Lucy Letby inquiry set to publish report after serial killer nurse murdered seven babies

Lucy Letby inquiry set to publish report after serial killer nurse murdered seven babies The public inquiry - chaired by Lady Justice Thirlwall - is examining whether hospital bosses failed to act fast enough when suspicions were raised The inquiry into killer nurse Lucy Letby is due to report today - looking to answer the key question: could more have been done to stop her? Serial killer Letby, 36, was convicted of killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven more, with two attempts on one of her victims, while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. The public inquiry - chaired by Lady Justice Thirlwall - is examining whether hospital bosses failed to act fast enough when suspicions were raised. It is expected to highlight a number of missed opportunities for bosses to intervene after doctors raised the alarm about a spate of unexplained baby deaths on the neonatal unit. Letby was convicted of killing and harming babies by injecting air into their blood, poisoning them with insulin, and overfeeding them with milk. After months of hearings, including reviewing thousands of emails, text messages and handwritten notes, the findings of her inquiry will be published, almost a year later than originally anticipated. Letby received 15 whole-life orders across two trials at Manchester crown court. Lady Justice Thirlwall said she had “approached the inquiry on the basis that Lucy Letby is guilty of the crimes of which she has been convicted”. Lawyers for the families say irrespective of Letby’s convictions, “serious failures” at the hospital, and the way in which managers handled concerns, must not be repeated elsewhere. The inquiry is expected to look at a range of issues, including Letby’s parents threatening hospital executives and her relationship with Dr Mark Deakin, who prosecutors referred to at her trial as her “boyfriend”. He was found collapsed in his car in June, the day after he was dismissed from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, for exchanging messages with the baby killer about a child she tried to murder. He died nine days later. The inquiry could make a range of recommendations, including procedures that need to be followed when deliberate harm is suspected and the regulations surrounding hospital executives. It could also look at introducing new controls on the storage of insulin. The report is also expected to expose the number of recommendations made by public inquiries into more than 30 previous NHS scandals, which have not been followed. Analysis by the inquiry's legal team showed that, of more than 1,400 recommendations made by previous healthcare-related inquiries, the majority have not been clearly implemented. A criminal investigation into three hospital executives is still underway by Cheshire Police. They were previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and one has since been rearrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Letby is currently attempting to challenge her convictions. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the UK’s miscarriage of justice watchdog, is considering a dossier of evidence submitted last year by experts on her behalf.