders
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age of defendant | 36 |
| Convictions | 7 murders; 7 attempted murders |
| Sentence | 15 whole‑life orders |
| Period of offences considered | June 2015–June 2016 |
The publication represents a significant milestone in a case that has attracted intense public and professional scrutiny. While the inquiry report will set out findings and, probably, recommendations, other statutory processes — notably the CCRC review and the delayed inquests — will continue to determine how the criminal convictions, evidential disputes and institutional lessons are addressed going forward.
Reporting restrictions and ongoing legal processes mean that parties involved should be considered innocent of any allegations until and unless a court or appropriate authority determines otherwise. The CCRC's consideration of fresh expert material means the matter will remain of interest to both legal and medical communities as they assess the intersections of evidence, procedure and patient safety.
