The lessons to be learned from the Lucy Letby case
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What are the key findings of the Thirlwall inquiry into the Lucy Letby case?
Lucy Letby is a thirty-six-year-old former neonatal nurse serving fifteen whole life prison terms for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven more in England. Last week, senior judge uh Justice Catherine Thirlwall, who carried out an inquiry into the case, published a range of recommendations aimed at improving the safety of babies in neonatal care. The inquiry didn't seek to examine Lebbey's Guilt or reconsider the conviction, focusing instead on whether the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked, could have done more to prevent the deaths. But Letby continues to plead innocence and is fighting to overturn her conviction. Political figures, medical experts, and her defense team have argued that the babies died from natural causes, the result of severe failings in hospital care rather than deliberate harm.
Well, Chris Fitzpatrick is a clinical profession. Professor in UCD, a retired consultant, obstetrician and gynecologist and former master of the Coombe Hospital. He's been writing about the Thurlwell report and its findings, among them greater surveillance and neonatal units.
Good morning, David.
Uh you wrote an interesting piece in the Irish Times uh earlier this week on the issue. Now one of the recommendations uh is the fitting of baby monitors in all cots and incubators in neonatal units, as well as C C T V cameras focused on insulin storage fridges. Can we start there? Is that what is required now to prevent infant deaths in neonatal units in England?
I think the unfortunate thing about the uh thorwell inquiry report is that it's based on the premise that Lucy Ledby uh was guilty of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of another seven.
How might installing baby‑monitor cameras in neonatal units improve safety?
So that's the premise. Yeah,
well she was found guilty by a court of law.
She was she was found guilty. I think what what has happened is that the the report has failed to take into consideration and there were appeals uh to the judge and also to the home secretary to take into account the the volume of information that has come out since the the the court cases and there were two court cases uh that blend very strong argument to the fact that uh as as you said, that no crimes were in fact committed. Uh and that these babies died from poor medical care and natural c causes, i.e., the underlying conditions that they had. These were high risk babies. And the the provision of of camcorders in cuts and incubators and in storage fridge is not actually going to address the underlying problem that caused the death of these babies.
So it is a kind of a a a response to a conviction. A conviction that is currently being examined by the Criminal Case Review Commission. Yeah. And there is serious doubt in relation to the safety of that conviction. I guess I think you have to look at the Chester the Council of Chester Hospital, because there is a context in which this happened. The case mix of babies that were being looked after, and also the skill mix of the consultants that were looking after these babies.
Why do some experts argue that the conviction of Lucy Letby is unsafe?
And David, it's really important to emphasize that this report, the Tearwell report, has come out three months within three months of two damning reports in relation to maternity and neonatal services in Nottingham and in the UK and in England. So there is a context in which this happened. In in the other reports there's no mention or there's no reference to any deliberate medical harm. I think that unfortunately the report and this recommendation is premature.
Mm, okay. We'll come back to some of those issues you've raised, but just in in relation to Lucy Letby, Chris, because a lot of listeners will feel that you're taking a position that directly challenges a verdict reached by a jury in a trial, accepted by the British courts, and many of the bereaved parents continue to believe that their children were killed by Lucy Leppie. What would what would you say to them?
Well firstly I I I have to acknowledge the um the extreme trauma that the parents have gone through and and this has been a nightmarish situation for them uh in relation to the trial, in relation to the questions that have emerged since the trial and in relation to the Pirwell inquiry.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the key findings of the Thirlwall inquiry into the Lucy Letby case?
0:00–1:39
2
How might installing baby‑monitor cameras in neonatal units improve safety?
1:39–3:04
3
Why do some experts argue that the conviction of Lucy Letby is unsafe?
3:04–5:00
4
What does the statistical and swipe‑card evidence say about Letby’s presence at the scenes?
5:00–6:19
5
How do the 2025 report and international pediatric experts challenge the medical evidence?
6:19–7:54
6
Why might cameras be a knee‑jerk response rather than a real solution for neonatal care?
7:54–9:29
7
What systemic failures in the Countess of Chester Hospital contributed to the tragedy?
9:29–10:47
8
What are the next steps for the Criminal Cases Review Commission and future recommendations?
10:47–12:01