Lucy Letby inquiry set to begin amid continued doubts over convictions and a fresh attempt at appeal
The public inquiry into what happened when Lucy Letby murdered seven babies at a hospital starts this week amid a growing debate on the evidence used to convict the nurse.
Letby was sentenced to 15 whole life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital following two trials.
On Tuesday, an independent statutory inquiry, called the Thirlwall Inquiry, begins to specifically explore what happened at the time of the crimes.
It begins, however, at a time of growing debate around scientific evidence used to convict Letby, 34, which has led to questions over whether the hearings should take place.
In a letter to ministers last month, a group of 24 neonatal experts said they feared a narrow scope for the inquiry based on Letby’s convictions could lead to “a failure in understanding and examining alternative, potentially complex causes for the deaths, thus missing important lessons”.
The terms of reference for the inquiry are the experience of the hospital for the parents of the babies, the conduct of those working at the hospital over the Letby and the effectiveness of NHS management across the country.
However, the concerns raised by some over Letby’s convictions have impacted the families of the babies.
Tamlin Bolton, who represents the families of six victims, said: “I can’t stress enough how upsetting that has been for all of the families that I represent.
“And they have thought about so many ways in which they can try to address that and deal with it and make sure they put their voice across. But of course they’re restricted by wanting to keep themselves confidential and private.”
She said it was important to highlight that this week’s inquiry was focussed on the “duty of candour” between patients and hospitals, rather than the criminal convictions “which are final”.
Source: The Independent, 9 September 2024