The killer nurse Lucy Letby is at the centre of a long-awaited inquiry report examining how she was able to murder seven babies and attempt to murder seven others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Lady Justice Thirlwall is set to publish the findings of the inquiry in Liverpool, almost a year later than originally anticipated. The report examines events at the hospital surrounding the crimes for which Letby was convicted between June 2015 and June 2016.
Letby, 36, is serving 15 whole-life orders after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others. One of the babies she was convicted of attempting to murder was targeted twice.
Inquiry Examines How Killer Nurse Was Able to Commit Crimes
The Thirlwall Inquiry was launched in 2023 following Letby’s convictions. Its purpose is not to decide whether the killer nurse was guilty, but to examine how concerns about her were handled and whether her crimes could have been prevented.
Lady Thirlwall heard evidence at Liverpool Town Hall between September 2024 and February 2025, including testimony from the parents of babies who were victims of Letby.
The inquiry was established to provide answers for the victims’ families and identify lessons that could prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The publication of the report has been delayed by almost a year, adding to the anticipation surrounding its findings. The delay has also affected inquests into the deaths of six babies Letby was convicted of murdering, with those proceedings postponed until May next year.
The case has attracted intense attention because it raises questions about how a healthcare professional could remain in a position to care for vulnerable babies while concerns were being raised about her conduct.
Experts Withdraw From Killer Nurse Defence Team
While the Thirlwall Inquiry is not reviewing Letby’s convictions, questions surrounding the evidence used against the killer nurse continue to be considered by other bodies.
Letby was twice denied permission to appeal in 2024. However, the Criminal Cases Review Commission is considering evidence submitted by an international panel of medical experts.
A significant development came on Monday when Professor Geoff Chase of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and chemical engineer Helen Shannon withdrew from Letby’s defence team.
The experts had previously produced a 100-page report that cast doubt on the convictions relating to two babies whom prosecutors said had been poisoned with insulin.
Despite leaving the defence team, the pair continue to maintain that it was “very unlikely” that the two babies were poisoned.
However, they raised concerns about some of the arguments being advanced on Letby’s behalf, saying they were “inconsistent with the available evidence, science and established physiology”.
Their decision to withdraw has added another layer to the continuing debate over the evidence surrounding the killer nurse and the convictions against her.
Letby’s defence lawyer Mark McDonald described their departure as “sad that they’ve gone”, while stressing that the experts still believed “Lucy Letby is innocent”.
Lucy Letby Case Raises Wider Questions
The forthcoming report is expected to examine the sequence of events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the response to concerns raised by staff.
The inquiry will consider how those concerns were communicated, how hospital management responded and whether different decisions could have prevented further harm.
It will also examine the experiences of the families whose babies died or were harmed.
The case has drawn comparisons with the earlier case of Beverley Allitt, who was convicted of murdering and harming children while working on a children’s ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital.
The Thirlwall Inquiry comes almost 25 years after the Allitt case and is expected to consider what lessons healthcare institutions should learn from the circumstances surrounding Letby.
Doctor Mark Deakin Named
Another development surrounding the inquiry concerns consultant paediatrician Dr Mark Deakin, who died in July.
Dr Deakin had previously been granted lifelong anonymity before Letby’s trial. He has now been named publicly and was described as the doctor accused of being Letby’s “crush”.
His involvement is among the details receiving renewed attention as the inquiry examines the relationships and decisions surrounding the neonatal unit.
The inquiry is expected to provide a detailed account of the circumstances in which concerns about the killer nurse emerged and how those concerns were dealt with by hospital officials.
What the Thirlwall Inquiry Will Reveal
The report is not expected to determine whether Letby’s convictions should be overturned. That issue remains separate from the work of the Thirlwall Inquiry and could ultimately be considered through the criminal justice system.
Instead, Lady Thirlwall’s investigation focuses on what happened inside the hospital and whether institutional failures contributed to the circumstances in which Letby was able to commit the offences for which she was convicted.
For the families of the babies involved, the report is expected to answer fundamental questions about what happened to their children and why concerns raised by medical staff did not lead to earlier intervention.
The inquiry’s findings could also have implications for hospitals across the UK, particularly in relation to how concerns about individual healthcare professionals are escalated and investigated.
The central issue is not simply the actions of the killer nurse, but the system around her and whether the warning signs were recognised and acted upon quickly enough.
The report will therefore be closely watched by Letby’s victims’ families, medical professionals, hospital administrators and those involved in reviewing her convictions.
For families who have spent years seeking answers, the publication represents an important moment in understanding how the crimes occurred and whether they could have been stopped.
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The Thirlwall Inquiry was never established to retry Lucy Letby. Its wider purpose is to establish what happened, understand how concerns were handled and draw lessons from one of the most serious cases involving a healthcare worker in modern British history.
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