Inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes will not be paused, chairwoman confirms

A public inquiry into the crimes of Lucy Letby will not be halted, its chairwoman, Lady Justice Thirlwall, has ruled.

Since September 2024, the Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse from Hereford was able to murder seven babies and attempt to murder seven other infants attack at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

All of the evidence has been gathered and the final testimonies have taken place, but the hospital's former bosses, as well as Letby herself, have requested a pause to the inquiry.

They argue the inquiry is built on the assumption that Letby is guilty, but the former nurse is currently awaiting a decision from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) on her latest challenge to her multiple convictions.

On Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused both applications.

In closing submissions on Tuesday 18 March, former chief executive Tony Chambers, former medical director Ian Harvey, former director of nursing Alison Kelly and former HR director Sue Hodkinson, said there was a “real possibility” that Letby’s convictions may be overturned, and to continue the report work would be unfair to her clients.

The former senior managers have also made a parallel request to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, to suspend the inquiry on similar grounds.

Letby’s solicitors wrote to Lady Justice Thirlwall on Monday to suggest her final report would be “redundant and likely unreliable” unless proceedings were halted.

Richard Baker KC, representing families of Letby’s victims, said the applications to stop the inquiry were motivated by the desire from Britain’s most prolific child serial killer to “attempt to control the narrative” and for the executives “to avoid criticism”.

He added that there was “nothing remarkable or new” about recent medical evidence presented on her behalf.

Last month, an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists, working pro bono for Letby’s defence team, told reporters that bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to Letby.

Those findings will be passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and the former nurse’s legal team hope her case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal after two previous failed bids.

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