Inquiry blames hospital leadership for failing to stop serial killer Lucy Letby

Management failures at Countess of Chester Hospital

A statutory public inquiry led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall concluded on 15 September 2026 that hospital management failed at all levels to protect infants from serial killer Lucy Letby. The report into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital found that several newborns could have been saved from death and severe injury if executives had intervened earlier. Between June 2015 and June 2016, Letby attacked 17 infants at the facility, resulting in convictions for seven murders and multiple attempted murders. Thirlwall identified a breakdown in governance and an institutional gulf between hospital leadership and clinicians, noting that executives repeatedly failed to invoke formal safeguarding procedures.

Errors were made by nurses, doctors and managers. There was also complete failure at all levels to invoke safeguarding procedures at any point.

Missed opportunities and executive inaction

The report detailed several missed opportunities to stop the attacks, beginning with a cluster of three infant deaths in June 2015. In May 2016, senior clinicians met with hospital executives, including former medical director Ian Harvey and former director of nursing Alison Kelly, to raise concerns about the mortality spike and Letby's presence at each incident. Management decided against safeguarding intervention, choosing instead to adopt a wait-and-see policy. Following that meeting, Letby murdered two sibling infants, identified as babies O and P, in June 2016 before hospital bosses moved her to administrative duties in July 2016. Former chief executive Tony Chambers, Harvey, Kelly, and former HR head Sue Hodkinson issued a joint response stating they would review the findings while extending thoughts to affected families.

Treatment of families and national policy response

The inquiry described hospital executives' treatment of affected families as reprehensible, finding that parents were kept in the dark for years while internal reviews took place. Management also transferred confidential medical records of the infants to external experts without parental consent or knowledge. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper announced to the House of Commons that the government will urgently develop plans to install live-streaming cameras, known as cot cams, across neonatal units in England. Cooper also confirmed the establishment of an implementation tracking hub and the creation of a new maternity and neonatal commissioner post to oversee hospital standards.

This must be a turning point for the NHS.

Inquiry scope and security recommendations

Lady Justice Thirlwall issued extensive recommendations for the wider health service, covering more than 200 pages in the final report. These include placing continuous video monitoring on all infant cots and incubators alongside round-the-clock camera surveillance over hospital refrigerators storing insulin until facilities implement keycard-restricted access. Thirlwall clarified that the inquiry did not re-evaluate trial evidence or assess the safety of Letby's criminal convictions. Letby, who is serving 15 whole-life prison terms, maintains her innocence and has lodged an application with the Criminal Cases Review Commission following questions raised by outside medical experts.