Court of Appeal judge chosen to chair Lucy Letby inquiry

The government has appointed Court of Appeal judge Lady Justice Thirlwall as chair of the upcoming public inquiry into the Lucy Letby case.

The inquiry was called by health and social care secretary Steve Barclay following the conviction of Letby, a 33-year-old found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others while she worked as a neonatal nurse.

Letby was sentenced to multiple life orders, and will likely never leave prison for the crimes which happened at Countess of Chester Hospital, in the north west of England, in 2015 and 2016.

"We have a duty to get them the answers they deserve, to hold people to account, and to make sure lessons are learned"

- Steve Barclay

The inquiry, which is now being held as statutory and thus can compel witnesses to appear and give evidence, will look into the case’s “wider circumstances”, according to a speech by Mr Barclay in parliament earlier today.

He said it would also cover the NHS trust’s response to clinicians who aired concerns about Letby years before she was arrested, the conduct of the NHS, and that of health regulators.

Lady Justice Thirlwall is one of the most senior lawyers in the UK, currently serving on the Court of Appeal, and having previously worked as a High Court judge, and a barrister before that.

In his speech today, Mr Barclay explained that her appointment was made following consultation with the UK’s lord chief justice, lord chancellor and attorney general.

“Losing a child is the greatest sorrow any parent can experience,” Mr Barclay said.

“I’m sure the victims’ families have been in the thoughts and prayers of members across the House, as they have been in mine.

"We have a duty to get them the answers they deserve, to hold people to account, and to make sure lessons are learned.

"That’s why on the day of conviction I ordered an independent inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, making clear the victims’ families would shape this."

Mr Barclay further said that the families of Letby's victims had been told of the appointment before it was made public.

He went on that Lady Justice Thirlwall had been informed of the families' wish for the inquiry to take place in phases.

The new inquiry chair would work with the families to shape its terms of reference, he added.

Mr Barclay said: "The crimes Lucy Letby committed are some of the very worst the United Kingdom has witnessed. 

"I know that nothing can come close to righting the wrongs of the past, but I hope that Lady Justice Thirlwall’s inquiry will go at least some way towards giving the victims’ families the answers they deserve.  

"My department and I are committed to putting in place robust safeguards to protect patient safety, and to make sure the lessons from this horrendous case are fully learned. "

Tamlin Bolton, solicitor at Switalskis Solicitors, who represents seven of the families, welcomed the appointment of Lady Justice Thirlwall to the inquiry.

Ms Bolton said: “It is fair to say that the horrific crimes committed by Letby have led to many more questions requiring vital answers so that the families involved can begin to process the events that have taken place.

“Given what is in the public domain so far around the circumstances of Letby’s crimes, it is imperative that the families affected are heard if they are to have the highest confidence in the process.

“That’s why we are delighted that the families will be working with Lady Justice Thirlwall to help shape the terms of reference of the inquiry, which will specifically consider the trust's response to the clinicians who raised the alarm about Letby."

The hope was that the inquiry would lead to "robust systems being implemented to ensure nothing like this can happen again", she added.