Families say government must fully implement findings of inquiry into killer nurse Lucy Letby

Families say government must fully implement findings of inquiry into killer nurse Lucy Letby The final report from the Thirlwall Inquiry, which examined how serial killer Letby was able to commit her crimes on a hospital neonatal unit, is set to be released next week Families of children harmed by Lucy Letby say the government must fully implement the recommendations of the inquiry into the killer nurse. The final report from the Thirlwall Inquiry, which examined how serial killer Letby was able to commit her crimes on a hospital neonatal unit, is set to be released next week. The families of Letby’s victims have been waiting years for answers - with their lawyers saying it will make “difficult reading” for them. The inquiry examined events at the Countess of Chester hospital’s neonatal unit where Letby was a nurse between 2015 and 2016. Consultants repeatedly raised concerns that Letby, now 36, may have been behind a series of unexplained deaths before she was arrested. Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims. One of the core aims of the Inquiry, set up in September 2023, was to consider how an NHS Trust responds to, reacts and treats concerns raised by staff of serious criminal actions in its own hospital. This included how external bodies consider and review unexplained deaths, how parents and families are dealt with in relation to the duty of candour and how whistleblowers are treated and protected. The purpose of the Inquiry was not to consider the convictions of Lucy Letby, rather it takes the background of her convictions as the starting point. Specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, representing seven children harmed by Lucy Letby, said the publication of the inquiry’s findings will be an important and difficult moment for everyone affected. This includes the families, former and current NHS staff, and those who have contributed to the inquiry's work. They said the report may produce some concerning conclusions about the approach taken to whistleblowers in the NHS along with the approach to safeguarding and serious event reporting policies from senior staff and management within the national health system. Tamlin Bolton, from Irwin Mitchell lawyer representing several families, said the report’s publication will be a moment of significance for bereaved families and those whose babies were harmed. She said: “The publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry’s findings will likely be difficult reading for our clients and for everyone affected by Lucy Letby’s actions who have already had to go through both a criminal trial and several months of evidence for this Inquiry. “For the families we represent, this Inquiry has always been about understanding how these devastating events were able to happen and ensuring that meaningful lessons are learned. “While no system can guarantee the prevention of criminal acts by a determined individual, patients, families and clinicians are entitled to expect that their concerns will be listened to and that those concerns will be investigated properly and acted upon.” She added: “The key questions are whether the systems, culture and governance within our NHS were sufficiently robust to identify risks and respond to them appropriately and where, in this instance, those systems have failed. “With the families, we will consider Lady Justice Thirlwall's findings carefully, but whatever the detail of the report, it is vital that lessons are learned and any recommendations are implemented by the UK Government so that confidence in patient safety is strengthened. “Families need to have confidence that everything possible is being done to prevent similar failings happening again, whether in Chester or elsewhere in the NHS.” The inquiry’s full findings are due to be published on Tuesday, September 15, in Liverpool at 12.30pm.