- Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to murder seven others at Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
- The Thirlwall Inquiry was launched after Letby's conviction and heard from over 130 witnesses over six months.
- The final report, published on Tuesday, concluded that some deaths could have been prevented and identified a 'complete failure at all levels'.
- Consultant paediatrician Dr John Gibbs stated that the inquiry makes for grim reading and admitted, 'we failed the babies'.
- Letby was convicted in 2023 of seven murders and six attempted murders, and was later retried and convicted of another attempted murder in July.
- The inquiry found that hospital managers had repeatedly dismissed consultants' concerns and that the police 'should have been notified earlier'.
- Justice Kathryn Thirlwall emphasized that some babies would have been saved if action had been taken earlier.
Justice Kathryn Thirlwall's inquiry into the Countess of Chester Hospital has exposed a systematic failure to protect vulnerable infants, leading to the tragic murders by nurse Lucy Letby. The report, spanning 822 pages, highlights a "complete failure at all levels" to act on concerns raised by medical staff.1212
Thirlwall stated that some babies could have been saved if hospital staff had intervened sooner when infants began collapsing. She emphasized that parents were kept in the dark for years regarding the potential harm to their children, which she described as "reprehensible". The inquiry found that police should have been notified earlier about the suspicious deaths, but hospital management repeatedly dismissed concerns from consultants.
Consultant paediatrician Dr. John Gibbs, who worked at the hospital during the critical period, expressed regret, stating, "I wish we consultants had been brave enough to follow our suspicions and escalate things to the police earlier". He acknowledged the tense atmosphere among staff, where management insisted that Letby was wrongly suspected of wrongdoing.
Letby, now serving a life sentence for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others, was the only staff member present during the incidents. The inquiry's findings raise serious questions about the hospital's protocols and the treatment of families affected by these tragic events.
“The report found that police should have been notified earlier and that hospital managers repeatedly dismissed consultants' concerns. Dr John Gibbs admitted 'we failed the babies' and apologized to families, while the Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently reviewing Letby's convictions.”
CBS News
bbc.com
