An inquiry into the handling of concerns about neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has revealed new details about her conduct, describing her as "repeatedly untruthful" and "inappropriate and callous" in her dealings with colleagues and patients. Letby, who is serving life sentences for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, has consistently maintained her innocence.
The Thirlwall Inquiry, established to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016, was not tasked with re-examining Letby's guilt. Instead, it focused on how concerns regarding her actions were managed and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the harm to babies.
According to the report, some babies' deaths and near-deaths could have been avoided if safeguarding practices had been properly followed. The inquiry also shed light on Letby's professional history. Early performance assessments noted areas for improvement, including communication with families and drug calculations. While one tutor reported no academic concerns and a nurse described her as "one of the best students she had mentored," significant concerns were raised during her final placement. The deputy ward manager characterized Letby as "quiet, withdrawn and struggled to build relationships with children, families and colleagues." Letby failed a mid-year assessment and a structured clinical examination before eventually passing and qualifying as a registered children's nurse in 2011.
The report highlighted specific instances of Letby's behavior. The mother of a baby Letby murdered and another she attempted to kill described the loss of "two thriving little boys" in "the space of a couple of hours." After one baby's death, Letby reportedly told the mother, who asked why her baby was still in the incubator, "You haven't told us to take him." Lady Justice Thirlwall deemed this remark to a bereaved mother "shockingly cold and unfeeling."
Further details emerged regarding falsified medical records. Letby omitted information about a baby's distress and blood in her notes, and also failed to record a mother's visit. In another case, a baby in Letby's care was found covered in faeces, prompting a complaint from the parents.
Letby, from Hereford, has been denied permission to appeal her convictions twice in 2024. The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently considering new evidence presented by a panel of international medics, who suggest that poor medical care and natural causes were responsible for the babies' collapses. Supporters of Letby have gathered outside Liverpool Town Hall, calling for her release, prior to the inquiry's findings being delivered.